Matching LSAT tests anger several students

Prospective law school students are upset with the makers of the Law School Admissions Test because of what one student called "very unfair" practices. Ira Zlotnick, a senior at Brooklyn College, took the October LSAT on Monday, October 7, instead of the regular test date of Saturday, October 5, because he is a religious Jew who celebrates the Sabbath on Saturday. And the LSAT administered on Monday was exactly the same as the one given on Saturday. "I don't understand how they could do that," Zlotnick said. "It's not just a high school test. [This is] serious stuff." Zlotnick said he feels he would have had "an unfair advantage" over the students who took the Saturday exam and has since cancelled his score. And a handful of other students have since cancelled their scores for similar reasons. Jim Vaseleck, a spokesperson for Law School Admission Services, confirmed that the same test was given on both days but defended the decision to do so. "It is difficult for me to believe someone walking out of that test having memorized a 450-word [reading comprehension] passage," Vaseleck said. "[No one has] a meaningful advantage." Vaseleck added that the test has been repeated on one test date each year for the past three years. "It's convenient and cost-effective to administer the same test on Monday and Saturday," he said. "We've done it in the past. I'm sure we'll do it again." Law School Assistant Dean of Admissions Glen Glenn said he was "stunned" that the LSAT normally operates this way. "I'm surprised that they did that," Glenn said. "I didn't know they'd repeat the exam that way." And University students who took the LSAT on the Saturday test date were upset that the students who took the test on Monday would have an idea of what to expect beforehand. "I would definitely think that that's unfair," said College senior Irene Pang. "It really does anger me." Vaseleck said he was not aware of any increase in the number of score cancellations and that the testing service had not received complaints, just questions about the test repetition. Philadelphia was not one of the Monday testing centers. The closest sites were New York City and Washington, D.C. About 1500 students take the special Monday test each year.

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