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Your LSAT (or LSAT-Flex) score is based on the number of questions you answered correctly — your “raw score.” All test questions are weighted exactly the same. … The LSAT scale ranges from 120 to 180, with 120 being the lowest possible score and 180 being the highest possible score.
To achieve a score of 170 requires a test taker to correctly answer 90 out of 101 questions. At most colleges 90 out of 101 would probably yield a B+ or A- grade.
Risk Band | LSAT | |
---|---|---|
Score | Percentile | |
Low Risk | 153-155 | 55.6 – 63.9 |
Modest Risk | 150-152 | 44.3 – 52.5 |
High Risk | 147-149 | 33 – 40.3 |
As previously stated, the score range for any LSAT exam is 120 to 180, but the average score is about 150. However, most of the top ten law schools require a candidate to have scored at least 165 on the LSAT.
LSAT Lessons from Legally Blonde (really!)
As you probably know, the LSAT is scored from 120 to 180. Elle Woods was able to raise her score from a 143 to a 179 just by diligently preparing.
School (name) (state) | Median LSAT score for full-time students entering in fall 2020 | U.S. News law school rank |
---|---|---|
Yale University (CT) | 173 | 1 |
Harvard University (MA) | 173 | 3 |
Columbia University (NY) | 172 | 4 (tie) |
Stanford University (CA) | 171 | 2 |
The LSAT is scored on a 120-180 scale. The test consists of five multiple-choice sections that test logical reasoning, analytical reasoning and reading comprehension. … From our independent research, we’ve found that students who take the LSAT without studying achieve scores between 145-153.
Another common reason students do this is to get a feel for a “real” LSAT without preparing. In both cases, the LSAT often delivers a harsh reality. You need to study for this exam to really do well. Of course, there are exceptions, however, they aren’t the majority.
Getting an LSAT score of 180 or a “perfect score” is extremely rare. According to data published by the Law School Admissions Council (LSAC), from 2006-2009 of all LSATs administered, approximately 144,000 per year, only 0.1% received a 180.
LSAT Scores: What You Need to Know in 2021. … From your raw scores, the test is graded on an LSAT score scale from 120-180. The average LSAT score is about 150. To get into a top 14 law school, you need to score above 162, and to get into a top 50 law school, you need 154 or above.
Among the 192 law schools ranked by U.S. News & World Report in 2019, the average median LSAT score was 156. If we were to speak about a good LSAT score in very broad terms, 157 or above would be a reasonable place to start.
The average LSAT score for law schools at the top of the rankings ranges from 167-172. On the other hand, scores of 145-155 are generally good enough to be accepted into less prestigious law schools.
Once your brain gets in that rhythm, it will run very efficiently, and you’ll find that your scores will increase. There’s no secret to getting a 160 on the LSAT. It just takes hard work. But, more than that, it takes smart work.
Risk Band | LSAT | |
---|---|---|
Score | Percentile | |
Minimal Risk | 156-180 | ≥ 67.4 |
Low Risk | 153-155 | 55.6 – 63.9 |
Modest Risk | 150-152 | 44.3 – 52.5 |
An LSAT score of 155 can at best be classified as an average score which will put you in the hunt for a decent law school. The LSAT is scored on a scale of 120-180. … If you have scored around 150 or lesser, it greatly reduces your chances of admission at a good law school.
Barack Obama LSAT Score
Though not conclusive, we can predict that President Barack Obama scored somewhere between the 94th – 98th percentile on his LSAT. Converting his approximated LSAT percentile to today’s grading system would give him about a 170 LSAT score.
Getting admitted to Harvard law school is definitely an uphill struggle, given the fact that Harvard had a 12.9% acceptance rate in 2019/2020 and a median LSAT score of 173. Additionally, the median GPA score of a student enrolled at Harvard is 3.9.
The short answer here is yes. In fact, it’s a big yes. The LSAT isn’t just hard, it’s known to be ridiculously hard. Students hem and haw over the LSAT for months before they take it, shelling out cash and time to get as prepared as possible for what is sometimes treated as an IQ test for a prospective lawyer.
USNWR Rank | Law School | Median LSAT |
---|---|---|
1 | Yale Law School | 173 |
2 | Harvard Law School | 173 |
3 | Stanford Law School | 171 |
4 | Columbia University Law School | 171 |
Well, a 166 is perceived differently depending on the school. At Harvard Law, the median LSAT is a 173, with LSAT scores in the 25th to 75th percentile ranging from 170-175. … In short, you are a more competitive candidate for admittance at Cornell Law than Harvard Law.
For most students, a three-month period of preparation (of approximately 20 hours per week) is a great goal. This is, of course, an estimate; most students are not all students. To find out how much LSAT prep time you’re likely to need, we recommend taking a practice LSAT to get a baseline score.
Before law school, students must complete a Bachelor’s degree in any subject (law isn’t an undergraduate degree), which takes four years. Then, students complete their Juris Doctor (JD) degree over the next three years. In total, law students in the United States are in school for at least seven years.
One month is the minimum for LSAT prep.
You can make great score improvements with one intense month of study, practice, and review, but most expert LSAT faculty will recommend a longer schedule if one is possible for you.
The LSAT is considered an infamously difficult test for three key reasons: … Test takers only have 35 minutes for each section of the test. The LSAT is also designed to stress this time pressure with complicated questions. You will have to solve logical issues at a faster pace than a usual test.
Most people who have taken both the LSAT and the GRE would agree that the LSAT is more difficult. The GRE tests information that you can memorize whereas the LSAT does not, the GRE does not have logic games, and the LSAT is unique from any other exam whereas the GRE is similar to the SAT or the ACT.
Class of 2017 Profile
As you can see from these numbers, an LSAT score of 170 or higher and a GPA above 3.75 will give you a chance of gaining admission to Harvard Law School. If you have a GPA of 3.94 or higher and above a 175, you are pretty much a lock for admission, particularly given the class size of ~560.
Harvard Law School accepts either the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) or the Graduate Record Exam (GRE). We do not have a preference for either exam.
Taking the LSAT twice or even three times is totally fine. If, come the week before LSAT test day, you’re not scoring something that would put you in contention for the schools you want to go to, well, you can withdraw if you like.
Range | Score | Percentile |
---|---|---|
Low | 120-147 | Bottom third |
Mid-Range | 148-156 | 33rd-67th percentile |
High | 157-164 | 70th-89th percentile |
Exceptional | 165-180 | Top 10% of all test takers |
The LSAT is administered in two parts. The first part of the test is a multiple-choice exam that includes reading comprehension, analytical reasoning, and logical reasoning questions. … The second part of the test is a written essay, called LSAT Writing.