Have LSAT tests gotten harder?

Asked by: Filomena Rippin IV  |  Last update: December 23, 2025
Score: 4.5/5 (43 votes)

No. The LSAT changes for each session that it is offered. While it may change in difficulty, that does not affect a student's ability to get a high mark. This is because the LSAT is scored based on a sliding scale that considers how everyone who has taken it has fared.

Has the LSAT gotten harder over time?

Short answer: No. The only difference across practice tests over time is that early Logic Games are harder, so if anything, the LSAT has gotten easier.

Is the LSAT harder now without Logic Games?

Will this make the test easier? Or harder?! According to LSAC, no. In the part of the announcement that was so-clearly written to placate law schools, LSAC claims that its research shows that substituting a second Logical Reasoning section for the Logic Games section doesn't meaningfully impact scoring.

Will August 2024 LSAT be harder?

Because this was the first test without an Analytical Reasoning section, we know people will be wondering whether there was any impact on scores. The short answer is no — scores for the August 2024 LSAT are very much in line with August scores in recent years.

Do LSAT questions get progressively harder?

10: The LSAT becomes progressively harder throughout the test, so focus your concentration at an even higher level for the last few questions of each section.

Is the 4-Section LSAT Harder?

18 related questions found

Which LSAT month is the hardest?

There isn't one specific month that is the easiest or hardest to write the LSAT, and if there was, it would change each year since the students writing the LSAT change each year! The hardest test will be the one you haven't fully prepared for, regardless of the month!

How hard is it to get a 172 on the LSAT?

So, a great score on the LSAT is a 172, but more than 100,000 people take the LSAT every year and only 1% score 172 or higher. For the top 50 law schools, the median LSAT score is between 164 and 174. A good LSAT score for top tier(defined by T14 schools for this article) law schools is between 171 and 174.

Is a 170 LSAT attainable?

170 score: Scoring a 170 on the LSAT is almost always considered a good score — that means you are in the 2-3% of test-takers. Still, it won't guarantee you admission at a top law school. Other parts of your application are still a factor.

Is the LSAT no longer required in 2025?

The ABA's House of Delegates will vote on the Council's proposed change in February 2023. If the House votes to nix Standard 503, the standardized-test requirement won't go away until 2025. So, the LSAT isn't definitely going away, and it's definitely not going away until 2025.

What LSAT score do I need for Harvard?

So let's take a look at what it actually takes to have a chance of being admitted to the most prestigious and preeminent law school in the world. 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.

Why is the LSAT getting rid of analytical reasoning?

The Law School Admission Council, which develops and administers the LSAT, is eliminating logic games from the exam in August following a 2019 settlement with two blind LSAT takers who claimed the analytical reasoning section of the test—the official name for logic games—violated the Americans with Disabilities Act.

What is a good LSAT score without studying?

You can expect to score between 145 and 153 when taking the LSAT without studying. This would generally fall within the 26th to 53rd percentile. Your individual score will vary depending on your familiarity with aptitude, logical, and reading comprehension tests.

Which LSAT section is hardest?

Analytical Reasoning

You'll need various skills to do well here. You'll have to figure out relationships between complex concepts and apply logic even when things seem unclear. The situations presented can be ambiguous and complex, making this section notorious among LSAT takers.

How many hours do most people study for the LSAT?

Average Recommended Study Time

Most LSAT experts recommend around 3 months of full times study, or around 150 to 300 hours; this breaks down to approximately 12 to 25 hours a week of studying every week. This is the study plan that suits most people and is the most customizable depending on your individual obligations.

Why am I getting worse on the LSAT?

Consider the circumstances surrounding the lower test score: were you ill, tired, stressed, or otherwise distracted? The LSAT demands a high degree of focus, so if you're not mentally sharp, your performance can suffer. Essentially, life happens, and you're not always able to take the LSAT under ideal conditions.

Do most people take the LSAT twice?

There are different schools of thought surrounding this question, though the general consensus is that, if possible, you should take the LSAT just once. This is because all of your LSAT scores, including canceled scores, are sent in your report to any law schools you may apply to.

Did Harvard get rid of LSAT?

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. Similarly, a candidate is not considered more committed by taking both exams or disadvantaged by taking the same exam multiple times.

Is the GRE or LSAT harder?

For most test-takers, there are several reasons why the LSAT® is simply more intimidating than the GRE: Timing and Difficulty Level: Unless you're a wickedly fast reader, you're probably going to run out of time on the LSAT®, and that's not a fun experience.

What is the average LSAT score?

The LSAT is scored on a 120–180 scale. The average LSAT score is about 153. This relatively small range of scores means that small improvements in performance can increase your score quite a bit.

Is a 136 LSAT bad?

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.

What score did Elle Woods get on her LSAT?

Elle Woods, a fictional character portrayed by Reese Witherspoon in the movie Legally Blonde, is known for her remarkable LSAT score—179 out of 180. Portrayed as a stereotypical "valley girl," she embarks on a journey to Harvard Law School in the movie that has since become a cult favorite.

What was Obama's LSAT score?

The easiest to predict, by far, is Barack Obama's score, mostly because we have some data. Based on admissions records, we can deduce — somewhat reliably — that Barry-O scored between the 94th and 98th percentile on his LSAT. Using today's grading system, that would place him somewhere around a 170.

Is a 138 LSAT bad?

“If you have a 2.3 GPA and a 138 LSAT, you — unfortunately — are very unlikely to be able to make it through law school and pass the bar exam after graduation.

What are the T6 law schools?

These schools, in order of ranking, are Yale Law School, Stanford Law School, Harvard Law School, Columbia Law School, the University of Chicago Law School, and New York University School of Law.