Rampant Issues During August's Remote LSAT Fuel Surge in In-Person Test Preference

A wave of challenges experienced during the August administration of the remote Law School Admission Test (LSAT) has triggered a notable shift in test-taker preferences toward the in-person exam version.
 

The Law School Admission Council, the overseeing body of the LSAT, announced this week its plans to bolster the capacity of in-person testing centers for the upcoming scheduled exam on September 8 and 9 in response to the surge in demand.
 
Approximately 5,000 individuals who took the remote LSAT in August reported encountering exam-related difficulties on August 11 and 12. Instances included being locked out of the test platform and encountering significant delays when connecting with proctors, as disclosed by Mark Murray, the spokesperson for the council.
 
The August LSAT marked the inaugural hybrid model, presenting candidates between remote or in-person testing at established centers. Importantly, it was the first instance outside vendor Prometric was responsible for remote proctoring of the LSAT. Despite the issues, Prometric has yet to address inquiries regarding the technical mishaps.
 
Of the August LSAT participants, 61% opted for remote testing. However, the appeal of the online option has markedly diminished. Murray noted, "We are observing an upward trend in individuals desiring to take the test in a physical setting due to the challenges associated with the online test." As a response, the council extended the deadline for the 23,000 LSAT registrants for the September exam to change their preference to in-person testing, from August 16 to August 31.
 
Many examinees who encountered difficulties during the recent remote LSAT have also expressed their inclination to avoid the online format for future attempts. Almost 2,700 candidates have been selected to retake the exam on August 19 or 20, additional testing dates introduced by the council following the technical troubles in August. Notably, according to Murray, 30% of these retakers have decided to switch to in-person testing, a considerable shift.
 
Murray emphasized, "This substantial movement towards in-person testing isn't surprising given people's suboptimal experiences with the remote format. We are confident that our extensive efforts to address the issues with Prometric will lead to a much smoother online testing experience this coming weekend."
 
Dave Killoran, the founder of PowerScore, an LSAT test preparation company, has been fielding numerous inquiries regarding the preferred testing format. His advice has consistently favored in-person testing whenever feasible. Ben Ahmad, an LSAT examinee, shared his decision to opt for an in-person retake on Saturday after encountering over an hour of delay during his remote exam on August 12, along with other complications.
 
Ahmad stated, "Given the scale of retesting, I find it hard to believe that the technical challenges will be fully resolved in a week."