Understanding LSAT Scores: What's a Passing Grade?

The Law School Admission Test (LSAT) is a crucial component of the law school application process. While there's no "passing" or "failing" score, understanding how the LSAT is scored and what constitutes a competitive score is essential for prospective law students. A good LSAT score is one that gets you into the law school you want to attend.

LSAT Scoring: A Comprehensive Overview

The LSAT score range is 120-180, and the median score is approximately 152.Here's a breakdown of the different types of scores you'll encounter:

Raw Score

Each LSAT contains around 100 questions. Your raw score is simply the number of questions you answer correctly. All test questions are weighted exactly the same. The total number of questions you get right is what matters for your score, not which particular questions you get right or wrong. There is no deduction for incorrect answers.

Scaled Score

That raw score is converted into a scaled LSAT score based on a Score Conversion Chart, which is unique to each LSAT, and ranges from 120-180. To make it easier to compare scores earned across different LSAT administrations, your “raw score” is converted to an LSAT scale. This is the score you receive in your score report. The LSAC decides which raw score is going to correspond to which scaled score (on a scale of 120-180) based on a variety of factors, like the total number of questions on the test and the overall difficulty of the questions. This is similar to converting a number grade into a letter grade, except in the case of the LSAT it’s translating from one number (your raw score) into a more meaningful number (your LSAT scaled score).

The following is a score conversion chart from the May 2020 LSAT/LSAT-Flex, to give you an example of how (Law School Admission Council) LSAC converts your raw score to a scaled score. Other LSATs have slightly different score conversations. So on other LSAT exams, you may have to answer more questions, or fewer questions, correctly to earn a given LSAT scaled score.

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Percentile Score

Your LSAT percentile score is the percent of test takers who scored lower than you on that particular exam. Your LSAT percentile compares your score with everyone else who has taken the LSAT in the previous three years. Your score's percentile rank is the percentage of people who score lower than you. LSAT percentiles are important in how your LSAT score is evaluated and may be more important than the actual score itself, raw or scaled. This score shows how your score is relative to other test takers over a three-year period. For example, if you scored in the 99th percentile (173), that means 99% of other LSAT takers scored at or below that level. Because 152 is the median LSAT score, it would give you a percentile ranking of approximately 50. Since the range is narrow, small improvements can actually make a significant difference in how your score is considered by law school admissions.

What's Considered a "Good" LSAT Score?

How “good” of a score is good enough depends largely on what law schools you’re applying to. A "good" LSAT score depends on the law schools you are considering. Compare your LSAT scores to the score ranges for admitted students at law schools on your list. Here's a general guideline:

150 Score: As a score of 150 is right around the average score for the LSAT, scoring a 150 may make it more challenging to be admitted to a law school. News, law school admissions experts recommend striving for at least a 150.
160 Score: A score of 160 or above is typically considered a good LSAT score. For example, to get into a top-ranking law school, you’ll probably need an LSAT score of at least 160 or above, while a score in the mid-150s is often acceptable at many excellent law schools. Although it may not be high enough to get into the highest tier of law school, there are many very reputable law schools with median LSAT scores in this area. However, for a top-ranking law school, you should aim for a 160 or better.
170 Score: Scoring a 170 on the LSAT is almost always considered a good score - that means you are in the 2-3% of test-takers. Still, it won’t guarantee you admission at a top law school.

LSAT Scores and Law School Admissions

LSAT scores are often considered the most important factor in law school admissions. In law school admissions, LSAT scores and undergraduate GPA are used to create an “index formula” - your objective strength. The Law School Admission Council (LSAC) has a tool that allows you to input your undergraduate GPA and LSAT score and see how likely you are to be admitted to all ABA-accredited law schools.

LSAT Percentiles and School Rankings

In addition to the general LSAT percentile score explained above, there is also the LSAT percentile for each school.

25th Percentile: Falling into the 25th percentile of your school’s range means that 75% of the recently admitted students had a higher score than you. However, that also means that 25% of the students admitted had a lower score than you, which means there is still a chance you could be accepted.
50th Percentile: If you score in the 50th percentile, that means your score is average for this school.

The Holistic Review Process

Still, the LSAT isn’t the only thing that admissions counselors consider with your application. While every law school lists the median range of LSAT scores for their incoming class of students, they still accept applicants that fall below this range. However, don’t forget the law school application review process is holistic and your GPA, resume, and references will all play significant roles.

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Improving Your LSAT Score

There’s only one way to increase your LSAT score: LSAT prep. You’ll need to put in the work to see the results. It’s the reason why homework and drills are a huge part of the Blueprint curriculum, and it pays off-Blueprint students see an average 15-point score increase from their first practice test.

Understanding Your LSAT Score Report

Your LSAT Score Report includes:

Your current score.
Results of all reportable tests - up to 12 - including absences and cancellations for standard LSAT takers and cancellations only for LSAT-Flex takers due to challenges related to COVID-19.
An LSAT (or LSAT-Flex) result is reportable for up to five testing years after the testing year in which the score is earned.
Your percentile rank, which reflects the percentage of test takers whose scores were lower than yours during the previous three testing years. A percentile rank is reported for each of your scores. Note that percentiles for all reported scores will be updated every year by the end of July.
Your score band.

LSAT scores earned prior to June 2020 are not considered valid for law school admission and are not included in your score report. All test takers will receive their scores on the score release date associated with their test date, provided they have an approved writing sample on file and do not have any holds on their account.

Canceling and Retaking the LSAT

Things happen during tests. It’s entirely possible you might end up with an LSAT score you don’t like. Fortunately you can definitely cancel your LSAT score. Should you decide to cancel your LSAT score, you must do so within six (6) calendar days of your test date. You can also have your score released to the prelaw advisor at your undergraduate school. Unfortunately, you are not allowed to see your test score before you cancel. If you do go that route, however, your would-be score won’t be released to schools but your score report will show that you canceled your score. The downside is that you might end up scrapping a potentially amazing score.

You can always retake the LSAT, whether or not you choose to cancel. Law schools don’t view multiple negative LSAT scores as a negative. Good LSAT scores are more relative than absolute, especially given that nearly all law schools will take your highest LSAT score, rather than average your scores (if you’ve taken the LSAT more than once and have multiple scores).

Analyzing Your Performance

You don’t want to make the same mistakes again, so it’s necessary to know what areas need improvement. Additionally, you might need to need to switch up your test prep. If you took a class, working with a private LSAT tutor can help you identify new strategies to overcome any obstacles on test day.

Score Preview and Auditing

LSAT Score Preview is available to test takers who wish to see their score before deciding whether to keep it as part of their LSAC file and report it to schools. Test takers who sign up for Score Preview will receive their scores at the same time as other test takers (assuming they have an approved LSAT Argumentative Writing sample on file and have no holds on their accounts), and will have six (6) calendar days from the date their score is released to decide if they want to cancel or keep their score.

LSAC routinely conducts multiple procedures to ensure the accuracy of all test response data before scores are released. Because we go to these great lengths as part of our normal processes, the possibility of finding any scoring errors on computerized tests is extremely small. However, in response to requests from test takers, LSAC is providing an optional Score Audit service. You may request a score audit after you have received your LSAT score.

Reporting Your Scores

All of your LSAT (or LSAT-Flex) results will be reported to the law schools to which you apply if earned in the current testing year or if earned in the prior five testing years. (Note that LSAT results include scores, cancellations, and absences. LSAT-Flex results include only scores and cancellations, due to the challenges related to COVID-19.)

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