The following is a breakdown of how the LSAT is scored:
The LSAT contains a total of 5 sections with MCQs, out of which one will not be graded. The exam is divided into four distinct sections that will be graded: Logical Reasoning 1, Logical Reasoning 2, Reading Comprehension and Analytical Reasoning alongside a fifth section that is spared specifically for writing. The fifth section to not be graded will not be easy to tell, so test makers suggest completing all sections and not leave any question behind.
The LSAT has around one hundred questions that are each worth one mark on the paper. Half of the paper is dedicated to logical reasoning, while the remaining two sections are 25% each. Once the test is taken, a raw score is calculated between the lowest number possible (120) and the highest number possible (180). This raw score is then refined using a score conversion method that makes the bell curve.
Once this process is done, the test scorer is given a percentile ranking, which means that someone with a high score of 178, for example, will be placed in the 99th percentile. Just as the overall score rises, so does the percentile. For example, a 171 will warrant a 98th percentile, 164 in the 90th, and a 160 in the 80th. This means that as the score approaches the bell curve, the percentile drops a higher number than the previous one.
An LSAT exam also has another feature that is represented by the 160th mark on the test. This feature is called the constant, which is fixed to ensure that the exam maintains some stability for the incoming administrators and that the harder questions on any test are accounted for.
After a scaled score is calculated and a new percentile assigned, the students’ scores are compared with candidates from the past 3 years. Most of the students’ scores will be saturated inside what administrators are calling the bell curve.
Criteria for Admissions
To get into a law school, an LSAT score of 140 is required. If the score is within 150s, admission into regional law schools is made possible. It is, however, important to remember that the LSAT score is not the only thing that law schools take into consideration when admitting a student. Overall CGPA, letters of recommendations and other activities also make a significant difference.
To get into some of the best law schools of the world, your scores should preferably be in the mid-late 160s and early-mid 170s. For Yale and Harvard, a score of 173 is required. For University of Michigan Ann Arbor, the required score is 169. Generally, the rule to get into college past the bare minimum is to have a score between 164 and 177.
In order to get into the law school of your choice, you must prepare for the LSAT vigilantly. For any law school in the States, it is the most important aspect of your application. Hence, to make a good first impression, it is necessary to do well in the LSATs.