Key Takeaways
- LSAT accommodations are a deeply personal decision between you and your medical provider — no tutor, professor, or friend can make it for you
- Only qualified medical professionals can write the required accommodation letter
- Receiving accommodations is not a form of cheating; it's taking responsibility for a legitimate medical need
- Law schools do not learn whether you received accommodations on the LSAT
- There are many lesser-known accommodations beyond extended time that you can ask about
Why Accommodations Are a Personal Decision
The first thing I want to say is do not let ANYONE on the internet who does not know you, including myself, tell you that you should or should not get accommodations. That is a HIGHLY personal decision that is between you and your medical provider and NO ONE ELSE.
Accommodations on the LSAT do require a letter from a qualified professional.
Who Can Write an LSAT Accommodations Letter
A couple of examples of what a qualified professional are:
- A primary care provider (MD or NP or PA)
- Your licensed therapist or a licensed clinical social worker acting as your therapist
- Your psychiatrist or your mental health nurse practitioner
- Your psychologist or licensed counselor
- Your doctor for other relevant specialties (neurologist, gastroenterologist, etc.)
That means your LSAT tutor (me) is not qualified to write this. Your professor is not qualified to write this (unless they were somehow also your doctor?). Because your tutor, your professors, your friends, etc., are not qualified to write this letter, we are ALSO not qualified to tell you that you need accommodations.
We might have important relevant experience with you where we can mention that we think you could benefit from accommodations. We might have important relevant experience with you where we can mention we think accommodations would not be in your best interest. However, we CANNOT decide this for you. This is a decision that only you can make and you should feel empowered to ask your medical provider for a letter stating your needs.
For more detail on each of these professionals and what they can and cannot do, see our breakdown of who can help with LSAT anxiety.
Will My Doctor Judge Me for Asking?
I want to clear something up: Your medical provider will not negatively judge you or look down on you for asking for an accommodations letter. I know this is always a fear. If you have a legitimate struggle and diagnosis, your medical provider should be eager to help you obtain something that will help with alleviating your symptoms.
If your diagnosis is legitimate, as many students are, obtaining accommodations is NOT a form of cheating NOR is it a form of you taking a short cut. You are taking responsibility for your medical condition and asking for what you need. In my book that is maturity, not short cutting.
Additionally, just because you have a diagnosis does not mean that accommodations would be beneficial to you. Sometimes people perform better with less time to second guess and that's okay! As long as accommodations are obtained legitimately, they are neither right nor are they wrong, they are just what is right for that particular student.
Will Law Schools Know You Received Accommodations?
Additionally, if you receive accommodations through the LSAC, law schools will NOT know that you received them. That would be considered a potential violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act, so if you need accommodations and are afraid to get them because of what schools would think, please do not be afraid of backlash.
Lesser-Known LSAT Accommodations You Can Request
Some lesser known accommodations you can ask for with the permission of your medical professional are:
- Exemption from the experimental section
- The ability to read the questions and passages out loud (not thinking out loud)
- The ability to take the LSAT over multiple days
- Stop the clock breaks for up to 60 minutes
- Paper and pencil format
- Text to speech software (the software reads it to you)
- Permission to use tinted lenses
- Ability to stand, stretch, or move during testing
- Permission to have food, drink, and medication during testing
Reminder: None of these accommodations are guaranteed, but you are always allowed to ask your medical provider to advocate on your behalf.
What to Do Next
- If you're not sure whether your anxiety qualifies as something a doctor would write a letter for, read our overview of what LSAT test anxiety actually feels like
- If you want to know which medical and therapeutic professionals can diagnose, treat, and write accommodation letters, see our guide to LSAT anxiety help professionals
- For daily habits that reduce anxiety alongside (or instead of) accommodations, see our guide to reducing LSAT anxiety
If you'd like to talk through your prep strategy with someone who understands these challenges, learn about our tutoring approach.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can my LSAT tutor write my accommodation letter? No. LSAT tutors are not qualified to write accommodation letters, even if they have direct experience with your studying. Only medical providers — including primary care providers, psychiatrists, psychologists, licensed therapists, and certain other specialists — can write the required letter.
Will law schools see that I received LSAT accommodations? No. The LSAC does not disclose accommodation status to law schools. Doing so would likely violate the Americans with Disabilities Act. You do not have to worry about being judged by admissions committees for receiving accommodations.
Is getting LSAT accommodations a form of cheating? If your diagnosis is legitimate, accommodations are not cheating. They are a way of removing a barrier that prevents you from showing your true ability on the exam. Receiving accommodations is a sign of taking responsibility for your medical needs, not of taking a shortcut.
What kinds of accommodations can I request beyond extra time? You can request exemption from the experimental section, stop-the-clock breaks up to 60 minutes, paper-and-pencil format, text-to-speech software, tinted lenses, permission to stand or stretch, permission to have food and medication, the ability to read passages aloud, and the ability to take the LSAT over multiple days. None are guaranteed, but all are askable.
Does having a diagnosis mean I should request accommodations? Not necessarily. Some people perform better with less time to second-guess themselves. Whether accommodations will help you is a decision to make with your medical provider based on your specific situation.
Where do I start if I think I need accommodations? Start by talking to your medical provider — your primary care doctor, therapist, psychiatrist, or other relevant specialist. They can evaluate whether a letter is appropriate for your situation.