Is the LSAT graded on a curve?

Asked by: Mrs. Maribel Heaney  |  Last update: December 10, 2023
Score: 4.8/5 (21 votes)

The LSAT is graded on a “curve” so that even if a test was relatively easy or difficult, a 160 on any given test is equivalent to a 160 on any other test. This means that not all tests are exactly the same level of difficulty.

What is the average curve on the LSAT?

The LSAT is NOT scored on a curve, which means that your performance is NOT compared only to students who took the test on the same day as you. Rather, your score is measured across all LSATs administered over time. The average LSAT Scaled Score is about 150, and more than 50% of all scores are between 145 and 159.

How are LSAT scores graded?

Your LSAT (or LSAT-Flex) score is based on the number of questions you answered correctly — your “raw score.” All test questions are weighted exactly the same. The total number of questions you get right is what matters for your score, not which particular questions you get right or wrong.

What is the grade distribution for the LSAT?

Average LSAT Score

The LSAT score range is 120–180, and the median score is approximately 152. You need to get about 60 questions right (out of 99–102 questions) to get that median score of 152, which means you need to bat about 60 percent.

Which LSAT has the best curve?

You'll look at my LSAT PrepTest Raw Score Conversion Charts and calculations of what it takes to get an LSAT score of 160 or 170. Using that data, you'll find that the December exam consistently has the easiest "curve," and the June exam consistently has the hardest.

LSAT score curve

16 related questions found

Which section of LSAT is hardest?

How Hard is the LSAT Analytical Reasoning? Perhaps the most notorious section of the LSAT, the Analytical Reasoning section contains four logic games, each having 5-7 associated questions. Students must juggle complex, and sometimes competing, concepts to make it through this section with a high score.

How realistic is it to get a 170 on LSAT?

However, it is possible. Despite what many people believe, there is no trick or shortcut to getting a 170 or more on an LSAT score. Very few people can walk into the room on test day with very little or no practice and be able to score that highly. It takes a lot of hard work to be able to score up to 170 or higher.

How many questions can you miss on the LSAT to get a 170?

How Many Questions Can You Get Wrong to Score 170? If your goal is to reach a score of 170 on the LSAT, the maximum number of questions you can answer incorrectly is 11. Correctly answering 90 out of the 101 total questions should give you your desired score of 170.

How many questions can I miss on the LSAT to get a 160?

So, you don't have to be perfect to do well. Every LSAT throughout the year is different, but on a typical LSAT, you can still get 25 wrong and end up in the 160s— or about 20 wrong and get a 164, a 90th percentile score. Even a perfect score of 180 often allows for a question or two to be missed.

What is the average LSAT score for first time takers?

Data Summary. The average LSAT score for first-time takers was 151, according to scores tracked from 2006-2013. During this period, second-time test takers had the highest LSAT average score of about 152. The average national LSAT score for full-time, first-year JD enrollees for fall 2022 was about 159.

What is the average LSAT score without studying?

The average LSAT score without studying ranges from 135 to 145, well below the median at 151 in the 50th percentile. Preparing with practice tests and learning the skills you need for each exam section is the key to boosting your LSAT scores.

How many questions can you get wrong on the LSAT to get a 175?

Scoring a 175 means you missed 5 questions on the test, which can be the equivalent of an entire logic game. Scoring a 170 means you missed 10 or 11 questions, which is nearly half of an entire section. The point of all this is that there is room to make mistakes.

How many questions can you miss on the LSAT to get a 165?

You can get around 19-22 questions incorrect to score 165 on the LSAT. In other terms, you need to get 80 answers correct to get a 165.

What is 80% correct on LSAT?

A score in the 80th percentile or higher will give you a good chance at most schools. This requires a scaled score around 160 and a raw score of approximately 78 or 79.

What is a realistic LSAT score?

The LSAT is scored on a 120-180 scale.

There's also a writing sample included in the exam which is not scored. From our independent research, we've found that students who take the LSAT without studying achieve scores between 145 and 153.

What major scores highest on LSAT?

For an updated look at this analysis, here are the LSAT scores and GPAs by major for 2017-2018 law school applicants based on numbers reported by the LSAC. The general trends identified by Muller remain the same with one notable difference—Math majors' LSAT scores and GPAs are now the highest among all the majors!

How bad is a 154 on the LSAT?

The average range is from 120 to 180 points. That's a pretty narrow score range, but it reflects a wide diversity of abilities and outcomes. The mean LSAT score is approximately 150, but you're going to have to do well above average to get into a top law school.

Is 161 a bad LSAT score?

However, there are plenty of law schools with LSAT scores of 150 or lower within their median range, so don't be discouraged. 160 score: A score of 160 or above is typically considered a good LSAT score.

Is 148 a good LSAT score?

Typical LSAT score ranges include: 120-147 Low. 148-156 Mid. 157-164 High.

How many questions can I get wrong on the LSAT to get a 180?

Though 180 is the perfect LSAT score, you can often miss one or two questions and still achieve the perfect 180. Comparing the score conversion charts for LSAT exams since 2005 shows that on some tests, you can miss as many as three questions and still achieve a 180.

How hard is the LSAT to get a 165?

A 165 is about a 90th percentile score, so, trivially speaking, you have about a 1 in 10 chance of getting such a score. However, that pool of test takers includes a number of people who don't bother to study for the exam or who don't put in much effort.

How many hours of studying for 170 on LSAT?

We recommend that most students look to spend 150–300 hours on LSAT prep; that's a healthy range over a two or three-month period at around 20–25 hours per week, which is a standard amount for most students.

Is 172 LSAT good for Harvard?

A score of over 175 or better almost guarantees acceptance at some of the most elite universities: Harvard, Columbia, Stanford, and with a great GPA, even Yale. While stellar, achieving a 173 is not in itself enough to guarantee acceptance at the country's most elite universities.

How hard is a 155 on the LSAT?

A score of 155 on the LSAT is a classic 'in-between' score. While the score is not too low, it will also not put you in the cream of LSAT test takers. An LSAT score of 155 can at best be classified as an average score which will put you in the hunt for a decent law school. The LSAT is scored on a scale of 120-180.