Game Changer: The Future of LSAT Logic Games
What would the LSAT be without Logic Games? Within the next four years, we may find out thanks to a recent settlement between LSAC and two blind plaintiffs, Angelo Binno and Shelesha Taylor.
Why did they sue LSAC?
Before Binno took the LSAT in 2011, he requested testing accommodations. For the most part, these were the standard accommodations offered by LSAC. The one exception? He requested that the Logic Games section be removed from his exam, and LSAC denied this request.
Binno, Taylor, and their attorney, Jason Turkish, argued that this denial was discriminatory. Logic Games, they claim, are designed to be completed with the aid of drawn diagrams that can’t be replicated by the visually impaired. Because of the inability to draw and assess their drawings, no accommodation to the existing test could truly even the playing field for blind test-takers.
What is the settlement LSAC and the plaintiffs reached?
In a joint statement released on October 7th, LSAC claims that they have “begun research and development into alternative ways to assess analytical reasoning skills, as part of a broader review of all question types to determine how the fundamental skills for success in law school can be reliably assessed in ways that offer improved accessibility for all test takers. Consistent with the parties’ agreement, LSAC will complete this work within the next four years, which will enable all prospective law school students to take an exam administered by LSAC that does not have the current AR section but continues to assess analytical reasoning abilities.”
What does the settlement actually mean for test-takers?
There’s been some confusion regarding what, exactly, is required by this settlement, so let’s take a moment to try to parse what was said.
The work completed over the next four years is going to “enable all prospective law school students to take an exam administered by LSAC that does not have the current AR section” (emphasis added).
Anyone who’s spent time studying for the Logical Reasoning section of the exam should recognize that this isn’t the same thing as saying that LSAT will require all students to take an exam without the current Games section. If the statement said that LSAC will require all students to take a different kind of AR section, we’d know that the change will be made across the board, and that individual students wouldn’t get a say in it.
But by using enable instead of require, LSAC, intentionally or not, is leaving open the possibility that students may be given a choice. While this seems unlikely, the text of the press release doesn’t explicitly say otherwise.
When will we see the new Analytical Reasoning section?
LSAC has pledged to undertake extensive research over the next four years, and to work with the plaintiffs in the development of accommodations to meet the needs of the visually impaired. In a since-deleted tweet, LSAC said:
“Because analytical reasoning is such a critical skill, it is important to recognize that we will continue to assess the analytical reasoning abilities of prospective law students while we redesign the way in which that skill is assessed.”
In other words, Logic Games will still be a part of the test during the four-year research window. If you hope to take the LSAT any time soon, you’ll need to prepare to face the Games section.
What will the new Analytical Reasoning section look like?
The question on everyone’s mind right now is what, exactly, the new AR section will look like. And as far as I can tell, that “everyone” includes the test developers at LSAC. The aforementioned tweet also told us:
“Should there be any significant changes to format, extensive research and development, followed by several stages of pilot testing and data analysis would be required to ensure the continued validity, reliability, and fairness of the test. Therefore, it is too early in the process to speculate on how the test will evolve as a result of our ongoing research.”
Students of Reading Comprehension may notice some subtle, but potentially important, differences between LSAC’s statements and the statements presented as part of the joint press release. “Should there be any significant changes to the format…” doesn’t definitively state that there will be significant changes to the format. And if it’s too early to speculate on how the test will evolve, does that mean in may not evolve in a way that dramatically alters the section?
These ambiguities led attorney Jason Turkish to publish a letter requesting a joint press conference with LSAC President Kelly Testy. Turkish states that he hopes the press conference could “avoid further uncertainty and confusion.”
What’s our take on the Logic Games debate?
Test changes are always hard on students, and the LSAT just underwent a monumental change when it went digital. But diversity in the legal profession is what’s at issue here, and I can think of no better way to ensure fair access to that profession for the visually impaired than to scrap my beloved Games section.
I’ve always told my students that the section should really be called the Spatial Reasoning section, rather than the Analytical reasoning section, because analytical reasoning is in no way unique to Games. It’s a foundational part of Logical Reasoning and Reading Comprehension, too. That’s why I’m confident that LSAC will find a way to test these skills without the need to put pencil to paper, and I’m frankly excited to see what they come up with.
Until that time, though, I look forward to helping students untangle these puzzles. If you’re new to LSAT Logic Games, check out our post on what the section tests. And no matter where you are in your studies, we’ve got loads of great material to help you prep for the LSAT’s Logic Games section.
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Laura Damone is a Manhattan Prep instructor based in San Francisco, CA. She fell for the LSAT while getting her undergrad degree and has now taught LSAT classes at more than 20 universities around the country. When she’s not teaching, learning, or publishing her work, she can be found frolicking in the redwoods and exploring the Pacific coast. Check out Laura’s upcoming LSAT courses here!