The LSAT Analytical Reasoning section gives you exactly 35 minutes to work through a set of logic games, and time pressure is the single biggest reason capable test takers lose points there. This timer recreates the section clock so you can rehearse pacing under realistic conditions before the real exam.
How it works
The tool runs a strict 35-minute countdown, the official length of the section. You tell it how many questions you are attempting, then mark each one off as you finish. At every moment it divides the remaining time by the remaining questions to show your live budget: the average number of seconds you can still afford per unanswered question. This is the same arithmetic a disciplined test taker does in their head, automated so you can focus on the puzzles.
Pace feedback turns an abstract clock into an actionable number. If your average budget per remaining question is healthy you can slow down and check work; if it is shrinking you know to speed up or strategically skip the hardest game. Training this judgement is what separates an untimed solver from a strong timed scorer.
The math behind pacing
A standard four-game section with 23 questions gives you about 91 seconds per question on average. But questions are not equal — setup questions that require building the initial diagram take longer, while conditional inference questions (“If X is in position 3, which must be true?”) can go faster once the game is diagrammed. The live budget number this timer shows lets you recalibrate after every completed question.
Target clock readings by game
For a 23-question, 4-game section using roughly equal time per game:
| After game | Time used | Clock should show |
|---|---|---|
| Game 1 (6 questions) | ~8:45 | ~26:15 |
| Game 2 (6 questions) | ~17:30 | ~17:30 |
| Game 3 (6 questions) | ~26:15 | ~8:45 |
| Game 4 (5 questions) | 35:00 | 0:00 |
If your clock shows more time remaining than the target after each game, you have a buffer. If it shows less, you need to accelerate or decide to skip a game and guess on it.
Strategic skipping: the underused tool
Most LSAT coaching teaches students to attempt all four games. A more nuanced strategy: identify your weakest game type before the exam and practice guessing all its questions quickly so you can bank time for games you handle well. On a 23-question section, guessing on a 5-question game costs you perhaps 5 points while saving 8–9 minutes you can invest in the other 18 questions. Net result is often more total points, not fewer.
Use this timer to experiment with that approach: pick one game to guess on and see whether your accuracy on the remaining three improves with the extra time.
Tips and practice drills
- Drill game 2 in isolation. Many students start strong, slow down on game 2, and run out of time after game 3. Time game 2 separately to diagnose whether it is a speed issue or a diagram issue.
- Note clock at each game transition. After every practice run, record how much time remained when you finished each game. Over multiple sessions you will see which game types cost you the most time.
- Reset and repeat. Reload the page to reset the timer and work the same section again. The second pass is often dramatically faster once the setup is in memory — but the first pass is what the real exam requires.