Cheating concerns shut down US law school admissions test in China
By Karen Sloan
Aug 18 (Reuters) - The nonprofit that administers the primary exam used in U.S. law school admissions said Monday that it will temporarily suspend its online test in mainland China after the upcoming exam in October due to concerns over systemic cheating.
Companies in China have become “increasingly aggressive” in promoting test misconduct on the Law School Admission Test and other standardized exams, the Law School Admission Council said in an announcement of the change.
“We are taking steps to shut down these operations and will pursue appropriate legal remedies,” wrote Susan Krinsky, the Council's executive vice president for operations. The Council will monitor individual score irregularities and continue to update its security measures for the October test, Krinsky added.
The Council does not offer in-person administration of the LSAT in China, making the online test the only mainland option there. It will continue to be offered in Hong Kong, a spokesperson said Monday.
The spokesperson declined to provide additional details about its testing misconduct claims or how it is bolstering test security for the October exam. The international LSAT is administered four times a year, and about 500 people took the exam in China last year, according to the Council.
Most U.S. law schools require LSAT or Graduate Record Examination scores to apply to programs granting a J.D. degree — the standard law degree needed to practice in the United States. Law schools do not typically require the LSAT for their LL.M. programs, a shorter degree sought annually by thousands of foreign-trained lawyers from around the world.
The GRE, which is accepted for J.D. programs alongside the LSAT by 120 U.S. law schools, is still being offered in China.
“This is not a step we take lightly,” Krinsky said in Monday's announcement. “We will work to resume testing in mainland China as soon as possible.”
Krinsky said it was unclear if the LSAT would be offered in mainland China by January 2026, when it is next due to be administered after October.
Read more:
No LSAT to get into law school? ABA opens door to bypass standardized test
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