LSAT, MPRE & Bar Exam Psychological Testing for the Washington, DC Area

Rigorous Evaluations for High-Stakes Academic and Professional Exams

I’m Dr. Erica Hurley, a licensed clinical psychologist specializing in comprehensive psychological testing for adults. My practice focuses on evaluations designed for high-stakes academic and professional exams, including the LSAT, MPRE, and Bar exam.

Many of my clients travel from Washington, DC and the surrounding metro area for specialized evaluations designed to produce rigorous, defensible documentation for accommodation requests.

Although my office is located in Richmond, Virginia, I frequently work with individuals from Washington, DC, Northern Virginia, and Maryland who are preparing for demanding academic or professional exams. With select cases, virtual testing also may be an option.

These evaluations are specifically designed for time-limited testing environments, where attention, processing speed, and cognitive endurance play a critical role.

Designed for High-Functioning Adults Pursuing Serious Goals

Many individuals who seek testing through this practice are high-achieving students or professionals who have already reached advanced stages of their academic or career path. Clients often include:

  • law school applicants preparing for the LSAT

  • law students preparing for the MPRE or Bar exam

  • graduate and professional students facing high-stakes exams

  • licensed professionals seeking exam accommodations

  • high-functioning adults questioning ADHD or executive functioning challenges

Many people have compensated successfully for years through intelligence, persistence, and strong work ethic. However, the extreme time pressure of professional exams can expose underlying cognitive differences. A comprehensive evaluation can help clarify whether conditions such as ADHD, learning differences, or processing speed weaknesses are affecting performance.

Psychological Testing for LSAT, MPRE, and Bar Exam Accommodations

Accommodation boards typically require objective clinical documentation demonstrating both:

  1. A diagnosable condition (such as ADHD, learning disorder, anxiety)

  2. Functional impairment that affects performance in timed testing environments

Evaluations are designed to produce clear documentation that stands up to review by testing boards.

Depending on the referral question, an evaluation may include:

  • a detailed clinical interview

  • cognitive testing (IQ, working memory, processing speed)

  • academic achievement testing

  • attention and executive functioning measures

  • personality and psychological assessment when appropriate

  • validity and effort testing

The goal is to develop a clear and accurate picture of how an individual performs under the cognitive demands of high-stakes testing environments.

Serving Law Students in the Washington, DC Area

I frequently work with individuals preparing for law school or the bar exam in the Washington, DC region. Students from the following programs sometimes seek evaluations when preparing for high-stakes exams:

  • Georgetown University Law Center

  • George Washington University Law School

  • American University Washington College of Law

  • Howard University School of Law

Many students begin considering evaluation when they notice patterns such as:

  • consistently running out of time on exams

  • slow reading speed despite strong comprehension

  • difficulty sustaining attention during long exams

  • strong understanding of material but lower scores on timed tests

These patterns do not automatically indicate a diagnosis, but they can signal that a comprehensive evaluation would be helpful in understanding how the brain performs under pressure.

Bar Exam and Professional Licensing Exams

In addition to the LSAT and MPRE, many clients are preparing for professional licensing exams.

Evaluations may be used to support accommodation requests for exams such as:

  • Law School Admission Test

  • Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination

  • Uniform Bar Examination

Many individuals seeking testing in this practice are preparing for the Washington DC Bar Exam, Virginia Bar Exam, or Maryland Bar Exam, depending on where they plan to practice.

Because these exams involve long testing days and strict time limits, the evaluation process is structured to examine cognitive functioning in conditions that approximate real testing demands.

A Specialist Practice Focused on High-Stakes Evaluations

This is a psychological testing practice specializing in adult evaluations for high-stakes academic and professional exams.

Unlike general therapy practices, the clinic is structured specifically around the demands of accommodations documentation and professional testing environments.

Evaluations are designed to assess:

  • sustained cognitive performance

  • attention under timed conditions

  • executive functioning endurance

  • processing speed and working memory

  • fatigue and performance consistency

Testing sessions are structured to approximate the psychological demands of professional exams whenever possible.

The goal is not speed or convenience.

The goal is accurate, defensible documentation that reflects real-world performance under pressure.

Clients Traveling from the Washington, DC Metro Area

Many clients travel from across the Washington DC metro area, including:

  • Washington, DC

  • Arlington

  • Alexandria

  • Bethesda

  • Northern Virginia

  • Maryland

Richmond is typically about 1.5–2 hours from DC, making it accessible for individuals seeking specialized high-stakes evaluations that may not be widely available locally. Most often, testing involves only one day.

The Evaluation Process

Evaluations are designed to be structured, efficient, and thorough, while minimizing the number of trips required for individuals traveling from the Washington, DC area.

  1. Initial Consultation (Free)

    The process begins with a brief complimentary consultation. This allows us to discuss:

    • the exam you are preparing for

    • the challenges you are experiencing with timed testing

    • your testing timeline

    • whether a comprehensive evaluation would be appropriate

    If it appears that testing may be helpful, we will schedule the next step.

    2. Virtual Intake Session

    The next step is a virtual intake session, where we review your history in greater depth.

    During this meeting we discuss:

    • academic history

    • previous testing or diagnoses

    • attention, learning, and executive functioning patterns

    • current testing goals and accommodation needs

    This information helps determine the most appropriate testing battery for your situation.

    3. In-Person Testing Session

    The core of the evaluation is a single in-person testing session conducted in my Richmond office.

    Testing is structured to examine cognitive functioning relevant to high-stakes testing environments, including areas such as:

    • attention and executive functioning

    • processing speed

    • working memory

    • academic skills when relevant

    • cognitive endurance during extended testing

    Many clients traveling from Washington, DC choose to complete testing in one half-day session.

    4. Virtual Feedback Session

    After scoring and interpreting the results, we meet for a virtual feedback session to review the findings.

    During this meeting we discuss:

    • your cognitive strengths

    • areas that may affect performance in timed testing environments

    • diagnostic considerations, if applicable

    • recommendations and next steps

    A comprehensive written report is then provided, which may be used to support accommodation requests when appropriate.

Timeline & Fees

Because each testing organization has strict timelines, I recommend scheduling at least 8–10 weeks before your exam’s accommodation deadline.

High-Stakes Exam Evaluation: $3,000–$4,500 (depending on complexity)

Includes all testing, scoring, interpretation, report preparation, and feedback session.

Schedule a Consultation

If you are preparing for a high-stakes academic or professional exam and are wondering whether ADHD, learning differences, or other cognitive factors may be affecting your performance, a comprehensive evaluation may help provide clarity. The first step is a brief consultation, where we can discuss your goals, timeline, and whether this process would be a good fit.