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Taking the LSAT costs $253 (which includes LSAT Argumentative Writing) in registration, before the extras most applicants face. Nearly all ABA law schools require the Credential Assembly Service (CAS), adding $219 and a per-school report fee. LSAC fee waivers can cover registration and CAS for eligible applicants.
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.
The price to take the LSAT starts with the registration fee of $253 (which includes LSAT Argumentative Writing). For most applicants the real total is higher, because law schools require the Credential Assembly Service on top of the test fee. Every current amount is set by LSAC.
Plan for three recurring costs: the CAS subscription, one report per school, and any late or date-change fees you trigger. The table gives a working breakdown.
CostFrequencyAmountLSAT registrationPer sitting$253 (which includes LSAT Argumentative Writing)CAS subscriptionOnce$219Per-school reportPer school$45 per law school report
The two biggest multipliers are the number of schools you apply to and the number of times you sit the test, since each adds its own fee. Registering late or changing a date adds smaller charges. None of these are fixed, so your total is largely within your control.
An approved LSAC fee waiver covers registration and CAS and typically includes a set number of score reports and other services, sharply reducing what an eligible applicant pays. You apply for the waiver through your LSAC account before registering. If you may qualify, request it first, since it changes nearly every figure above.
The core LSAT fee is $253 (which includes LSAT Argumentative Writing). On top of that, budget for the CAS report law schools require, plus possible late-registration or date-change charges if they apply to you. LSAC lists every current fee on its site, and eligible candidates can request a need-based waiver before they register.
You can repeat the LSAT, but LSAC caps the number of attempts within one testing year, within the current plus recent testing years, and across your lifetime: no per-testing-year cap, five times within the current five-year reportable period, and seven times over a lifetime. Because cancelled scores count toward these caps, most advisers suggest testing only when you are genuinely ready to hit your target.
The best LSAT date leaves time for a possible retake before deadlines, typically a sitting in the summer or early autumn of your application year. Rolling admissions reward early, complete applications, so an earlier score that meets your target medians usually beats a slightly higher score submitted months later.
Verified August 2026.
August 21, 2026
August 21, 2026