LSAT Score Calculator

Understanding the LSAT Scoring Scale

The Law School Admission Test (LSAT) uses a unique and precise conversion system to standardize scores across different exam administrations. While your raw performance is based simply on the number of questions answered correctly, your reported scaled score lies on a spectrum from 120 (the lowest possible score) to 180 (a perfect score).

By standardizing scores, law school admissions committees can accurately compare candidates who took different editions of the test. To make sense of your undergraduate grades alongside these results, we recommend using our GPA Calculator to track your semester performance, which can be easily adapted to estimate your LSAC cumulative GPA.

The Historical Shift: Modern vs. Legacy LSAT

Historically, the LSAT contained four scored sections: two Logical Reasoning sections, one Reading Comprehension section, and one Analytical Reasoning section (commonly known as Logic Games). This legacy format comprised roughly 100 to 103 total questions.

Starting in August 2024, the Analytical Reasoning section was completely removed. The modern LSAT format now includes three scored sections: two Logical Reasoning sections and one Reading Comprehension section, totaling approximately 76 questions. Despite having fewer questions, the scoring scale of 120 to 180 remains identical, meaning each individual question on the modern exam carries slightly more weight toward your final scaled score. To model different conversion ratios and correct answer margins, you can use our Percentage Calculator to analyze your raw accuracy per section.

How the Conversion Mechanism Works

Your raw score is calculated by counting every correct answer. There are no penalties for incorrect or blank answers, meaning you should never leave a question blank on the actual test.

LSAC converts this raw total into your scaled score using a proprietary conversion scale unique to that specific test form. This adjusts for minor differences in difficulty. For example, on a particularly tough test form, a raw score of 66 correct answers might yield a scaled score of 170. On an easier test form, you might need 68 correct answers to achieve that same 170.

Admissions Index and Law School Tiers

Admissions departments classify candidates based on where their credentials fall relative to the school's historical medians:

• T14 Law Schools (Top 14 Elite Tier): These schools (including Yale, Harvard, Stanford, Chicago, and Columbia) generally require a scaled LSAT score of 170 to 180 (97th to 99.9th percentile) paired with an undergraduate GPA of 3.80 or higher.
• T25 Law Schools (Top 25 Highly Competitive): Institutions in this tier usually look for LSAT scores ranging from 165 to 169 (89th to 96th percentile) and GPAs above 3.65.
• T50 Law Schools (Top 50 Regional Strongholds): Schools in this category typically accept candidates with scores from 160 to 164 (73rd to 87th percentile).
• T100 Law Schools: These schools generally accept scores between 155 and 159 (56th to 70th percentile).

If you want to estimate what standard legal associate earnings convert to on an hourly basis, check our Salary to Hourly Calculator.

Worked Examples of Raw to Scaled Score Conversion