The experimental section of the October 9, 2010 LSAT like any LSAT varies depending upon which version of the test you were given.
It is usually one of the first three sections of the test. (before the break)
Here is how you can figure out which section was experimental on your LSAT:
1. Which type of section did you have an extra section of? (eg. did you have 3 logical reasoning sections, 2 reading comprehension or 2 analytical reasoning sections)
2. If you had 2 reading comprehension or 2 analytical reasoning sections then the first one was likely the experimental and if one was before the break and one after then it’s usually the first one. For the October 9, 2010 LSAT, based on reader feedback, the REAL Reading Comprehension section included passage topics on: artists, African American historiography, animal communication and the UN.
3. If you had 3 logical reasoning sections and only one was before the break then that is likely the experimental one. If two were before the break then the first one is likely the experimental section. One of the REAL logical reasoning sections involved questions on Owls and Antibiotics.
So the experimental section could be Logical Reasoning, Reading Comprehension or Analytical Reasoning depending on which copy of the test you wrote. Whichever one it was it does not count towards your LSAT score.
Every LSAT includes four scored sections a writing sample and a fifth un-scored LSAT section.
The four scored sections are:
Logical Reasoning x2
Reading Comprehension
Analytical Reasoning
The experimental section will be one of the above three types but it won’t count towards your score. The experimental section is used to test questions for future LSAT exams. The questions in it can be harder or easier than average as new question types and difficulty levels are experimented with.
Find more LSAT Blog articles here.
How could the first section be experimental on those tests in the following order? RC LG LR LG LR. I’m really hoping second LG was experimental.
For those tests with RC LG LR LG LR the experimental was most likely the second section (the first LG section)
this isnt true… i wrote the test today and my first section was RC , and it was the only RC i had meaning it was NOT an experimental section. The experimental section is in a different order for different people.
You are correct, post updated. As you only had one RC section it’s not the experimental. It was probably your second or third section.
Nope. Wrongo buddy. I had RC, LR, LR, AR, LR. Ipso facto, the first section can’t be the experimental section. Try again.
Yes, you’re right… the post has been updated and is accurate now. Experimental section, as usual, was any one of the first three sections. Yours was most likely the second section (your first LR section).
RC RC LR AR LR was mine. I certainly hope that the 1st RC was not the experimental section. The 2nd one was more difficult and I had to just bubble in B for the last two answers….
Albert,
The one that included passages on artists, African American historiography, animal communication and the UN was apparently the real one. Hopefully that’s the one you did better on!
It was everyone’s second section. I have talked to many different people and through this have determined that.
Thanks for the comment. Yes, you’re correct, it was the second section this time.
My first two sections were both RC, and my second test contained the passages relating to African American historiography, animal communications, and the UN peace/human rights resolutions.
“It was everyone’s second section. I have talked to many different people and through this have determined that.”
Does “…you’re correct, it was the second section this time.” imply that the second section was the EXPERIMENTAL section, or that the second section was the REAL section. Drawing upon my initial observation, if the second section was the EXPERIMENTAL section, then the REAL section does not include passages regarding African American historiography, animal communications, and the UN peace/human rights resolutions.
I had LR LR RC LR LG and am having trouble figuring out which of the first two LR the experimental was. I do remember the owl goggles question but can’t remember whether that was section 1 or 2. Does anyone else remember any of the first few questions from your LR sections?
It would have been your second LR section and second section overall.
I had the same format LR, LR, RC, LR, LG. Felt really confident about the first LR and a little less confident about each LR from then on. Greg- So you’re saying my second section (second LR) was the experimental?
Please, please, I really need an answer, so was the experimental section the second RC if i had you had RC RC LR LG LR. Thank you and really need an answer.
The second section was the experimental section.
Just out of curiosity how do you know (or think it’s likely) that it’s the first LR for those with RC LR LR LG LR? What about that LR makes it suspect? Ran out of time on the second LR and I was really hoping that was it!
The experimental section was the 2nd section of the test for everyone. It’s not suspect and you can’t tell by looking at it.
I just signed up to your blogs rss feed. Will you post more on this subject?
There probably won’t be much more on the experimental section specifically as the exam has passed. However, we will post more on the LSAT generally.
Thanks for subscribing!
I had RC LR LR LG LR. You said that for me that the second section (the first LR) was the experimental section. How do you know that the third section (the second LR) wasn’t the experimental section?
The experimental section’s placement in the exam is the same for everyone. Some people had LR, some had RC and some had LG but everyone had it as the 2nd section.
Hey, I can’t view your site properly within Opera, I actually hope you look into fixing this.
We’ll look into this. Unfortunately for now we only receive about 0.5% of our traffic on the Opera browser so updating this may take a while. In the meantime if you use any of Internet Explorer, Safari, Chrome or Firefox it should work fine.
Apologies for the inconvenience.
Yes, it should be the second section for everyone.
The second section was experimental.