LSAT Raw Score and Scaled Score Explained: How Scoring Works
Understand how LSAT raw scores convert to scaled scores. Learn how equating works, why the same number of correct answers gives different scaled scores across test dates, and what your LSAT score really means.
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How the LSAT Is Structured
The LSAT consists of four scored sections (and one unscored experimental section): - Logical Reasoning: Two sections, multiple-choice - Analytical Reasoning (Logic Games): One section - Reading Comprehension: One section
Each section has approximately 25–27 questions. Total scored questions: approximately 99–103 per test.
Raw Score: What You Actually Got Right
Your raw score is simply the number of questions you answered correctly. On a typical LSAT: - 0 wrong answers → raw score ~101–102 - 10 wrong answers → raw score ~91–92 - 25 wrong answers → raw score ~76–77
There is no penalty for wrong answers — only correct answers contribute to the raw score.
Scaled Score: 120–180
The raw score is converted to a scaled score on the 120–180 scale using a process called equating. This accounts for the fact that different test administrations have different difficulty levels.
Equating means: If one test date had harder questions than another, the conversion table is adjusted so that the same ability level produces the same scaled score across dates.
Result: A raw score of 87 might equal a scaled score of 170 on an easier test, but a scaled score of 168 on a harder test. The scaled score is the more accurate measure of absolute performance.
Score Conversion: Approximate Benchmarks
These are approximations — actual conversions vary per test date:
LSAT Score for Law School Targets
These are median scores — 50% of admitted students scored above and 50% below.
LSAT Score Averaging vs. Highest Score
Historical policy: LSAC averaged multiple LSAT attempts. Current policy (since 2019): Law schools receive all LSAT scores, but many schools now consider the highest score for admission ranking purposes.
Most T14 schools have shifted to using the highest score. However, LSAC still reports all scores, so "score cancellations" became strategic. Check each school's policy individually.
Percentile vs. Score
Percentile ranks how you compare to others who took the LSAT in the past 3 years. The same scaled score can shift percentile rank slightly as the test-taking population changes.
A 170 is typically the ~97–98th percentile — meaning you scored higher than 97–98% of test takers.
Related Guides
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- How to Compare Law School Scholarships: Conditions, Value, and NegotiationLearn how to compare law school scholarship offers — evaluating conditions, rank maintenance requirements, total value over 3 years, and how to negotiate competing offers.
- How Cumulative GPA WorksUnderstand the cumulative GPA formula — how grades from every semester combine into a running average, why it gets harder to change as you progress, and what affects it most.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the difference between LSAT raw score and scaled score?
- Raw score = number of questions answered correctly (out of ~101). Scaled score = the 120–180 score derived from the raw score using equating. Equating adjusts for test difficulty across dates so that a 170 represents the same performance level regardless of which test you took.
- How many can I miss and still get a 170 on the LSAT?
- Approximately 10–12 questions. With ~101 total scored questions, a raw score of ~89–91 typically converts to a scaled score of 170. The exact number varies by test date difficulty — on easier tests, you may need a higher raw score for 170; on harder tests, a lower raw score may suffice.
- Is a 150 LSAT score good?
- A 150 is approximately the 44th percentile — slightly below average among test takers, but test takers are already a self-selected, academically strong population. A 150 is competitive for some law schools but below median for the top 50. For T14 schools, a 150 is significantly below the competitive range.
- How many times can you take the LSAT?
- Since 2019, LSAC allows up to 3 LSAT attempts per testing cycle (12 months), 5 attempts in any 5-year period, and 7 total lifetime attempts. All scores are reported to law schools, though most schools now focus on the highest score rather than an average.
Last updated 7/28/2026