CHOOSING AN LSAT
WHEN TO TAKE THE LSAT
The LSAT is offered EIGHT times per year. To maximize the chances of acceptance during the current Admissions 2025-2026 cycle , it is best to take the LSAT no later than November 2025 or January 2026, especially if you want to be able to apply to any law school in the nation. Meanwhile, Candidates who sit for an LSAT administered between February 2026 and June 2026, will be more limited in choice of schools for the current Admissions cycle.
In general, the higher the ranking of a law school, the faster its entering class is selected (due to demand), and the earlier the admissions deadline. But exceptions abound (eg, Yale Law School accepts the February LSAT). Thus, it is important to consult each school's website in order to determine the last test date each law school will accept.
PLANNING FOR A RETAKE & THE FORGIVING "SCORE PREVIEW" SERVICE
Though it is optimal to take the LSAT only once, retaking the exam is a common occurrence even among the most successful candidates. Since law schools generally consider only the highest score an applicant has achieved, the best laid plans will allow for one additional LSAT, just in case the first attempt is not successful. When planning LSAT prep, it is best to determine the last LSAT administration that a law school will accept, and prepare to the take the LSAT before that date. For example, if you are applying to a law school with a February 15, 2026 deadline, then the last LSAT accepted will be administered in January of 2026. Thus, it is advisable to prepare for the November 2025 LSAT (or any LSAT prior to that), so that you can retake the exam without missing any application deadlines.
Planning for the possibility of a retake is also favored by the recently developed Score Preview Policy-- which allows LSAT candidates to see their score before deciding to cancel-- without revealing the score to any law schools.
"ROLLING ADMISSION" FAVORS EARLY APPLICANTS
Law schools accept on first-come, first-serve basis known as rolling admissions, so by the time the application deadline for a particular school arrives many of the seats in the entering class have been filled. On occasion, the entire first year class of some top schools has been selected before the deadline for applications has arrived. Applications that are submitted early get viewed more favorably than later applications because admissions is a human process: the people who read applications are not as easy to impress after they have read thousands of applications, and the reality is that they become jaded over time. However, if an applicant’s numbers are stellar (i.e., above the 75th percentile for the school's entering class), that applicant may be admitted even if the application is submitted right before the deadline (or even after). But if one does not have the numbers (i.e., either their LSAT or GPA is below the school's reported mean) - then it is preferable to apply for the following year (2025-2026 Admissions cycle) rather than apply both late and with sub-par numbers.
In sum, you maximize your chances by applying early with high numbers. However, slow is usually better than low, so if you need to retake the LSAT in order to raise your score, that could be a wise move even if it delays your applications. When it comes to admissions it's better to be great and late, than first and the worst! And it is important to avoid the being both late and low -- which simply leads to a rejection in almost every instance.
TAKE HOME: be sure to prep well before applying, and take the LSAT by January 2025, because rolling admissions requires both a well-timed and well-executed admissions plan.
The LSAT is offered EIGHT times per year. To maximize the chances of acceptance during the current Admissions 2025-2026 cycle , it is best to take the LSAT no later than November 2025 or January 2026, especially if you want to be able to apply to any law school in the nation. Meanwhile, Candidates who sit for an LSAT administered between February 2026 and June 2026, will be more limited in choice of schools for the current Admissions cycle.
In general, the higher the ranking of a law school, the faster its entering class is selected (due to demand), and the earlier the admissions deadline. But exceptions abound (eg, Yale Law School accepts the February LSAT). Thus, it is important to consult each school's website in order to determine the last test date each law school will accept.
PLANNING FOR A RETAKE & THE FORGIVING "SCORE PREVIEW" SERVICE
Though it is optimal to take the LSAT only once, retaking the exam is a common occurrence even among the most successful candidates. Since law schools generally consider only the highest score an applicant has achieved, the best laid plans will allow for one additional LSAT, just in case the first attempt is not successful. When planning LSAT prep, it is best to determine the last LSAT administration that a law school will accept, and prepare to the take the LSAT before that date. For example, if you are applying to a law school with a February 15, 2026 deadline, then the last LSAT accepted will be administered in January of 2026. Thus, it is advisable to prepare for the November 2025 LSAT (or any LSAT prior to that), so that you can retake the exam without missing any application deadlines.
Planning for the possibility of a retake is also favored by the recently developed Score Preview Policy-- which allows LSAT candidates to see their score before deciding to cancel-- without revealing the score to any law schools.
"ROLLING ADMISSION" FAVORS EARLY APPLICANTS
Law schools accept on first-come, first-serve basis known as rolling admissions, so by the time the application deadline for a particular school arrives many of the seats in the entering class have been filled. On occasion, the entire first year class of some top schools has been selected before the deadline for applications has arrived. Applications that are submitted early get viewed more favorably than later applications because admissions is a human process: the people who read applications are not as easy to impress after they have read thousands of applications, and the reality is that they become jaded over time. However, if an applicant’s numbers are stellar (i.e., above the 75th percentile for the school's entering class), that applicant may be admitted even if the application is submitted right before the deadline (or even after). But if one does not have the numbers (i.e., either their LSAT or GPA is below the school's reported mean) - then it is preferable to apply for the following year (2025-2026 Admissions cycle) rather than apply both late and with sub-par numbers.
In sum, you maximize your chances by applying early with high numbers. However, slow is usually better than low, so if you need to retake the LSAT in order to raise your score, that could be a wise move even if it delays your applications. When it comes to admissions it's better to be great and late, than first and the worst! And it is important to avoid the being both late and low -- which simply leads to a rejection in almost every instance.
TAKE HOME: be sure to prep well before applying, and take the LSAT by January 2025, because rolling admissions requires both a well-timed and well-executed admissions plan.
CONSIDER PREP TIME WHEN CHOOSING AN LSAT DATE
Since score increases are directly proportional to preparation time, we urge students to begin their preparation as early as possible. In general, students should begin preparing at least 1-2 months before their expected LSAT date. Other relevant factors in determining when to begin prep are your starting score, which you can determine by taking an actual, past LSAT. The best place to get a real LSATs is from the testwriters (LSAC) who have recently created an inexpensive online tool called the Official LSAT Prep Plus - aka LawHub- that includes over 70 actual, past LSATs formatted exactly like the current online LSAT.
Since score increases are directly proportional to preparation time, we urge students to begin their preparation as early as possible. In general, students should begin preparing at least 1-2 months before their expected LSAT date. Other relevant factors in determining when to begin prep are your starting score, which you can determine by taking an actual, past LSAT. The best place to get a real LSATs is from the testwriters (LSAC) who have recently created an inexpensive online tool called the Official LSAT Prep Plus - aka LawHub- that includes over 70 actual, past LSATs formatted exactly like the current online LSAT.