Like true love, vacations, or the Eras Tour, all good things must come to an end. So, too must your LSAT score. LSAC will eventually start to smell the stink of your old score and throw it out along with the half-full jug of curdled milk at the back of the refrigerator,
Well, that’s a little dramatic, but the fact remains that your LSAT score won’t last forever. The tendency to silently judge arguments everywhere you look might, but your LSAT score will expire. This generally isn’t a problem for the traditional law school applicant.
However, if it’s been a while since you took the LSAT and you haven’t gotten around to submitting your law school application, keep reading to see if you might need to retake the LSAT
How Long Are LSAT Scores Valid?
LSAT scores are valid for five years. Your LSAT score report will only show all valid and reportable scores—up to 12. However, if you want to see all your scores (valid and expired) you can request an Official Candidate LSAT Score Report for $50. Note that you don’t need to order this score report to apply to law school, but it might be a fun piece of personal lore to have around.
Further Reading
Should I Worry About My LSAT Score Expiring?
For most law school applicants, the LSAT expiration date is a bit of a non-issue. In my wholly unrepresentative experience, most people take the test in their junior or senior year of undergrad and then enroll either right after college or one year later. Taking a year off after school is still absolutely feasible, and highly recommended. I’ve never met anyone who’s regretted taking time off before law school.
The only way this might be problematic is if you’re taking the LSAT really early in your college career, and you plan on taking a lot of time off. Say you take it your freshman year (for some reason). Then you graduate and work for three years before applying. That puts your LSAT score around the lovely geriatric age of six years old and forces you to Google “how long are LSAT scores valid.”
Applying to Law School as a Non-Traditional Applicant
That’s not to say you MUST go to law school immediately out of undergrad. Many law school applicants gain a few years of work experience or try a different career path before deciding to apply to law school. In fact, there can be advantages to applying to law school as a non-trad applicant.
The takeaway is to make sure your LSAT score is valid when you do decide to apply to law school.
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My LSAT Score Expired! Do I Need to Retake the LSAT?
If your LSAT score is older than five years, you cannot use it to apply to law school. You need a reportable score to complete your application. Alternatively, you could potentially choose to apply with a GRE score if you’ve sworn off the LSAT forever, but that comes with its own set of cons.
If your LSAT is no longer valid and you still want to apply to law school, your best bet will be to retake the LSAT. However, don’t forget the LSAT testing limits:
- Five times within the current reportable score period
- A total of seven times in a lifetime
Picking the Best LSAT Date
Safe to say taking the LSAT in your first year of college isn’t ideal. And there’s an LSAT date nearly every month. So, when should you take the LSAT?
Consider these two things before choosing your LSAT test date:
- When are you applying to law school? You’ll need a valid LSAT score to apply to law school. Bonus points if you submit your application early in the admission cycle—generally before the end of November.
- How long do you have to prep? Studying for the LSAT is usually a two-to-six-month process. Think about when you have enough time to dedicate to your prep without rushing.
Final Thoughts
Most applicants don’t need to worry too much about how long LSAT scores are valid. Five years is a pretty long time. However, time flies. It can be so easy to take the LSAT and then put off applying to law school until next year and then the next and the next…and so on.
If that happens and your score expires, don’t worry. You can retake it.
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