LSAT Scoring Scales: Correct and Incorrect Answers Counts

Students preparing for the LSAT often wonder exactly how many correct answers are required to obtain a particular score, and correspondingly, how many questions can be missed to obtain that same score. The chart below lists the number of correct answers needed to achieve scores from 150 to 180 (in five-point increments) on every released LSAT test over the last ten years, along with the number of questions that could be missed. Numbers are drawn from the scoring scales used for each exam.

LSAT	150		155		160		165		170		175		180		TOTAL
June 2005	61	-38	69	-30	77	-22	84	-15	90	-9	94	-5	98	-1	99
October 2005	59	-41	68	-32	77	-23	84	-16	90	-10	95	-5	99	-1	100
December 2005	58	-43	68	-33	78	-23	86	-15	93	-8	97	-4	100	-1	101
June 2006	60	-40	67	-33	76	-24	84	-16	90	-10	95	-5	99	-1	100
September 2006	59	-41	68	-32	77	-23	84	-16	90	-10	94	-6	98	-2	100
December 2006	56	-44	65	-35	74	-26	82	-18	89	-11	***	***	98	-2	100
June 2007	59	-41	69	-31	78	-22	86	-14	92	-8	96	-4	99	-1	100
September 2007	57	-42	66	-33	75	-24	83	-16	89	-10	***	***	97	-2	99
December 2007	57	-43	66	-34	75	-25	83	-17	89	-11	94	-6	98	-2	100
June 2008	60	-41	69	-32	78	-23	85	-16	91	-10	95	-6	99	-2	101
September 2008	59	-41	69	-31	77	-23	85	-15	91	-9	95	-5	99	-1	100
December 2008	57	-43	66	-34	74	-26	82	-18	89	-11	94	-6	98	-2	100
June 2009	57	-44	66	-35	75	-26	83	-18	90	-11	95	-6	99	-2	101
September 2009	58	-43	67	-34	75	-26	84	-17	90	-11	95	-6	99	-2	101
December 2009	57	-44	65	-36	73	-28	81	-20	87	-14	93	-8	98	-3	101
June 2010	55	-44	63	-36	72	-27	80	-19	87	-12	93	-6	97	-2	99
October 2010	57	-44	66	-35	74	-27	82	-19	89	-12	95	-6	99	-2	101
December 2010	55	-47	63	-39	72	-30	80	-22	88	-14	94	-8	99	-3	102
June 2011	56	-45	66	-35	75	-26	83	-18	90	-11	96	-5	100	-1	101
October 2011	56	-45	64	-37	73	-28	81	-20	88	-13	94	-7	99	-2	101
December 2011	56	-45	64	-37	73	-28	80	-21	87	-14	93	-8	98	-3	101
June 2012	54	-46	64	-36	73	-27	82	-18	90	-10	***	***	99	-1	100
October 2012	56	-44	65	-35	75	-25	83	-17	90	-10	***	***	99	-1	100
December 2012	57	-44	65	-36	74	-27	82	-19	89	-12	94	-7	99	-2	101
June 2013	54	-46	63	-37	73	-27	81	-19	89	-11	94	-6	98	-2	100
October 2013	55	-46	64	-37	73	-28	82	-19	89	-12	95	-6	99	-2	101
December 2013	55	-46	63	-38	72	-29	79	-22	87	-14	93	-8	98	-3	101
June 2014	55	-46	64	-37	72	-29	81	-20	88	-13	94	-7	99	-2	101
September 2014	56	-45	65	-36	74	-27	82	-19	89	-12	94	-7	98	-3	101
December 2014	56	-45	65	-36	74	-27	82	-19	89	-12	***	***	99	-2	101
Averages	56.90	-43.57	65.73	-34.73	74.60	-25.87	82.53	-17.93	89.30	-11.17	94.44	-6.12	98.60	-1.87	100.47
Standard Deviation	1.83	2.14	1.95	2.26	1.90	2.22	1.78	2.08	1.42	1.68	1.00	1.17	0.72	0.68	0.73
*** Indicates that there was no raw score capable of producing that scaled score for this test.

One of the noticeable facts shown the above chart is that, depending on the test year, different raw scores translate into equivalent scaled scores. The reason for this apparent discrepancy is that the LSAT varies slightly in difficulty each administration. To account for these variances in test “toughness,” the test makers adjust the Scoring Conversion Chart for each LSAT in order to make similar LSAT scores from different tests mean the same thing. For example, the LSAT offered in June of a given year may be logically more difficult than the LSAT offered in December, but by making the June LSAT scale “looser” than the December scale, a 160 on each test would represent the same level of performance.

Test takers can draw important conclusions about their own performance from both the average raw scores and the standard deviations. For instance, though the average raw score corresponding to a scaled 160 is 74.60, the standard deviation shows that a majority of the scores are within ± 1.90 of this number, or from roughly 73 to 77. A student wishing to score 160 on an upcoming test should then expect, with a reasonable degree of confidence, that correctly answering somewhere between 73 and 77 questions correctly would result in that score. Similar conditions apply for a score of 170, where, with the standard deviation adjustment, a raw score between roughly 88 and 91 is likely needed.

Examining the scales from the standpoint of questions missed, in the last ten years, you could miss 25.87 questions to achieve a 160, and with the standard deviation considered, you normally can miss between 23 and 28 questions to get a 160 (although some individual tests fall outside this range). At the 170 level, the range is 9 to 12 questions missed.

Perhaps the most important realization for test takers is that to achieving a high score does not require perfect performance. Each of the raw scores above is the number correct out of 99, 100,101, or 102 questions, so it is clear that missed questions, within reason, are acceptable regardless of the desired score. Even perfect scores usually allow for one to four incorrect answer choices. Again, the averages and standard deviations listed are useful tools in determining an acceptable number of missed questions, whether setting pre-test objectives or evaluating your performance in the week following the LSAT when scores may still be cancelled.

For LSAT scoring scale junkies, here are a few more interesting facts:

Average number of questions per LSAT:		100.47
Greatest number of questions on an LSAT:		102
This has occurred only twice, on the October 1992 and December 2010 LSATs.
Least number of questions on an LSAT:		99
This has occurred numerous times. Total question counts of 99, 100, and 101 have all occurred multiple times with 100 and 101 being the most common question totals.
Average number of questions correct needed to achieve a 180:		98.60
Greatest number of questions correct needed to achieve a 180:		100
This has occurred numerous times, most recently on the June 2011 LSAT (which contained 101 questions).
Least number of questions correct needed to achieve a 180:		96
This occurred on the October 1997 LSAT, which was originally a 101 question test, but then had one question removed to question integrity issues.
Greatest number of misses allowed to achieve individual scores:
180: -4 questions This has occurred twice, in October 1997 and in February 1999.
175: -10 questions This has occurred twice, in October 1997 and in December 1998.
170: -16 questions This has occurred twice, in October 1997 and in December 1998.
165: -23 questions This has occurred on three occasions, all in the 1990s.
160: -31 questions This has occurred on four occasions, all in the 1990s.