Taking the LSAT is a pivotal step in the law school admissions process, and naturally, you’re aiming for the highest score possible. But what if you think your first attempt—or even your second—doesn't reflect your true potential? How many times can you take the LSAT, and, more importantly, will multiple attempts be viewed negatively by admissions committees?
This blog post examines how taking the LSAT exam a number of times can hurt—or help—your chances, and what you should understand before signing up for another test date.
For most students, the best way to quickly boost their law school application is through a competitive score on the LSAT (short for the Law School Admissions Test). However, every year I meet with students who use their first official attempt at the LSAT as a practice test. That would not be my recommendation.
Taking the LSAT is expensive, and the preparation is time-consuming. Take your first test seriously: approach it like it’s the only time you’ll take it. Consider retaking the test only if you feel you have serious room to improve (keeping in mind that the average score increase is only 2 to 3 points).
LSAT scores are reportable for up to five testing years after the testing year in which the score was earned. (The LSAC testing year runs from July 1st to the following June 30th.) So if you took the LSAT in October, 2024 (which fell in the 2024-2025 testing year), the current reportable score period for that exam lasts until June 30, 2030. LSAC’s rules limit you to taking the test no more than five times within that period and no more than seven times in total.
Knowing these limits helps you choose the right test date and build a realistic study plan without wasting attempts.
If you take the LSAT and cancel your score, regardless of whether you chose the Score Preview option, that counts as an attempt and counts toward your test-taking limit. However, absences or withdrawals don’t count against you. (Law schools will see all of these, though.)
It’s not uncommon to take the LSAT a second time, and the number of people who do has been steadily increasing for years. A recent study by the Law School Admissions Council found that 48.3% of test-takers in the 2022-2023 testing year had taken the LSAT at least once before.
However, taking the LSAT too many times can be costly in terms of time, money, and stress and might not lead to significant score improvements.
The general consensus among admissions counselors and test prep experts is that you should plan to take the LSAT only once and focus on preparing as much as possible for that single attempt. It’s reasonable to consider a retake if your score is noticeably lower than your practice test averages or if you experienced significant test-day anxiety or other problems during the exam. While there are examples of people raising their scores by 5 points or more, keep in mind that second-time test takers scored an average of just 2.6 points higher than they did the first time.
Law schools will see every time an applicant takes the LSAT. Law schools will see if you cancel a score for whatever reason. Law schools do not average the scores for admission, but we always look at performance if you’ve taken the test more than once. Ideally, it would be best if every applicant could secure their ideal LSAT score on the first attempt, but that is often not the case. Law schools will report the highest LSAT score. Unless there are glaring disparities between LSAT scores, most law schools will not balk at multiple LSAT scores, especially when the score increases. Applicants with multiple LSAT scores with huge score disparities can be harder to review. Once applicants have taken the LSAT two or three times they often see test scores start to cluster and plateau.
All law schools are eager to admit applicants to their schools who possess solid aptitude scores on the LSAT. Taking the LSAT multiple times is often less of a problem for law schools if each score shows improved results; otherwise, you’re just spending money trying to yield different results. If you plan to retake the test, strategize and prepare adequately. Every applicant needs to decide when retaking the LSAT is no longer going to achieve greater results—at some point it won’t make a difference. But some law schools see things differently, so I recommend applicants check with individual law schools regarding multiple LSAT scores.
Back in 2006, the American Bar Association (ABA) officially changed score reporting requirements for accredited law schools. The rule change made retaking the LSAT more attractive to law school admissions teams because it meant schools only had to report the highest scores for admitted students, rather than their average within the five-year reportable score period.
So even though law schools can see the results for each of your attempts, your highest score is the one that matters to them for U.S. News and World Report rankings.
Personally, I’m in favor of an LSAT retake that could really help boost a score and improve your application. Students who believe they can increase beyond an otherwise good first score usually find that retaking the LSAT is a good and solid strategy. I do, too.
For example, the LSAT can really make a huge difference in making law school affordable. I’ve known many students who’ve secured admissions to our law school—with a scholarship—who’ve retaken the LSAT, improved their score, and subsequently increased their scholarship. With such students, I urge retaking the test. In fact, it’s possible for students to earn more money in scholarship with a strong LSAT score than they could by taking a year off to work between undergrad and law school.
Keep in mind, though, that properly getting ready for the LSAT typically takes about 2-4 months of preparation, sometimes longer, and most students, on average, improve two to three points statistically from one test to the next.The LSAT is a skills-based test: improvement happens over time rather than immediately. Be fair to yourself and build your confidence over time.
Remember also that LSAT tests have gone digital, so if you’re used to practicing with pencil and paper, be sure to take practice tests using a digital format. Being as routine as possible on test day will likely garner the best results.
For the most part, I intended this post to shed light on why you shouldn’t be stressing out too much if you need to retake the LSAT again. Those important rule changes I discussed earlier were put in place in order to make this an easier decision. That being said, there are certain situations where I would tell someone not to retake LSAT, and I wanted to include those here.
Keep in mind that applying early is highly recommended. Early law school applicants are given priority when it comes to scholarships, financial aid, etc. I do not recommend turning in an application late in order to retake the LSAT. If you’re set on doing so, you may want to apply for a later admissions cycle rather than putting in a late application.
You should already have a good idea of the average LSAT scores for students at your school(s) of choice. While you may be thinking about retaking the LSAT to get a score that would place you above the 75th percentile, this isn’t strictly necessary. If the score you got falls within the 25th to 75th percentile for the school you’re aiming for, then I wouldn’t recommend retaking the LSAT.
This is an amazing score (putting you within the top 3% of test takers), but some students want to strive for perfection. That is certainly admirable, but not highly recommended. You already have a score that would give you a competitive advantage at any law school in the country. At this point, the work needed to retake the LSAT isn’t going to be worth the gain. There’s also a chance you may not do as well the second or third time around.
This can be a tough one to come to terms with, but you should ask yourself this question before choosing to retake the LSAT: “Did I put my all into that first test?” If you already put a ton of effort into studying, actually went through every practice test, and beat your practice test average in the first LSAT, retaking the test may not yield much of a benefit.
Depending on the LSAT prep course you enroll in (or don’t), you may get different recommendations when it comes to practice tests. I recommend that you invest as much time as you can taking practice tests before taking your first LSAT. These are extremely beneficial, because they force students to work through actual questions under the timed conditions they will face on test day. In my opinion, it is also the best way to identify your strengths and weaknesses. Investing time taking these practice tests will yield the most impactful insights for increasing your score.