LSAT Raw Score Conversion
Norair Khalafyan
Co-Founder
You check your practice test, tally 55 correct, and think: Okay, but what does that actually mean? The LSAT loves to keep things cryptic, raw scores convert to scaled scores, which convert to percentiles. Confusing? Sure. But once you decode it, you’ll see that a single extra correct answer can mean the difference between “pretty good” and “law school game-changer.”
How LSAT Scoring Works
- Raw Score: The number of questions you answer correctly. There’s no penalty for guessing.
- Scaled Score (120–180): Your raw score is converted to the familiar 120–180 scale, adjusting for small differences in test difficulty.
- Percentile Rank: Where you stand compared to other test takers over the past three years. A 170, for example, places you higher than about 97% of test takers.
The Full LSAT Conversion Chart
Scaled Score | Min Raw LSAT Score | Max Raw LSAT Score | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
180 | 74 | 75 | 99.9 |
179 | 73 | 73 | 99.9 |
178 | 72 | 72 | 99.9 |
177 | 71 | 71 | 99.8 |
176 | 70 | 70 | 99.7 |
175 | 69 | 69 | 99.5 |
174 | 68 | 68 | 99.3 |
173 | 67 | 67 | 99.0 |
172 | 66 | 66 | 98.6 |
171 | 65 | 65 | 98.0 |
170 | 64 | 64 | 97.4 |
169 | 63 | 63 | 96.5 |
168 | 62 | 62 | 95.5 |
167 | 61 | 61 | 94.2 |
166 | 60 | 60 | 92.8 |
165 | 59 | 59 | 91.0 |
164 | 58 | 58 | 89.0 |
163 | 57 | 57 | 87.0 |
162 | 56 | 56 | 84.5 |
161 | 55 | 55 | 82.0 |
160 | 54 | 54 | 79.0 |
159 | 53 | 53 | 76.0 |
158 | 52 | 52 | 72.5 |
157 | 51 | 51 | 69.0 |
156 | 50 | 50 | 65.0 |
155 | 49 | 49 | 61.0 |
154 | 48 | 48 | 57.0 |
153 | 47 | 47 | 53.0 |
152 | 46 | 46 | 49.0 |
151 | 45 | 45 | 45.0 |
150 | 44 | 44 | 41.0 |
149 | 43 | 43 | 37.0 |
148 | 42 | 42 | 33.0 |
147 | 41 | 41 | 29.0 |
146 | 40 | 40 | 25.0 |
145 | 39 | 39 | 22.0 |
144 | 38 | 38 | 19.0 |
143 | 37 | 37 | 16.0 |
142 | 36 | 36 | 13.5 |
141 | 35 | 35 | 11.0 |
140 | 34 | 34 | 9.0 |
139 | 33 | 33 | 7.0 |
138 | 32 | 32 | 6.0 |
137 | 31 | 31 | 5.0 |
136 | 30 | 30 | 4.0 |
135 | 29 | 29 | 3.0 |
134 | 28 | 28 | 2.5 |
133 | 27 | 27 | 2.0 |
132 | 26 | 26 | 1.8 |
131 | 25 | 25 | 1.5 |
130 | 24 | 24 | 1.3 |
129 | 23 | 23 | 1.0 |
128 | 22 | 22 | 0.9 |
127 | 21 | 21 | 0.8 |
126 | 20 | 20 | 0.7 |
125 | 19 | 19 | 0.6 |
124 | 18 | 18 | 0.5 |
123 | 17 | 17 | 0.4 |
122 | 16 | 16 | 0.3 |
121 | 15 | 15 | 0.2 |
120 | 0 | 14 | 0.0 |
Why This Chart Should Change How You Prep
1. Every question matters more than you think.
Moving from 54 to 55 correct answers (a one-question jump) could raise your scaled score from a 159 to a 160. That’s not “just one point,” it’s the difference between being in the 79th percentile and the 82nd. You just passed thousands of people.
2. You don’t need perfection for a T14-worthy score.
Notice that a 170—the score that puts you in range for most top schools—still allows for about 11 wrong answers. Even a 175 (top 0.5% of test takers) isn’t a perfect test.
3. Percentiles tell a different story than raw points.
The LSAT scale isn’t linear. Going from a 150 to a 155 pushes you from the 41st percentile to the 61st. That’s a 20-point leap in percentile rank for just five extra raw questions. By contrast, going from 175 to 180 moves you only half a percentile.
Strategy Takeaways
- Focus on accuracy over volume. Missing fewer questions is worth more than rushing through more.
- Review your mistakes religiously. A one-question improvement could mean multiple percentile jumps.
- Set realistic targets. If you’re averaging mid-150s, the path to 160+ is about eliminating small errors, not reinventing your approach.
Final Thought
The LSAT is a game of inches, but those inches matter. Understanding how raw scores convert into scaled scores and percentiles gives you a clearer sense of where you stand and where you can go.
At LexPrep, we’re building AI tools that don’t just track your raw scores, they show you exactly how close you are to the next scaled score, and what kinds of questions will get you there. Join the waitlist at www.lexprep.ai to be first in line when we launch. Because mastering the LSAT isn’t just about answering questions, it’s about understanding the numbers behind them.