LSAT

Overview

The LSAT (Law School Admission Test) is administered by the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) and is used by law schools across the United States and Canada as part of JD admission. Since August 2024, the multiple-choice portion of the LSAT has consisted of two scored Logical Reasoning sections and one scored Reading Comprehension section, plus one unscored variable section (either Logical Reasoning or Reading Comprehension) that LSAC uses to test new questions for future exams. The Analytical Reasoning section, long known as "Logic Games," was removed from the LSAT starting with the August 2024 administration. A separate, unscored writing component, LSAT Argumentative Writing, is also required before a score is released. The LSAT is delivered digitally at a test center, through LSAC's LawHub testing platform.

Who can apply

LSAC does not set formal eligibility criteria to register for the LSAT itself — any candidate can create a free LSAC.org account and register. (Admission to a JD program separately requires a bachelor's degree, but that requirement applies to law school applications, not to sitting the LSAT.) LSAC limits how often a candidate may take the LSAT: up to five times within the current reportable score period (tests from July 2017 onward count toward this window) and up to seven times in a lifetime. Canceled scores count against these limits; absences and withdrawals do not. Candidates who have hit the limit can request an exemption from LSAC by email, citing significant and extenuating circumstances.

Exam pattern

The LSAT has two components, taken separately: a multiple-choice test and LSAT Argumentative Writing.

Multiple-choice test

The four 35-minute sections are presented in a randomized order, with a 10-minute break between the second and third sections. Candidates do not know in advance which section is the unscored one.

LSAT Argumentative Writing

A separately administered, remotely proctored writing sample taken on the candidate's own computer. Candidates can take it any time from eight days before their multiple-choice test date onward. It runs 50 minutes in total: 15 minutes of guided prewriting analysis followed by 35 minutes to write the essay. At least one approved writing sample must be on file before a multiple-choice score is released.

Syllabus

• Logical Reasoning: short arguments or sets of statements, each followed by a question that asks the candidate to identify an assumption, flaw, inference, or the strongest way to strengthen, weaken or complete the argument.

• Reading Comprehension: long-form passages (one set is a pair of shorter, related passages) on topics such as law, humanities, social science and natural science, with questions on main point, structure, inference and author's attitude.

• LSAT Argumentative Writing: a debatable issue presented with three or four short perspectives; the candidate takes and defends a position, engaging with at least some of the other perspectives, using the prewriting period to plan the essay.

Marking and results

Raw scores (number of questions answered correctly; there is no deduction for a wrong answer) are converted to a scaled score from 120 to 180 using a conversion table specific to that test form, so the same raw score can map to slightly different scaled scores across administrations. LSAC also reports a percentile rank showing how a score compares with recent test takers. Candidates who buy LSAT Score Preview can view their score before deciding whether to keep or cancel it; without Score Preview, a score can still be canceled, but only before seeing it.

Important dates

For the 2026–2027 testing cycle, remaining 2026 LSAT administrations are September 9–12, October 7–10 and November 11–14, 2026, with 2027 dates including January 13–16, February 12–13, April 8–10 and June 9–12, 2027. Registration deadlines fall roughly six to eight weeks before each test date (for example, the September 2026 LSAT deadline was July 28, 2026, and the January 2027 LSAT deadline is December 1, 2026). Scores are generally released three to four weeks after the test date. Exact dates and deadlines for each administration are published on LSAC's LSAT dates page and should be confirmed there before planning.

Fees

For the 2026–2027 testing cycle, the LSAT registration fee is $253. LSAT Score Preview costs an additional$46 to $87, depending on how early it is purchased relative to the test date. Candidates who are financially under-resourced can apply for an LSAC fee waiver, which can cover the LSAT registration fee and other application-related costs.

How to apply

Candidates register at LSAC.org by first creating a free LSAC.org account, then logging in to choose a test center (or remote testing option, where offered) and a test date, and completing registration and payment online. LSAC recommends registering as early as possible, since test centers and preferred dates can fill up.

After the exam

LSAT scores are reported to law schools to which a candidate applies for the current testing year plus the prior five testing years. A candidate who wants to cancel a score (if not using Score Preview) may do so within six calendar days of the test date, through the LSAT Status page of their LSAC account or by contacting LSAC directly; a canceled score cannot be reinstated, and there is no refund for a canceled score. Once a score is released and not canceled within the window, it becomes a permanent part of the candidate's record.

Preparation tips

LSAC and Khan Academy offer free Official LSAT Prep, now centralized on LSAC's LawHub platform (the standalone Khan Academy LSAT product was folded into LawHub by June 2024). LawHub also provides four full, free Official LSAT PrepTests, and its practice interface mirrors the actual digital testing software, so candidates can get used to the on-screen format — timers, flagging questions, highlighting passages — before test day.