The COVID-19 pandemic led to many colleges cancelling the SAT and ACT due to test center closures, equity concerns, and academic uncertainties. Most colleges, including Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) in Pakistan, introduced their in-house SAT alternatives to ensure equitable college entrance assessment. The LCAT Test is the general admission exam into LUMS, usually taken in March, and the results are announced in April. Our LCAT experts explain what the test entails and the content areas learners need to stay updated on for success in the exam. We also take the LCAT test for learners needing help to enhance their grades.
What Does LCAT Stand for LUMS?
The LCAT (LUMS Common Admission Test) is a standard examination taken by learners seeking admission into LUMS. Each applicant pays a non-refundable Rs. 1500 for the test, alongside Rs. 4000 admission fees. Initially, LUMS College required SAT scores for its five schools—Shaikh Ahmad Hassan Law School, Suleman Dawood School of Business, Syed Babar Ali School of Science and Engineering, and the Mushtaq Ahmad Gurmani School of Social Sciences. However, they currently offer LUMS as an in-house, standardized SAT-1 alternative.
Is the LCAT Harder than the SAT?
Both LSAT and LCAT are standardized tests. The LCAT is a SAT-1 alternative. Both tests are considerably difficult since they are based on the same syllabus with a difficulty index of O’ level/matriculation. LCAT and LSAT are both general aptitude tests required for college admission. Both tests have an English portion that tests comprehension and grammar and a math portion assessing the learner’s mathematics proficiency.
LCAT Test Question Dynamics and Content Sections
The LCAT LUMS test comprises 7 testable sections, each taking 25 minutes to complete. Unlike LSAT, which has ungraded sections, all 7 sections add to the final score. The first 6 sections test a learner’s verbal and math skills, while the last section is a paragraph writing. Question dynamics are as follows:
Critical Reading
The Critical Reading was formerly called the verbal sections. Questions on the critical Reading make up the first three LCAT sections. Two sections take 25 minutes each, while one section takes 20 minutes. Question types on the essential Reading are primarily:
- Sentence Completion Questions
The first 5 to 8 questions are sentence completion, while the remaining are all from the passages. Sentence completion questions assess the learners’ understanding of the sentence organization and structuring. They require examinees to select one or two words that fit into a sentence to make it grammatically correct.
- Questions from the Passages
Questions from passages make up the bulk of the critical reading section. They require learners to read and understand short excerpts on personal narratives, physical sciences, humanities, and social sciences. Then, the learner must apply their conceptual understanding to answer questions depending on the context. The query number relies on the passage length. Generally, questions at the end of the section are more difficult than those at the beginning.
Mathematics
The LCAT test math section is the Quantitative or the Calculation section. It comprises three testable units—one taking 20 minutes to complete and two taking 25 minutes each. The first 25-minute sections contain multiple-choice questions only. The last 25-minute section comprises 18 questions: 10 are grid-in questions, while 8 are multiple-choice. The previous 20-minute section is also entirely multiple-choice, with 16 queries.
Writing
The writing comprises only one section based primarily on the LCAT ii subjects. A brief essay from the writing section adds about 28% weight toward the writing score. The remaining 72% of scores are from multiple-choice questions. The essay section is 25 minutes long. It requires learners to understand a given prompt and write about it. Most LCAT essay prompts are philosophical and broad. They can ask a learner to explain and share their personal opinions on the value of work and the impacts of technological evolutions on work. However, the beauty of LCAT essays is that they need a standard structure, and the college board only assigns zero scores for blank answer sheets.
Topics and Potential Questions Covered in the LCAT Test
The LSAT has topics across three subjects:
Mathematics
Mathematics makes up three of the total LCAT questions. The math section consists of topics from:
- Algebra
Success in the math section requires understanding the Linear Equations and Linear inequalities, linear relationships, systems of linear equations, systems of linear inequalities, and graphing linear inequalities.
- Advanced Topics
The LCAT test has 14 advanced math topics. They include Solving Quadratics, Isolating Quantities, Function Notation, Rational Equations, Radicals and Rational Exponents, Manipulating Quadratics and Exponential Expressions, Interpreting Nonlinear Equations, Quadratic and Exponential Word Problems, Polynomials, Polynomial Factors and Graphs, Graphing Exponential Functions, Function Notation, Structure in Expressions, and Linear and Quadratic Systems.
- Problem Solving and Data Analysis
Some math LCAT LUMS questions are from the Problem Solving and Data Analysis content area. These topics include Ratios, Rates and Proportions, Graphs, Percentages, Tables, Scatterplots, Data Interference, Data Collection, Linear and Exponential Growth, Center, Spread, and Shape of Distributions.
- Geometry
Geometry math questions come in the last section. They cover angles, arc lengths, volume, complex geometrical numbers, congruence and similarity, trigonometric functions, circle theorems and equations.
English
Success in the English sections requires learners to master Reading and Writing aspects.
- Reading
The Reading section has questions from five topics. They include Graphs and Data, Analogical Reasoning, Determining the Main Ideas and Purpose of Text, Relationship Between test, and Explicit and Implicit Ideas in Passage.
- Writing
The writing section includes many topics, from Expression of Ideas to Linking Clauses. Primary topics include Verb Tense and Mood, Pronoun Clarity, Possessive Nouns, Subject-Verb agreements, Noun Agreements, Parallel Structures, Logical Comparison, and Use of all Punctuations.
LCAT LUMS Scoring
Each question in the English and Math sections (except the essay part) adds one raw point to the final score for every correct answer. However, every incorrect answer deducts one-fourth of the point. The College Board does not deduct points from the math grid-questions.
The essay question is graded differently. While the essay has no standardized structure, the College Board only accepts writeups based on the student’s observation, experience, studies, or reading. During grading, the essay goes through the hands of two reviewers who award personal scores between 1 and 6 depending on the accuracy, format, diction, and respect for given prompts. A zero score is reserved for a blank sheet.
Learners can also get a zero if the essay section is off-topic or non-English. All essays must be in Number 2 Pencils. Anything else is considered ineligible, leading to zero scores. The scores from the two readers (reviewers) are summed to get a final score ranging between 1 to 12. A third reader’s input may be necessary where the scores by the first two readers differ by more than 1 point.
LCAT Test: The Parting Shot
Thousands of students apply to LUMS, but the University accepts between 100-1600 applicants every academic year. Getting a perfect score is the key that sets you apart from other students. Delegate your test to us for timely and accurate help to secure a golden sport at the University and begin your academic journey with confidence.
