How Long is an LSAT Score Good for

Any LSAT score stays good for five years. LSAC reports scores from the five most recent testing years to the law schools you apply to, so a score you earn today can be used across five admissions cycles, according to LSAC's LSAT scoring policy. Most schools then consider your highest reported 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 is an LSAT score good for?

An LSAT score is good for five years. LSAC reports it to the law schools on your list for that whole period through the Credential Assembly Service, and the score keeps its full value the entire time. Whether the result is recent or a few years old, it counts the same as long as it sits inside the window. LSAC reports scores for up to five testing years, so a result stays reportable for five years, according to LSAC's LSAT scoring policy.

What exceptions apply to the five-year rule?

A handful of situations sit alongside the standard rule:

• A score older than five years is no longer reported, so it cannot be used.
• A cancelled score is not calculated, though the administration may still be listed on your report.
• An absence from a registered test can also appear on the report.
• Retaking does not remove earlier in-window scores; schools see each one.

How does the five-year window affect your application?

Because an LSAT score is good for five years, you can test early and apply in a later cycle without losing the result, which helps applicants who take time off before law school. If a strong score is near the end of its window, retaking keeps a current score reportable. Most law schools weigh your highest score, so one strong sitting continues to work for you.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use an old LSAT score?

An old LSAT score can be used while it stays within LSAC's five-year reporting window. LSAC reports scores from the five most recent testing years to law schools, so an older in-window result remains valid for applications. A score past the five-year mark is no longer reported and cannot be included on your file.

Do schools take your highest LSAT?

Most law schools take your highest LSAT score rather than averaging your sittings. Because the LSAT is not superscored, schools do not combine sections from different test dates; they use your best single score. Every score inside your five-year window still appears on your report, but the top score generally weighs most in admissions.

How many times can you take the LSAT?

Under current LSAC policy there is no limit on LSAT attempts within a 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 a score is good for five years, any retakes inside that window all appear on the report your law schools receive, keeping each attempt visible.

Sources

• LSAC LSAT Scoring
• LSAC Limits on Repeating the Test

Verified August 2026.