The LSAT is a standardized test for law school admissions. The MCAT is the most common medical school admission test. Both tests strike fear in the heart of college students wanting to continue their studies in law or med school.
But is the LSAT harder than the MCAT? There’s no way to objectively measure whether the LSAT is harder than the MCAT, as the exams are so different, each requiring a different skill set and knowledge base. The LSAT features more complex logic puzzles and reading comprehension questions, whereas the MCAT requires an abundance of knowledge in the sciences.
Table of Contents
- What’s the Difference Between the LSAT and the MCAT?
- Why Is the LSAT Harder Than the MCAT?
- Why Is the MCAT Harder Than the LSAT?
- Preparing for the LSAT and MCAT
- Should I Go to Law School or Medical School?
What’s the Difference Between the LSAT and the MCAT?
The LSAT (Law School Admission Test) and the MCAT (Medical College Admission Test) are different both in their formats and in the types of skills and knowledge they test. Here is what you can expect to encounter on each exam.
LSAT Format
The LSAT is a timed test that consists of five 35-minute sections:
- One reading comprehension section
- Two logical thinking sections
- One analytical reasoning section
- A fifth unscored section that could be any of the above three types
The unscored section is used to collect data to make improvements on future tests. The problem is that when you take the test, you don’t know which section is unscored. For instance, if you end up getting three logic sections and only one each of the other two sections, you know one of the logic sections doesn’t count, but you don’t know which.
MCAT Format
The MCAT is a seven-and-a-half hour test featuring three 95-minute sections and one 90-minute section, plus breaks in between. The sections are as follows:
- Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems (95 minutes)
- Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems (95 minutes)
- Psychological, Social, and Behavioral Foundations of Behavior (95 minutes)
- Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills (90 minutes)
The test generally begins at 8 a.m. sharp and finishes at 3:30 p.m. Each section has between 53 and 59 multiple choice questions based on reading passages that precede them. By the time you have completed the test, you’ll have read more than 25,000 words and answered 230 questions — none of them easy. So, yeah, it’s exhausting.
Why Is the LSAT Harder Than the MCAT?
What Makes the LSAT Harder
The LSAT is considered by many to be one of the most difficult standardized tests because you can’t ace it by memorizing a bunch of knowledge.
A huge component of your score is based on how you perform on so-called “logic games.” The test presents you with different scenarios that get more complex and multifaceted as you go, and you have to use logic to reason your way through them.
Prep classes can teach you the thought patterns to apply to these problems, but there’s also an innate level of skill required to do well. According to law school admissions counselors and the people who make the LSAT, this skill correlates to one’s potential to be an effective attorney.
What Makes the MCAT Easier
People who say the MCAT is easier cite several reasons. One, the MCAT is quite a bit newer. The LSAT was in use for 20 years before the MCAT was even devised. That means 20 more years to build up a test bank of constantly varied questions.
Additionally, while both tests measure innate intelligence and problem-solving ability, that is essentially all the LSAT measures. If you lack the specific skills needed to excel on the LSAT, it can be difficult, even with test prep, to get an elite score. The MCAT, on the other hand, has many questions based on specific knowledge that you can study for and memorize. So, if you’re diligent, you can do well on the MCAT even if you lack certain intrinsic talents.
Why Is the MCAT Harder Than the LSAT?
According to many students who have taken both exams, the MCAT is harder than the LSAT for a few reasons.
First, the MCAT covers more material than the LSAT. The MCAT covers biology, organic chemistry, inorganic chemistry, and physics — all complex scientific topics requiring years of study to truly master — while the LSAT only covers logic, analytical reasoning, and reading comprehension — skills which are largely innate. Second, the MCAT takes almost twice as long as the LSAT to complete — seven and a half hours versus three hours and 25 minutes.
That’s a full day of reading and answering questions with only a few short breaks scattered in there. For that reason, it’s considered to be more mentally taxing than the LSAT.
Preparing for the LSAT and MCAT
Because the LSAT and MCAT have different formats and cover different material, it stands to reason that the way to prep for each test is different, too. Here are our top tips on how to prepare for the LSAT and MCAT.
How to Prepare for the LSAT
If you’re planning to take the LSAT, it’s important to prepare. Even though the exam test your abilities rather than quizzing you on specific knowledge, you still shouldn’t go into it blind. The following tips will help you get ready for the LSAT and improve your chances of success.
Start Preparing Early
Ideally, you should start preparing for the LSAT at least six months before the exam date. A year is even better, even if it’s just taking a practice quiz here and there out of a book. This will give you enough time to learn about the format and practice the types of questions that are likely to appear on the test.
Understand the Test Format
The LSAT consists of five sections: four scored sections and one unscored section. The four scored sections consist of one reading comprehension section, one analytical reasoning section, and two logical reasoning sections. The unscored section could cover any of these sections, and you won’t know which sections are scored or unscored. There’s also a writing section that gets scored separately.
It’s important to be able to shift gears mentally as you move from one section to the next. Practice will make this easier.
Familiarize Yourself With the Questions You’ll Encounter
Good LSAT prep courses and books feature test banks of old questions from previous exams. Even though these won’t be the exact questions that appear on your test, the format will be similar, if not identical. The more practice questions you learn to master, the easier you’ll find the questions on the test.
How to Prepare for the MCAT
The MCAT is a seven-and-a-half hour behemoth of a test, so you want to make sure you’re prepared going into it.
Review Your Biology, Chemistry, and Physics
Don’t just memorize the questions on the practice tests you take. Make sure you drill the fundamentals and basic concepts of these disciplines. That way you’ll be able to reason through any curveballs the test throws your way.
Take Practice Tests
By taking plenty of practice tests — and starting early, just like with the LSAT — you’ll become familiar with the format of the exam and identify areas that need more attention.
Find a Study Partner
There is so much material to cover for the MCAT that doing it alone can be tiring. Many people find it hard to stick with a study routine or even to begin one because the amount of information is overwhelming. A study partner can help you make a plan and stick to it.
Schedule an “Official” Practice Exam
Many test preparation centers offer free practice exams that can be used to identify areas where you need improvement. Unlike the practice tests you take at home out of a book, an official practice exam simulates the exact testing environment you’ll face on exam day.
Get Plenty of Rest
Did we mention the test is almost eight hours long? It’s not something you can cram for the night before. In fact, doing so will only worsen your performance since you’ll be too tired to focus intently. The months and months leading up to the test are your study window. The night before your test, you should be doing only one thing: resting and getting a good night’s sleep.
Should I Go to Law School or Medical School?
If you’re fortunate enough to be a competitive candidate for both law school and medical school, you might be facing a tough decision on which way to go. Both are great options, but each has its own benefits and drawbacks.
It ultimately comes down to what direction you want your career to go in. Unfortunately, a guide like this can’t make the decision for you, since your goals, personality, and skill set all play a role. Law school lets you start a lucrative career faster — it’s only three years as opposed to four, with no residency requirement afterward. Many new graduates get scooped up by elite law firms at starting salaries north of $140,000 per year.
On the other hand, medical school funnels you into one of the most secure careers in the world. While there are thousands of law school grads struggling to find employment, it’s almost impossible to find a med school grad who’s passed their boards and isn’t working as a doctor — unless they’ve committed a crime or otherwise done something to jeopardize their medical license. But medical school is also the most competitive type of graduate program in the world to get into, with acceptance rates of 10% or below. For that reason, many med school hopefuls end up pursuing other careers in health care, such as going to chiropractic school.
Both law and medicine are fantastic careers that can take you anywhere you want to go. There’s no such thing as a “better” choice — only a better choice for you.
