LSAT scores are valid for five years from the date of the test administration. This policy is set by the Law School Admission Council (LSAC), the organization that administers the Law School Admission Test (LSAT). During this five-year validity period, applicants can use their LSAT score to apply to ABA-accredited law schools in the United States, as well as many other law programs that accept the LSAT as part of their admissions requirements.
It’s important to note that while LSAC retains your score for five years, individual law schools may have their own policies regarding how recent an LSAT score should be. Some schools prefer scores that are no older than three years, especially if they aim to assess your current reasoning and reading comprehension abilities core skills tested on the LSAT. Therefore, prospective law students should always check directly with their target law schools to confirm score acceptance policies.
If your LSAT score is more than five years old, it will no longer appear on your LSAC score report, and you’ll need to retake the LSAT if you plan to apply to law school. The LSAT is offered multiple times per year, so candidates have flexible options to schedule a new exam if needed. Additionally, LSAC allows test takers to take the LSAT up to three times in a single testing year, five times within the current and past five testing years, and a total of seven times over a lifetime.
For students preparing for law school admission, understanding LSAT score validity is a critical part of planning. Taking the LSAT at the right time ensures your score remains valid throughout your application cycle and aligns with your chosen schools’ expectations. Always keep the five-year LSAT validity rule in mind when mapping out your law school timeline.