The LSAT Scoring System
Types of LSAT Scores Reported
All students who take the LSAT receive an official score report. This report includes: the total LSAT score, which ranges from 120 to 180; a percentile ranking showing where you rank in comparison to other test takers over the past three years; and a score band, a range of scores meant to account for the test's margin of error. Test takers who have taken the LSAT more than once will be given a score average, as well as individual scores for all tests completed within the last five years.
For disclosed LSAT administrations, students will also have access to their test questions and answers. This allows them to calculate their raw sectional and total scores, which is the number of correct answers to the multiple-choice questions. This service is not available for nondisclosed LSATs. But since test takers do not know if the LSAT they take will eventually be disclosed, this isn't something to stress over, since it's not important to calculate your raw scores.
Calculation of the LSAT Total Score
The LSAT typically has between 99 and 102 scored questions, with 100 questions most common. Excluding the experimental section questions, roughly 77 or 78 LSAT questions are scored questions that receive a raw score. The raw score is used to calculate the scaled score through a process known as "equating," in which specific raw scores are linked to each possible scaled score outcome. Equating is used to control for variance in test difficulty. On test editions with 101 questions, for example, it is sometimes possible to get a perfect score of 180 with only 100 correct answers. Equating may also preclude certain scores within the scale. For instance, it may be impossible to get a scaled score of exactly 177 on certain test versions. Generally speaking, the score discrepancies produced by the scaled scoring process are relatively minor, involving no more than a question or two.
Each LSAT question is worth the same number of points. This means that even though some questions may be more challenging than others, they all have the same value. You are not penalized for guessing and you don't lose points for incorrect answers, so take an educated guess on questions when you don't immediately know the answer.
Percentile Rankings
Percentile rankings allow students to understand how they performed compared to the overall group of test takers during the three most recent test years. A student who receives a percentile ranking of 72, for example, knows that 72% of his or her peers received a lower score. LSAT score percentiles are generally stable from year to year.
According to LSAC data from 2021 to 2024, an LSAT score of 153 fell at the 50th percentile. A score of 160 fell at the 75th percentile, and a score of 146 fell at the 26th percentile. A perfect score of 180 is obtained by less than 0.1% of all test takers.
Score Bands
LSAC reports score bands to enhance the LSAT's accuracy and assessment value by considering the test's margin of error. Score bands are meant to reflect a student's actual range of ability rather than how they did on a specific test administration. According to LSAC, the standard error of measurement for most test takers is approximately 2.6 points on the scaled scoring scale, which is typically rounded up. If a hypothetical student receives a scaled score of 160, for example, his or her score band would be about 157 to 163. Students with scores at the extreme top or bottom of the scale have a more complicated score band calculation, which LSAC hasn't disclosed.
LSAT Score Classification
Although it's not possible to cite the exact score needed to gain admission to a specific law school, there are certain score ranges widely associated with different levels of testing proficiency. Scores of 170 and above are generally regarded as elite, and LSAT statistics show that only about 3% of all test takers achieve this level of LSAT proficiency. Scores in the 160s are considered good to very good, while scores in the 150s are in the average range. Any score under 150 is obviously below average, and scores below 140 are well below average.
Most law programs report median LSAT total scores, as well as a range of scores achieved by accepted students. Some of these scores may be on the lower end and some may seem impossibly high, but what matters is doing the best you can to achieve your highest score possible.
LSAT Scoring Procedure
LSAT scores are released three to four weeks after the test date. Three weeks is still the average even though the exam is taken digitally and no longer needs to be physically transported from testing centers. You will receive an email from LSAC letting you know when your score is ready, but the score will not be disclosed in the email itself. You will need to log into your LSAC account to see your score.