Free LSAT prep, from Khan Academy and the LSAC, coming in June
Khan Academy logo from Twitter.
Updated: A free online LSAT prep program from Khan Academy and the Law School Admission Council, announced in 2017, will be available to the public starting June 1.
The collaboration between the LSAC and the nonprofit online platform, known for its large library of interactive math courses, “diagnoses” users skills and weaknesses either with a series of mini-tests or a full practice test, and identifies what skills a user should focus on to improve his or her score, according to a video about the product. It can be seen here.
“Your practice plan is divided into stages that start with a focused skill practice and end with a practice test. As your weaknesses turn into strengths, you’ll see your test scores rise toward your goal,” the video states.
The system includes questions from more than 30 practice tests, according to Khan Academy. Beta testing, with 7,600 people, starts April 30.
While many people thinking about law school would like to take an LSAT prep course in hopes that their scores would increase, the costs of existing classes are prohibitive for many, says Kellye Testy, president and CEO of the Law School Admission Council.
“I am a first-generation college graduate, and I really believe in economic justice, so I think it’s a really important next step for us. Because so many young people will be familiar with the platform, they will be comfortable with it. And when you are comfortable with something, it takes away the psychological barriers from testing,” she adds.
Kellye Y. Testy. Photo by Greg Olsen/University of Washington School of Law.
Khan Academy already offers test prep materials for the GMAT, the MCAT and the SAT. For the SAT, 20 hours of practice with the Khan Academy product is associated with an average 115-point score increase from the PSAT to the SAT, says Salman Khan, a former hedge-fund analyst who started Khan Academy in 2008.
“With the LSAT and the SAT, there’s a perception of inequity where people can’t afford test prep. We thought: ‘Let’s make the best (program), that also happens to be free,’” says Khan, who brought in lawyers, law students and LSAT tutors to help develop the product.
He and Testy suggest working 30 minutes a day with the LSAT product, perhaps longer a week or so before exam dates.
“Thirty minutes a day is a nice rule of thumb. The most important thing is to practice regularly,” Khan says.
Good LSAT prep courses can cost more than $1,000, Dave Killoran, CEO of PowerScore Test Preparation, told the ABA Journal in 2017. “LSAT students tend to be an intelligent, discerning group, and I’m sure they will welcome the Khan Academy offerings. They will likely use it as just one more tool in their arsenal, and the value of this preparation will largely depend on the quality of the material and presentation.”
Updated May 1 to provide more detail about the tests available.
