How Is the LSAT Scored?

After an administration’s scores are released, your LSAT score will be available on the LSAT Status page in JD Services  (opens in new browser window) and will include:

  • Your current score

  • Your percentile rank

  • Your score band

You’ll receive your score, provided you have an approved LSAT Argumentative Writing℠ sample (or an LSAT Writing or LSAT Argumentative Writing sample from a previous administration) and no holds on your account. LSAT Argumentative Writing is available eight (8) days prior to the start of an LSAT administration and can be completed at any time. However, you must have a completed an approved LSAT Argumentative Writing (or an LSAT Writing or LSAT Argumentative Writing sample from a previous administration) on file to see your score or have it released to law schools.

Your Score

Your LSAT score is based on the number of questions you answered correctly — your raw score. All test questions are weighted the same, meaning the total number of questions you get right, not which questions you get right, is what matters for your score. There’s no deduction for incorrect answers. LSAT scores are estimates of your actual proficiency in the skills tested. LSAT scores aren’t an indication of your capacity to learn or build additional proficiency.

To compare scores earned across different LSAT administrations, your raw score is converted to an LSAT score. LSAT scores are reported on a scale from 120 to 180, with 120 being the lowest possible score and 180 being the highest possible score. Because there are multiple versions of the test at each administration and across the testing year, a statistical process called equating is used to ensure that a given score (e.g., 160), represents the same proficiency regardless of the version of the test taken by an individual. For example, a February test taker with an LSAT score of 160 might have a higher relative standing among February test takers than a June test taker with an LSAT score of 160 might have among June test takers, but the proficiency level represented by a score of 160 is the same regardless of when that score is earned.

Your Percentile Rank

The percentile rank  (opens in new browser window) reflects the percentage of test takers whose scores were lower than your score and is calculated based on scores from the previous three testing years. A percentile rank is reported for each of your scores. If your percentile rank is 55, that means 55% of test takers in the previous three testing years received a score lower than yours. If your percentile rank is 95, then you earned a score higher than 95% of test takers in the previous three testing years. LSAT testing years run from July 1 through June 30, and percentiles are updated around the end of July every year and are applied to all reportable scores.

Your Score Band

LSAT scores are reported to law schools along with a score band  (opens in new browser window). The score band indicates a range of scores, including scores slightly higher and slightly lower than the score received, because your actual proficiency in the skills tested on the LSAT may be slightly higher or slightly lower than what’s reflected by the score you received on an officially administered LSAT. Your LSAT score can vary due to a number of factors (such as guessing, being sick, or being hungry), so the score band reflects the range of scores you likely would receive if you took the LSAT again. The value used to determine the score range is based on a psychometric statistic called the standard error of measurement (SEM). The standard error of measurement (SEM) for LSAT scores indicates how close a test taker’s score is to their true score. A test taker’s true score is the score on a perfectly reliable test—a theoretical notion that does not exist, since all tests contain a certain amount of measurement imprecision. The score band is computed by subtracting and adding the SEM to a test taker’s score.

Reportable Scores

Your 12 most recent LSAT scores (including absences and cancellations) are available on the LSAT Status page in JD Services  (opens in new browser window) and are provided to law schools when you apply. You can print your scores directly from your LSAT Status page if you’d like a copy of your results. With the introduction of the LSAT-Flex to provide a safe and effective mechanism for candidates to earn scores during the COVID-19 emergency, LSAC made the decision that the May, June, July, and August 2020 LSAT-Flex tests do not count toward the 7 LSATs test takers may take over a lifetime. Due to the expressed interest of candidates, LSAC also offers Official Candidate LSAT Score Reports  (opens in new browser window). These reports include all LSAT scores you’ve earned, including nonreportable scores. To learn more or order your report, visit Official Candidate LSAT Score Reports  (opens in new browser window) on LSAC.org. LSAT scores earned prior to June 2020 are not considered valid for law school admission and are not included in your score report. However, if you’d like a copy of your non-reportable LSAT scores for your personal records, you can order an Official Candidate LSAT Score Report.

Score Release Dates

To find out when scores will be released for a recent or upcoming LSAT administration, visit Upcoming LSAT Dates  (opens in new browser window).

View answers to frequently asked questions about LSAT scores on the Frequently Asked Questions about the LSAT  (opens in new browser window) page.