How Long are LSAT Scores Valid for

The validity window for an LSAT score is five years. Through LSAC's Credential Assembly Service, scores from the five most recent testing years are reported to the law schools you apply to, so a score earned today works across five admissions cycles, according to LSAC's LSAT scoring policy. Schools generally focus on your highest score.

By Ali Unar, JD candidate at Georgetown Law and founder of Lovare Institut. Last updated August 2026. Every figure on this page was verified in August 2026 against the sources listed below.

How long are LSAT scores valid for?

An LSAT score is valid for five years from the testing year in which you earn it. During that span LSAC will report the score to any law school you apply to, bundling it with your other credentials in the Credential Assembly Service report. LSAC reports scores for up to five testing years, so a result stays reportable for five years, according to LSAC's LSAT scoring policy. The score neither strengthens nor weakens while it sits inside the window.

When does an LSAT score fall outside the window?

A score leaves the reportable window once it is older than the five-year period, after which LSAC stops sending it to schools. Cancelled scores are not calculated into your record, though the administration may still be listed, and registered absences can appear too. None of these edge cases shortens the five-year clock for a valid, scored result.

How should the five-year window shape your plan?

Plan your testing around the validity window with these steps:

1. Confirm the earliest cycle you intend to apply, then count back to be sure your score will still be reportable.
2. If a strong score is nearing expiration, schedule a retake so a current score stays on file.
3. Apply while your best score is inside the window, since most schools weigh your highest reported result.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use an old LSAT score?

An old LSAT score is usable as long as it remains inside LSAC's five-year reporting window. Scores from the five most recent testing years are reported to law schools, so an older but in-window score is still valid. A score that has passed the five-year mark is no longer reported and cannot support an application.

Do schools take your highest LSAT?

Most law schools use your highest LSAT score instead of averaging your sittings. Because the LSAT is not superscored, schools do not merge sections from different test dates; they rely on your single best score. All scores within your five-year window appear on the report, yet the highest one generally matters most in the admissions review.

How many times can you take the LSAT?

Under current LSAC policy there is no cap on LSAT attempts within one testing year; you may take the test five times within the current five-year reportable period and seven times over your lifetime, according to LSAC's Limits on Repeating the Test policy. Since scores stay reportable for five years, any retakes you complete inside that window all show up on the report law schools receive from LSAC.

Sources

• LSAC LSAT Scoring
• LSAC Limits on Repeating the Test

Verified August 2026.