If you’re about to get onto the road to law school, you should already know that your LSAT score range is a big deal.
Here’s something you might not know: The LSAT is one of the most statistically reliable standardized tests in the world, with a reliability score over 0.9 every year.
What this really means is that if you sat for the LSAT multiple times under the same conditions, your score would likely fall within the same range. However, that doesn’t mean retaking is pointless. Most students improve their performance when they put in additional prep, adjust their study strategy, or use higher-quality resources before their next test date.
Whether you’re dreaming of Harvard Law School or just hoping to hit a good LSAT score for your target schools, understanding how LSAT scores work can give you an edge. I’ll break down what your LSAT score report means, how raw scores become scaled scores, and why your percentile rank really matters.
Key Takeaways
- LSAT Scores Aren’t Raw: Your raw score, which is the number of questions you answered correctly, is converted into a scaled score between 120 and 180.
- Percentile Rank Matters: Your scaled score is plugged into a percentile rank that shows how you compare to other test takers.
- “Good” Scores Are Relative: A good LSAT score depends on the law schools you’re applying to.
- The Test Changes Slightly Each Time: Scaled scores can change depending on the difficulty of the LSAT you took on your test date.
- Your Score Report Tells All: Your LSAT score report provides details of your scaled score, percentile rank, and more.
Understanding the LSAT Score Range
Let’s start with the basics. The LSAT is scored from 120 to 180, the lowest possible score to the highest possible score. But that doesn’t mean there are 60 questions on the test and each of them is worth one point. Depending on the test, the actual number of questions varies from 75 to 76, and your raw score, based on the number of questions you answered correctly, is converted using a score conversion chart provided by the Law School Admission Council (LSAC).
The conversion process is based on the difficulty of the LSAT administration you took, so a raw score of 60 on one test date might not be the same as a 60 on another. The scaled score helps law schools compare scores earned at different times, even if different tests were administered to different people.
From Raw Score to Scaled Score
Here’s how it works:
- Raw Score: The number of LSAT questions you answer right. And no, there is no penalty for wrong answers. So if you need to guess, you’ve got nothing to lose.
- LSAT Scaled Score: This is what shows up on your LSAT score report. LSAC uses a score conversion process that takes your raw score and adjusts it to fit the official LSAT scale.
- LSAT Percentile Rank: Your scaled score is assigned a percentile rank. Your rank shows how you stack up against everyone who took the test in the last three testing years.
If you’re a fan of practice tests—and if you aren’t, you’d better learn to be!—you’ll notice that a practice test score report will usually show both your raw score and the scaled score using a conversion table. But the conversion isn’t always one-to-one, since different LSAT administrations may be slightly harder or easier.
What’s a Good LSAT Score?
Wondering what a good LSAT score is? Well, it depends on your goals and the law schools you’re targeting. Meaning a really good score for one person might be a bad score for someone else, simply because of the school they want to attend.
Having said that, here are some general benchmarks:
- Top Law School (e.g., Harvard Law School): The median score for schools like Harvard usually hovers around 174.
- Most Law Schools: Students admitted to many law schools have a median LSAT score in the 150s to 160s.
- Competitive Edge: All other things being equal, a scaled score in the 160s will put you in a strong position for most programs. To give that some context, a score of 160 is often in the 80th percentile, meaning you score higher than 80% of other test takers.
But there’s something you shouldn’t forget. Law schools look at your entire application, including your personal statement and GPA, but having a strong LSAT score is one of the fastest ways to boost your law school admission chances.
How LSAT Percentile Rank Works
When you get your LSAT score, you’ll see more than just your scaled score. You also get a percentage rank, which tells you the percentage of test takers who scored lower than you. So if your percentile rank is 90, you score higher than 90% of everyone else. It’s a quick way for you and admissions officers to see how your LSAT scaled score stacks up.
One more thing worth noting is that the Law School Admission Council recalculates its percentile ranks annually, using data from the three previous testing years. So your percentile score can shift a little because the pool of test takers changes over time.
What’s on Your LSAT Score Report?
Your LSAT score report includes:
- Your scaled score (120 to 180).
- Your percentile rank.
- Your LSAT writing sample status.
- A breakdown of your scores from different LSAT administrations. You’ll only get this if you’ve taken the test more than once.
- Your raw score isn’t typically included, but you can see the questions you answered correctly on whatever official practice tests you took.
The LSAT status page keeps you updated, so you’ll know when your score has been released and your report is available.
Final Thoughts
If you’re prepping for the test, it’s a good idea to understand how the LSAT score range works. Your raw score, scaled score, and percentile rank all play an important role in your law school journey. Don’t just focus on the number of questions you get right; instead, think of the big picture, and use your LSAT score as a means to compare yourself against others, so you can see where you stand in the crowd.
Remember, the LSAT is just one piece of your application. So keep practicing, keep your eye on the score conversion chart, and don’t lose sight of your law school dream!
FAQs
You don’t need one; it’s not required to take the test. However, many law schools will look at both your LSAT score and GPA when considering your application. Check with individual schools, because they’ll have their own requirements.
The official score report usually only includes your scaled score and percentile rank. Take a look at your practice tests, where you can see your raw scores based on your answers and compare them.
A score of around 77% usually translates to a scaled score in the mid-160s, but it can shift either way depending on the difficulty of the test you took and the LSAT score range.
A raw score of 60 might convert to a scaled score in the mid-150s or low 160s, depending on the test administration and number of questions.
180 is a perfect score and is very impressive! It does put you at the top of all test takers, but law schools look at your GPA, personal statement, and other factors too. It might not get you in, but it will open doors.
