Short explanations and balanced answers: how the bank is built
Explanations in the bank average 34.0 words (median 33), matching our one-to-two-sentence spec. Correct answers are spread almost evenly across the five letters: A 20.7%, B 21.2%, C 19.6%, D 20.2%, E 18.5%.
The method
A script split each question's explanation, stimulus, and passage text on whitespace to count words, and tallied the answer field (A through E). N=1,181 questions, computed 2026-10-12.
The numbers
Explanation length
| Measure | Words |
|---|---|
| Mean | 34.0 |
| Median | 33 |
| Shortest | 13 |
| Longest | 73 |
| LR questions (mean / median) | 34.2 / 33 |
| RC questions (mean / median) | 33.6 / 34 |
Correct-answer letters
| Answer | Questions | Share of bank |
|---|---|---|
| A | 244 | 20.7% |
| B | 250 | 21.2% |
| C | 231 | 19.6% |
| D | 238 | 20.2% |
| E | 218 | 18.5% |
Reading load
| Measure | Words |
|---|---|
| LR stimulus, mean / median | 42.5 / 40 |
| RC passage, mean / median | 474 / 470 |
What this means for students
Explanations are short on purpose. A 34-word explanation tells you why the right answer is right and why the trap is wrong, then stops. Long explanations feel thorough but train you to read instead of think. If you want more, rework the question: the short explanation is a check on your reasoning, not a replacement for it.
The answer-letter balance matters more than it looks. The five letters sit within 2.7 percentage points of each other, which means there is no pattern to exploit. If you catch yourself thinking "it has been C a lot lately," that is your brain inventing a pattern. Pick the answer the reasoning supports.
Reading load is worth knowing for pacing. LR stimuli run about 40 words, so reading is not the bottleneck there; thinking is. RC passages run about 470 words, which is real reading. Budget your time accordingly.
Computed from the LSATPathway original question bank (N=1,181 questions) on 2026-10-12.
See also: how hard the questions are, what they are about.
Last updated October 12, 2026