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 |
| June 2015 | 56 | -44 | 65 | -35 | 74 | -26 | 83 | -17 | 90 | -10 | *** | *** | 98 | -2 | 100 |
| SP2 Test C* | 57 | -43 | 67 | -33 | 76 | -24 | 84 | -16 | 91 | -9 | 95 | -5 | 99 | -1 | 100 |
| October 2015 | 56 | -45 | 65 | -36 | 73 | -28 | 82 | -19 | 89 | -12 | 94 | -7 | 99 | -2 | 101 |
| December 2015 | 57 | -44 | 65 | -36 | 74 | -27 | 82 | -19 | 89 | -12 | 95 | -6 | 99 | -2 | 101 |
| June 2016 | 54 | -47 | 64 | -37 | 73 | -28 | 83 | -18 | 90 | -11 | 96 | -5 | 100 | -1 | 101 |
| Averages | 56.77 | -43.71 | 65.66 | -34.83 | 74.51 | -25.97 | 82.57 | -17.91 | 89.37 | -11.11 | 94.52 | -6.07 | 98.66 | -1.83 | 100.49 |
| Standard Deviation | 1.77 | 2.08 | 1.85 | 2.16 | 1.82 | 2.15 | 1.67 | 1.98 | 1.35 | 1.62 | 0.99 | 1.13 | 0.73 | 0.66 | 0.70 |
| ***
Indicates that there was no raw score capable of producing that
scaled score for this test. * In the Official LSAT SuperPrep II the third test (Test C) was a previously unreleased LSAT known as Form 96. This is the row entry for that 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 74.51, the standard deviation shows that a majority of the scores are within ± 1.82 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 25.97 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.