PhiLSAT - Philippine Law School Admission

Test
Background on the PhiLSAT
The Philippine Law School Admission Test (PhiLSAT) is a standardized test designed to
measure the academic potential for success in the study of law.

Pursuant to the power of the Legal Education Board (LEB) to prescribe the minimum standards
for law admission under Section 7(e) of Republic Act No. 7662, entitled the “Legal Education
Reform Act of 1993,” the LEB, under LEB Memorandum Order No. 7 Series of 2016, required
the PhiLSAT as a prerequisite for admission to the Juris Doctor degree beginning school year
2019 - 2020.

The Center for Educational Measurement, Inc. (CEM) has been accredited to manage the affairs
and activities related to the operation of the PhiLSAT. With CEM's experience as an educational
testing agency, it was commissioned to prepare the questions and administer the test, ensure the
reliability and validity of the test, and uphold the confidentiality of results and integrity of its
administration.

Brief Description of PhiLSAT

The PhiLSAT consists of subtests on communications and language proficiency, critical thinking
skills, and verbal and quantitative reasoning.

COMMUNICATIONS AND LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY. This subtest measures the

ability to recognize grammar and usage errors and determine the appropriateness of words and
phrases in given sentences. This subtest consists of three question types— identifying sentence
error, sentence completion, and improving sentences.

CRITICAL THINKING. This subtest measures the ability to analyze and evaluate the
reasoning in written materials and to draw conclusions about given propositions. This subtest
consists of two question types—logical reasoning and analytical reasoning.

VERBAL REASONING. This subtest measures the ability to understand written materials and
make conclusions based on their content. This subtest consists of reading passages followed by
questions about the passage.

QUANTITATIVE REASONING. This subtest measures the ability to apply basic

mathematical skills to the analysis and interpretation of real-world numerical information to
draw conclusions. This subtest consists of three question types—pattern recognition, data
sufficiency, and data interpretation. The items in this subtest involve basic mathematical
concepts and the four fundamental operations—addition, subtraction, multiplication, and
division. The items do not require difficult computations hence the use of a calculator is not
needed. Some questions can be answered more quickly by reasoning and estimating.

Rationale for Test Content

1. Coverage of local and foreign admission tests

The coverage of the PhiLSAT parallels the coverage of various local and foreign admission tests
used to screen applicants to the study of law. Among the tests reviewed were CEM’s Law School
Qualifying test (LSQT), the UP Law Admission Test (UP LAE), the Law School Admission Test
(LSAT), and the Graduate Record Examination (GRE).

2. Study on the Law School Qualifying Test (LSQT) scores and its relationship to first-year
law average.

The LSQT is a standardized admission test developed by CEM since 1999 for use by law schools
in screening applicants to the study of law. Research has shown that the LSQT has a significant
positive relationship to various performance indicators in the study of law. This supports the use
of LSQT as a basis for the coverage of PhiLSAT. Click here for a copy of the research.

The LSQT was retired upon accreditation of CEM as the PhiLSAT testing administrator. For a
list of schools availing of the test during its implementation, click here.

3. LEB’s Policies and Standards of Legal Education and Manual of Regulations for Law
Schools on prerequisites for admission and the model curriculum for Bachelor of Laws /
Juris Doctor

Part I, Article III, Section 16 specifies that “An applicant for admission to the LI.B. / J.D.
program of studies must be a graduate of a bachelor’s degree and must have earned at least
eighteen (18) units in English, six (6) units in Mathematics, and eighteen (18) units of social
science subjects.”

Summary of the Basis of PhiLSAT Content

Subtest Rationale
LEB’s Policies and Standards of
Coverage of Relationship to Legal Education and Manual of
local and first-year law Regulations for Law Schools on
foreign average using prerequisites for admission and the
admission tests LSQT scores model curriculum for Bachelor of
Laws
Communication &
Language ✔ ✔
Proficiency
Critical Thinking ✔ ✔ ✔
Verbal Reasoning ✔ ✔ ✔
Quantitative
Reasoning ✔ ✔ ✔

https://www.cem-inc.org.ph/philsat-philippine-law-school-admission-test