How hard is it to prepare for the LSAT?
Asked by: Bobby Turner | Last update: November 21, 2025Score: 4.8/5 (73 votes)
Yes, taking the LSAT is difficult; it is purposefully designed this way. To succeed on the LSAT, you must study for it for months. The process of studying is both time-consuming and costly. Most students can't ace the LSAT without dedicating much time to preparation.
How long does it take to study for LSAT?
Nonetheless, 250 to 300 hours of LSAT preparation over a period of a few months is a good benchmark. Most students who dedicate significantly less time won't maximize their LSAT scores.
Can an average person pass the LSAT?
LSAT scores range from 120 to 180. An average score hovers around 150. A higher score is often necessary to gain admission to top law schools. Law school attendees aim for something above the median for their final score to enhance their chances of acceptance.
What is the pass rate of the LSAT?
There is no specific passing percentage for the LSAT. Success depends on achieving a score that meets or exceeds the median LSAT scores of your target law schools.
Is a 170 hard to get on the LSAT?
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.
How to score in the 170s on the LSAT.
How rare is a 180 LSAT?
How Hard Is It To Get A Perfect Score On The LSAT? According to LSAC, only 119 test-takers out of nearly 60,000 achieved this in 2022. So when you ask, “How many people get a 180 on the LSAT?” the answer highlights the rarity and difficulty of this achievement.
Which is harder, LSAT or MCAT?
The difficulty of the LSAT vs MCAT is subjective and depends on an individual's strengths and interests. Some may find the MCAT more challenging due to its extensive scientific content, while others may struggle more with the LSAT because of its emphasis on logical reasoning and comprehension skills.
Is the LSAT harder than the bar?
Generally, the bar exam is considered harder than the LSAT. The LSAT tests logical reasoning and reading comprehension for law school admission, while the bar exam requires extensive legal knowledge and practical skills to obtain a license to practice law.
What 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.
Is there math on the LSAT?
No, the LSAT does not explicitly test math. You may see some questions about percentages in the logical reasoning (arguments) section, and some analytical reasoning questions (i.e., logic games) may resemble math problems, but these questions are designed to test your logical reasoning, not your mathematical knowledge.
What is the hardest part of the LSAT?
The Most Challenging LSAT Section: Logical Reasoning (Arguments) The Logical Reasoning section of the LSAT proved to be the most challenging LSAT section for me. Although the right prep strategy really helped me tackle this difficult part of the exam, it really presented me with its own set of challenges and rewards.
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.
How expensive is the LSAT?
What fees are associated with the LSAT? It costs $222 to take the LSAT and receive one free score report. In addition, subscription to the Credential Assembly Service (CAS) is required for application for most law schools. This subscription costs $200 and includes on score report for $45.
What is the hardest month to take the LSAT?
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!
Is LSAT multiple-choice?
The primary part of the LSAT is a four-section, multiple-choice test. It's important you familiarize yourself with the different types of LSAT questions so you can optimize your test preparation and put yourself in a position to succeed.
How hard is it to get 173 on LSAT?
What Does A 173-180 LSAT Score Mean? First off, if you're in this score range, congratulations: you're officially above the mean, median, and mode (you're welcome, stats fans). In fact, you're besting 99.4 to 99.9 percent of your peers – not bad at all.
What did Obama make on the LSAT?
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.
What was Elle Woods' GPA?
In the film, Legally Blonde, Woods is a sorority sister living at the Delta Nu House at the fictional California University Los Angeles (CULA) (USC in the novel, UCLA in the musical) where she studies in Fashion Merchandising and maintains a 4.0 GPA.
Did Kim Kardashian pass the LSAT?
She failed it 3 times before finally passing in 2021 (which apparently is pretty common for people who take this path). A few years later, I have not heard anything about her attempting the real bar exam.
How bad is a 142 LSAT score?
The LSAC also reports a mean LSAT score of 151.88 among all these test-takers. All these factors combined mean a score of 142 is both below average in terms of LSAT scores, and far below average in terms of performance for an LSAT test-taker.
What is the hardest law exam?
1. California
Law students across the US may be familiar with the famed “impossible” California bar exam. But why is the California bar exam so hard? For starters, the cut score (the score needed to pass the test) of the California bar is 1390 out of 2000, which is 40 points above the national average.
Has anyone gotten a 180 on the LSAT?
The LSAT is scored on a bell curve, ranging from 120 to 180. On recent tests, the hump of the curve has centered around 153. Percentiles vary slightly between tests, but generally around 25% of test-takers score 160 or higher, 5% score 170 or higher, and 1% score 175 or higher. Only one in 1,000 test-takers scores 180.
Why is the LSAT so tricky?
The Analytical Reasoning section on the LSAT is tricky because it is designed to challenge you. It tests your ability to understand how laws and rules affect legal outcomes. You'll need various skills to do well here.
Is your GPA or LSAT more important?
Most law schools tend to give LSAT scores a bit more weight, but some schools care more about grades. The admissions process is inevitably subjective, and some admissions officers might be more forgiving of a gap than others.