Is the LSAT Getting Harder? | Thinking LSAT, Ep. 455

[@DrRCStone]

This is distressing and demotivating in the highest! Out of 35,000 annual applicants, what percentage needs to play the game successfully to destroy the the current value of a 177? TEN LSAT POINTS???? It’s like golfing with 45. What’s the F-ing point?

[@ginamyers162]

I received accommodation from elementary through college. I requested accommodation for the lsat . Sent in all documentations and was denied accommodation for LSAT in 2011. I didn’t Appel it. I took the test without accommodation.

[@LSATDemon]

What was their reason for denying you accommodations?

[@MiguelCM_98]

I come from a small border town Texas, Spanish is my main language. I say I’m pretty fluent in English, but since my first language is Spanish and is the language, everyone speaks the most where I live. I do think that that is a bit of a disadvantage. Do you believe that I should ask for time accommodation. I do think that being more fluent in another language makes me a lot slower reading and trying to comprehend. I been studying and been improving slowly but my biggest issue is time.

[@lanaalley9963]

Hey Miguel, I could be mistaken but I am pretty sure the LSAT does not allow language accommodations. The only accommodations offered are for those with documented disabilities.

[@MiguelCM_98]

@@lanaalley9963 thank you!

[@LC-rl7cd]

Anonymous who got extra time just has "survivor's guilt" and just wants Demon's blessing or absolution. Thanks for not giving it to him/her, Nathan! Someone needs to be the voice of reason and integrity -- I'm glad it's Ben & Nate!

[@LC-rl7cd]

I buy my cars at Carmax, too! LOL

[@iFrankie.]

It sure is. Imagine 3LR’s 1 RC 😅

[@sunny_disposition]

What is LSAT?

[@Mike-nd7xb]

What I'd really love to see here is an actual statistical analysis of the numbers and why you guys seem so convinced - without citing proper evidence - that this correlation equals the only causation you've decided on (oh the irony...). You don't even discuss any other possible causes or confounding factors. You provide zero actual data besides the score increases - nothing about any potentially higher IQs of the sample pool now not being artificially depressed, the prevalence of accommodation vs prevalence of disability in the general population and how that has historically been (under/over)represented, etc. So many things that would make this discussion have any sort of scientific/academic relevance. Like you say: this discussion is hard. But it's especially hard when it's done without even the proper data, let alone the proper data analysis by anyone who's actually qualified to come to any scientific statistical anyway. Though I guess "impossible" would be a better way to put it than "hard." There are some interesting fallacies and unsupported leaps in your reasoning and I hope you use it in one of your classes to let your students learn from it. The only thing that can be concluded is that there has been a score increase, but that's why lawyers (or failed lawyers) aren't the ones to decide causation here. There are just too many unexplored/unstudied data points to conclude anything other than that, and unsurprisingly your years of experience teaching LSAT content don't somehow magically make you experts in the area of LSAT score trend analysis. It's like you're at trial prosecuting a conclusion and you call yourself as an expert witness despite not having the requisite expertise in the field and no evidence to support your scientific conclusions. There's definitely sufficient reasonable doubt here that you've proven your case (or even put forward a proper case at all)

[@ben-lsatdemon]

Hi, Mike. You make valid points. Although we think our explanation is the most likely one, more data is needed. If you're up for digging into this issue and sharing what you find, we're all ears.