Students preparing for the LSAT often wonder exactly how many correct answers are required to obtain a particular score, and correspondingly, how many questions can be missed to obtain that same score. The chart below lists the number of correct answers needed to achieve scores from 150 to 180 (in five-point increments) on every released LSAT since 2005, along with the number of questions that could be missed. Numbers are drawn from the scoring scales used for each exam.

Number of correct answers needed to achieve scores from 150 to 180 LSAT 150 155 160 165 170 175 180 TOTAL June 2005 61 -38 69 -30 77 -22 84 -15 90 -9 94 -5 98 -1 99 October 2005 59 -41 68 -32 77 -23 84 -16 90 -10 95 -5 99 -1 100 December 2005 58 -43 68 -33 78 -23 86 -15 93 -8 97 -4 100 -1 101 June 2006 60 -40 67 -33 76 -24 84 -16 90 -10 95 -5 99 -1 100 September 2006 59 -41 68 -32 77 -23 84 -16 90 -10 94 -6 98 -2 100 December 2006 56 -44 65 -35 74 -26 82 -18 89 -11 *** *** 98 -2 100 June 2007 59 -41 69 -31 78 -22 86 -14 92 -8 96 -4 99 -1 100 September 2007 57 -42 66 -33 75 -24 83 -16 89 -10 *** *** 97 -2 99 December 2007 57 -43 66 -34 75 -25 83 -17 89 -11 94 -6 98 -2 100 June 2008 60 -41 69 -32 78 -23 85 -16 91 -10 95 -6 99 -2 101 September 2008 59 -41 69 -31 77 -23 85 -15 91 -9 95 -5 99 -1 100 December 2008 57 -43 66 -34 74 -26 82 -18 89 -11 94 -6 98 -2 100 June 2009 57 -44 66 -35 75 -26 83 -18 90 -11 95 -6 99 -2 101 September 2009 58 -43 67 -34 75 -26 84 -17 90 -11 95 -6 99 -2 101 December 2009 57 -44 65 -36 73 -28 81 -20 87 -14 93 -8 98 -3 101 June 2010 55 -44 63 -36 72 -27 80 -19 87 -12 93 -6 97 -2 99** October 2010 57 -44 66 -35 74 -27 82 -19 89 -12 95 -6 99 -2 101 December 2010 55 -47 63 -39 72 -30 80 -22 88 -14 94 -8 99 -3 102 June 2011 56 -45 66 -35 75 -26 83 -18 90 -11 96 -5 100 -1 101 October 2011 56 -45 64 -37 73 -28 81 -20 88 -13 94 -7 99 -2 101 December 2011 56 -45 64 -37 73 -28 80 -21 87 -14 93 -8 98 -3 101 June 2012 54 -46 64 -36 73 -27 82 -18 90 -10 *** *** 99 -1 100** October 2012 56 -44 65 -35 75 -25 83 -17 90 -10 *** *** 99 -1 100 December 2012 57 -44 65 -36 74 -27 82 -19 89 -12 94 -7 99 -2 101 June 2013 54 -46 63 -37 73 -27 81 -19 89 -11 94 -6 98 -2 100 October 2013 55 -46 64 -37 73 -28 82 -19 89 -12 95 -6 99 -2 101 December 2013 55 -46 63 -38 72 -29 79 -22 87 -14 93 -8 98 -3 101 June 2014 55 -46 64 -37 72 -29 81 -20 88 -13 94 -7 99 -2 101 September 2014 56 -45 65 -36 74 -27 82 -19 89 -12 94 -7 98 -3 101 December 2014 56 -45 65 -36 74 -27 82 -19 89 -12 *** *** 99 -2 101 June 2015 56 -44 65 -35 74 -26 83 -17 90 -10 *** *** 98 -2 100 SP2 Test C* 57 -43 67 -33 76 -24 84 -16 91 -9 95 -5 99 -1 100 October 2015 56 -45 65 -36 73 -28 82 -19 89 -12 94 -7 99 -2 101 December 2015 57 -44 65 -36 74 -27 82 -19 89 -12 95 -6 99 -2 101 June 2016 54 -47 64 -37 73 -28 83 -18 90 -11 96 -5 100 -1 101 September 2016 56 -45 65 -36 74 -27 83 -18 89 -12 95 -6 99 -2 101 December 2016 55 -46 64 -37 74 -27 83 -18 90 -11 96 -5 100 -1 101 June 2017 55 -46 65 -36 75 -26 85 -16 92 -9 *** *** 100 -1 101 September 2017 58 -43 67 -34 75 -26 83 -18 90 -11 95 -6 99 -2 101 December 2017 55 -46 63 -38 72 -29 81 -20 89 -12 94 -7 99 -2 101 June 2018 55 -45 64 -36 74 -26 83 -17 90 -10 95 -5 99 -1 100 September 2018 57 -44 66 -35 75 -26 83 -18 90 -11 95 -6 99 -2 101 November 2018 55 -44 64 -35 73 -26 82 -17 89 -10 94 -5 98 -1 99 June 2019 56 -46 66 -36 75 -27 84 -18 92 -10 *** *** 100 -2 102 September 2019 56 -45 64 -37 73 -28 81 -20 88 -13 93 -8 98 -3 101 November 2019 55 -46 65 -36 75 -26 84 -17 91 -10 96 -5 100 -1 101 Averages 56.52 -44.04 65.46 -35.11 74.41 -26.15 82.65 -17.91 89.52 -11.04 94.58 -6.03 98.78 -1.78 100.57 Standard Deviation 1.67 1.97 1.73 2.01 1.67 1.95 1.57 1.81 1.35 1.52 0.98 1.10 0.76 0.66 0.72



One of the noticeable facts shown the above chart is that, depending on the test year, different raw scores translate into equivalent scaled scores. The reason for this apparent discrepancy is that the LSAT varies slightly in difficulty each administration. To account for these variances in test “toughness,” the test makers adjust the Scoring Conversion Chart for each LSAT in order to make similar LSAT scores from different tests mean the same thing. For example, the LSAT offered in June of a given year may be logically more difficult than the LSAT offered in December, but by making the June LSAT scale “looser” than the December scale, a 160 on each test would represent the same level of performance.

Test takers can draw important conclusions about their own performance from both the average raw scores and the standard deviations. For instance, though the average raw score corresponding to a scaled 160 is 74.41, the standard deviation shows that a majority of the scores are within ± 1.67 of this number, or from roughly 73 to 77. A student wishing to score 160 on an upcoming test should then expect, with a reasonable degree of confidence, that correctly answering somewhere between 73 and 77 questions correctly would result in that score. Similar conditions apply for a score of 170, where, with the standard deviation adjustment, a raw score between roughly 88 and 91 is likely needed.

Examining the scales from the standpoint of questions missed, you could miss 26.15 questions to achieve a 160, and with the standard deviation considered, you normally can miss between 24 and 28 questions to get a 160 (although some individual tests fall outside this range). At the 170 level, the range is 9 to 12 questions missed.

Perhaps the most important realization for test takers is that to achieving a high score does not require perfect performance. Each of the raw scores above is the number correct out of 99, 100,101, or 102 questions, so it is clear that missed questions, within reason, are acceptable regardless of the desired score. Even perfect scores usually allow for one to four incorrect answer choices. Again, the averages and standard deviations listed are useful tools in determining an acceptable number of missed questions, whether setting pre-test objectives or evaluating your performance in the week following the LSAT when scores may still be cancelled.