LSAT Score
This is the second in a series of lesson articles written to give you an in-depth overview of the LSAT test. This article discusses LSAT Scores, how they are determined and what affect they have on your chances for entering the law school of your choice.
This series includes the following articles:
LSAT Score
The LSAT scoring system is easy to understand. For each question you get right, you get one point. There are no deductions for wrong answers (so never leave a question blank on your answer grid). That score is then scaled, based on a bell-shaped distribution, so that scores from one administration of the test can be compared to scores from another.
The lowest scale LSAT score you can receive is 120. The highest you can receive is 180. Your percentile ranking (how you compare to other candidates who took the LSAT) is also reported along with your scores.
The bad news is, you can get 18 questions right and still get the lowest LSAT score. Think about it. With no penalty for wrong answers, and five answer choices, you ought to at least get 20 questions out of 101 just guessing at random. The good news is, you can miss 26 questions — 25% of the test — and still get a 160 or higher. Later in the course we’ll show you how just by using some basic TestSherpa strategies, you can even guess your way into a 160. That should excite even the most jaded students among you.
The Writing Sample is not scored, but copies are sent to each school you apply to along with your score. The Writing Sample is still important, since it is often used as a “tie-breaker” among candidates with similar scores and experiences.
LSAT Score and Law School Admissions: LSAT Score vs GPA
A high LSAT score does not guarantee acceptance into a top law school. Your LSAT score is typically used as a ranking indicator for your application along with other objective criteria, such as your GPA. These criteria are combined into one index score to rank you against the other candidates. Take the following index formula as an example:
(LSAT Score)(x) + (GPA)(y)
The multipliers “x” and “y” in this example modify the weight your LSAT score and your GPA have on your admissions. A law school might weight your LSAT score at 60% of the index score and GPA at 40% of the index ranking. Included in the GPA weighting is a consideration of your undergraduate school. If you graduated from Stanford or Yale, your GPA will be weighted higher than if you graduated from Bubba’s Correspondence College and Crab Shack.
The assumption made is that it must be harder to earn an A grade at a top school than it is at a lower ranked school. This may not be true — and there is no chance for you to defend your alma matter — but don’t let it get you down. First, very few people graduate from top schools. Second, most schools weight the LSAT score higher than your GPA. Your LSAT score is a completely standardized and objective method of ranking law school applicants. It also gives a more recent picture of your thinking style than does a GPA influenced by freshman keggers and other first-year distractions.
The bottom line is, a high LSAT score can make up for a lot of lost ground in GPA. Also remember, the index score only serves to rank your applications. If the law school still has space available by the time it gets to your rank, you still have a shot. That is, imagine that all of the many application files that come in are stacked together with the highest combinations of LSAT scores and GPA based on their formula on the top of the stack. The law school admissions team will then begin reviewing applications from the top down and will often stop when the seats and the wait list are full. The may also reject high scoring applicants after reading about their background or reading their essays. The LSAT score and GPA index gets your application read. It gives you a shot at attending law school. That shot then depends on your other experiences, letters of reference, and the all important statement of purpose.
Because most law schools want your applications in by December, you should take the test by the June or October of the year you apply in. The earlier you get your law school application in the better. You could have the highest index score and best personal statement, but if you apply too late, all the seats may be taken. Many TestSherpa students take the test in December, February, or June of the year they apply. That way, on the odd chance that something goes wrong with their LSAT, they at least have the October test as plan B.
LSAT Scores: Are They Fair?
Yes. Your LSAT score is fair. You can make all the arguments you want about the differences in education across the country, or certain cultural or language barriers with the LSAT, but the bottom line is this: The LSAT score has been shown to have a strong positive correlation with a candidate’s success in the first year of law school. That means the higher your LSAT score, the more likely you are to be successful in your first year of law school.
You’re probably thinking, “what does this stupid test have to do with studying law?” A lot actually. All the thinking skills you need to get a high LSAT score are thinking skills you need to succeed in law school. You need to quickly analyze and manipulate arguments. You need to read long boring writing passages and form arguments based on what you read. You need to ground your work in formal logic. You need to write persuasively. The skills you learn through TestSherpa are skills you will carry with you into a successful law career.
As far as the LSAT score goes, scaled scores allow the test-makers to account for differences between all administrations of the LSAT. Your job as a TestSherpa student is to learn the test, and earn as high an LSAT score as you can relative to your peers. TestSherpa’s mission is to level the playing ground for all LSAT test-takers by giving you access to as much inside information as possible. After completing the entire TestSherpa LSAT course, you will take the LSAT with confidence knowing you will score as high you can.
LSAT Score: Summary
- Your LSAT score is combined with your GPA to create an index score that ranks you with other candidates.
- You don’t need a perfect LSAT score. You can miss 20 or 30 questions and still get a very high scaled LSAT score.
- The LSAT score is a representation of your ability to think like a law student. As you study the TestSherpa LSAT course, don’t just blow through it as fast as possible. Take your time and really practice the thinking skills you need to begin a successful law career.
The next and final article in this series is an LSAT FAQ. It covers frequently asked questions about the LSAT and about TestSherpa.