The end of the semester can be a stressful time. Just ask students who recently took or are planning to take the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT). While many have full class loads -- not to mention other jobs -- preparing for the test that ultimately makes or breaks a law student can be mind boggling on its own. The yearly fee increase for taking the test, however, presents students with the added burden of wondering where all the money is going.

"So much emphasis is put on your score instead of looking at your undergraduate work," said Kenny Loui, 20, a criminal justice and political science major, who is also treasurer on the Pre Law Society at SF State. "Officially, law schools look at a lot of things," Loui said, however, added, "statistically the higher scores have a better chance at getting into law school."

The LSAT is not to be taken lightly.

The LSAT fee increase is small on one hand, but significant on the other. While the testing fee rose to $112 this year, a four-dollar increase, more students than ever are taking the test and some of them wonder where all the money is going. Last year 147,600 tests were administered.

"We know that when the economy is bad more people take the test," said Nicole Kelly, 24, a philosophy major with an emphasis in law at SF State. "If more people than ever are taking the test why do they need to raise the fees?" Kelly is president of the Pre Law Society at SF State, a group for students who hope to study law some day.

Wendy Margolis is communications director at the Law School Admissions Council (LSAC), the only organization that offers the test. The cost is adjusted yearly to the rate of inflation, so no other decision goes into the fee increase. The fee pays for test development, administrative costs, shipping and security, Margolis said.

Students who take the LSAT are tested on reading comprehension, critical thinking, analysis, and logic. According to the LSAC, the test is the best "yard-stick" available to measure the potential success and capabilities of students and how they will perform in law school. The total possible score is 180, while a score of 160 and above is recommended for getting into the better law schools.

"It's very hard," said Kelly, who took the LSAT in December 2003. "You have to learn to think in a different fashion and it's timed. It can be really stressful considering that I know people who were at the top of their class who completely botched the exam."

Months prior to taking LSAT, students prepare for the test which has five 35-minute sections of multiple choice questions and one 30-minute writing sample, according to information found at www.lsac.org. The Web site is a valuable resource for prospective law students, providing information on the top ranked schools in their area, information on how to prepare for LSAT and where to check their scores.

Kelly said the LSAC Web site is an essential tool for every pre law student and added that the nonprofit organization seems so well-run, she cannot imagine where money is going to improve it.

"I was satisfied," Kelly said.

Some students don't think the fee is high, when compared to the much larger expense of the overall process of applying and preparing for admissions exams and one day paying tuition at law school.

"When you are going to end up having paid $3,000 to $4,000 dollars by the time the process is over with, $112 doesn't seem like that much to me," said Marina Zakiyan, 20, a philosophy and political science major at SF State. As long as Zakiyan continues to do well in school, her parents have agreed to fund her college education.

"I think I agree," Zakiyan said on whether the test is a good measure of student's capabilities. "While people who don't test well are at a disadvantage, one way to distinguish one from another is to look at the LSAT score."

Other students, however, are not as easily convinced.

"Certain people don't test well in timed situations," Kelly said. "We're all gifted in different capacities. There are thousands of unique intelligent individuals the test is weeding out. And just because a person does not score well does not necessarily mean they will not make good law students."

"I think law schools should take into account the other things we have to offer," Loui said, "like our views on life, our different cultures and our intentions."

Back at the LSAC, Margolis said, "While the test seems expensive it provides a convenience for the law school and the student."