The Law School Admission Council (LSAC) administers the LSAT roughly seven to eight times each year, spread across most months from January through November. Picking the right test date matters more than most candidates realize.
Sit too late and your application reaches admissions committees after the strongest scholarships are gone. Sit too early without enough preparation and you waste a slot in your reportable score window. This guide walks through every confirmed LSAT test date for 2026 and 2027, the registration deadlines that close before each one, the score release timeline, and the strategy behind choosing your specific date.
The current LSAT is a roughly two-hour-and-fifteen-minute multistage exam delivered both online with live remote proctoring and in person at official test centers. Since the August 2024 format change, Logic Games is gone.
Every administration now contains two scored Logical Reasoning sections, one scored Reading Comprehension section, and one unscored variable section. Most candidates take the free LSAT practice test before deciding which official date to register for, because a realistic baseline score tells you whether you need four more weeks or four more months of preparation.
Test dates are not interchangeable. The June and August administrations tend to be the most strategically valuable for fall law school applicants because they deliver scores in time to open applications before October.
The October and November dates work for applicants comfortable applying mid-cycle. January and February dates are typically reapplicant or late-cycle territory. Score release lands roughly three weeks after each administration, and applications submitted within two weeks of score release reach admissions readers at the strongest point in the rolling admissions cycle.
One more thing worth knowing up front: registration for each test date opens roughly four to six months ahead, but slots at popular in-person centers fill quickly for the August and September administrations. If you have a specific test center in mind, register the day registration opens rather than waiting until the deadline approaches.
Online slots are more flexible because they are not bound by physical room capacity, but the most desirable testing windows still fill up. Early-morning slots, weekend slots, and slots in commonly requested time zones tend to disappear first. If you have a preferred time of day for cognitive performance, lock it in early.
The LSAT calendar also matters for candidates juggling other commitments. Students still in undergraduate classes during the June administration face overlap with finals. Working professionals targeting October or November may have difficulty taking time off near year-end. Identify the calendar conflicts before you register, not after.
LSAC runs 7 to 8 LSAT administrations per year, typically in January, February, April, June, August, September, October, and November. Registration costs $238 standard plus $50 late registration if you miss the regular deadline. Scores release approximately 3 weeks after each test date. You can sit the LSAT a maximum of 5 times within any 5-year reportable period and 7 times across your lifetime. Choose June, August, or September dates if you are applying for fall enrollment the following year.
January 2026: Mid-January administration. Best for spring or summer enrollment reapplicants and candidates targeting late-cycle applications.
February 2026: Mid-February administration. Last realistic shot for current-cycle fall enrollment at most law schools.
April 2026: Mid-April administration. Strong choice for next-cycle fall applicants who want extra preparation runway before the June and August dates.
June 2026: Mid-June administration. The classic strategic date for fall 2027 applicants — score lands before law school applications open in September.
August 2026: Early-to-mid August administration. Most popular date for fall 2027 applicants. Score arrives in time to apply in the first wave.
September 2026: Mid-September administration. Still early enough for fall 2027 applications if you submit by mid-October.
October 2026: Mid-October administration. Solid mid-cycle date — score arrives in early November, applications complete by Thanksgiving.
November 2026: Mid-November administration. Final date that produces strong fall 2027 application timing.
January 2027: Mid-January window. Reapplicant and late-cycle applicants targeting fall 2027 admission.
February 2027: Mid-February window. Last realistic date for fall 2027 enrollment cycle at most schools.
April 2027: Mid-April window. Preparation runway date for fall 2028 applicants.
June 2027: Mid-June window. Earliest strong strategic date for fall 2028 applicants.
August 2027: Early-to-mid August window. Highest-volume administration for fall 2028 applications.
September 2027: Mid-September window. Final early-cycle date for fall 2028.
October 2027: Mid-October window. Strong mid-cycle date.
November 2027: Mid-November window. Last date for first-wave fall 2028 applications.
LSAC publishes test windows in roughly the same months each cycle, but the specific calendar date within each month shifts year to year based on test center availability, weekend scheduling, and operational planning. Administrations typically span two to four consecutive days to accommodate the volume of test-takers across time zones. Online test slots are released throughout the test window so candidates can pick a specific time. In-person slots are limited by test center capacity. LSAC typically opens registration four to six months ahead of each test date, so the August 2026 registration window opens around April 2026.
Every modern LSAT administration is offered in two delivery modes. The online LSAT is proctored remotely via ProctorU and taken at home on your own computer. You pick your own slot within the test window. The in-person LSAT is delivered at official Prometric test centers with the same content and timing. Choose online if you have a quiet private space and a computer that meets technical requirements. Choose in person if your internet, home environment, or test-day nerves make a controlled center setting better. Both deliver identical scoring on the 120 to 180 scale.
LSAC opens registration for each test date roughly 4 to 6 months ahead. Watch your LSAC account inbox or LSAC.org for the opening of your target date.
The regular registration deadline is roughly 5 to 6 weeks before each test date. Register before this deadline and you pay the standard $238 fee without late penalties.
After the regular deadline, late registration stays open for roughly another week with a $50 late fee added on top of the standard $238 fee.
Registration closes completely roughly 4 weeks before each test date. No further additions are accepted after this point. Plan ahead and register early.
You can withdraw from a test date for a partial refund up until roughly 1 week before the test. Withdrawal after this point forfeits the entire fee.
Scores release roughly 3 weeks after each test date. You receive an email notification with a link to view your official score in your LSAC account.
Law school admissions work on rolling cycles. Applications typically open in early September and close in February or March, but seats and scholarships fill across the cycle, not in a single decision window at the end.
Applying in September and October consistently produces stronger admission and scholarship outcomes than applying in January and February for the same target score. This timing reality drives most candidates toward the June, August, and September LSAT administrations because those dates deliver scores in time to apply in the first wave.
The June LSAT is the most strategic date for next-cycle fall applicants. Sit in mid-June, get your score in early July, and you have August to write personal statements and gather letters before applications open September 1.
The August LSAT compresses that timeline but still works for organized applicants. The September LSAT cuts it close — score arrives in early October, so applications go in by mid-October at the earliest. October and November dates land your application mid-cycle, which is still acceptable but produces measurably weaker scholarship outcomes at most schools.
If you are unsure whether you are ready, take the how to pass the LSAT exam diagnostic and decide based on actual data rather than gut feel. Many candidates wait too long to take a real practice test under timed conditions and end up sitting an administration before their score has stabilized.
Reapplicants and candidates targeting only a few schools have more flexibility. If your top-choice school accepts February LSAT scores for the current admissions cycle, sitting in February and applying immediately can still land an offer.
Schools with hard deadlines that fall before the February test date force you to either apply with an existing score or wait a full cycle. Check each target school's specific LSAT cutoff date — they are not uniform across the country and the difference between accepting February and not accepting February affects your strategy materially.
For early decision applications, the calendar tightens further. Most early decision deadlines fall in November or early December. To apply early decision, you need a final LSAT score in hand by your application deadline, which typically means sitting no later than the September or October administration.
Early decision binds you to the school if admitted, so applicants generally use this option only at one preferred school where the LSAT score comfortably matches median admission stats. Knowing the LSAT score range at your target school before committing to early decision is essential.
Scholarship timing follows a similar pattern. Most law schools award scholarships on rolling decisions tied to application submission date. The first applications get the largest scholarship pools and the broadest negotiating leverage. By February most scholarship budgets are committed.
This is the hidden cost of waiting for the February LSAT: your score may match the school's median, but the scholarship dollars are already gone. A 165 in August often produces a better financial offer than a 167 in February at the same school.
LSAC releases LSAT scores roughly three weeks after each test date. You receive an email notification with a link to view your official score in your LSAC account. The score on the 120 to 180 scale reflects your raw correct answers converted through the test-specific scoring scale.
Percentile rankings update with each release based on a rolling three-year cohort of test-takers. The Credential Assembly Service (CAS) report that law schools download includes your score, your percentile, and your full LSAT score history within the reportable five-year window.
Schools see every score, not just your highest, although most schools weight the highest score most heavily in admissions decisions. Some schools average multiple scores, some take the highest, and a small number weight the most recent score most heavily. Check each target school's admissions FAQ for their specific policy.
If your score does not match your preparation, you have options. Score Preview, available for first-time test-takers at an additional fee, lets you see your score before deciding whether to cancel it. Cancellation removes the score from your reportable record entirely.
If you do not use Score Preview, you have six calendar days after the test date to cancel a score without seeing it. Most candidates do not cancel unless something went seriously wrong during the test such as technical failures, illness, or severe disruption.
A score below your target is generally better kept than canceled because it provides a baseline for measuring improvement on a retake. Reviewing your full LSAT exam performance against your preparation timeline reveals whether you need more study or whether the test simply went poorly that day.
Withdrawing from a test date is different from canceling a score. Withdrawal removes you from the upcoming administration before you sit. Withdraw at least one week before the test date for a partial refund. After that point you forfeit the full fee.
Withdrawal does not count against your retake limits. Sitting and then canceling a score does count as a sat administration for limit purposes even though the score does not appear on your record. This distinction matters for candidates approaching the 5-in-5 or 7-lifetime limits.
The standard LSAT registration fee is $238 in 2026 (LSAC adjusts fees annually). Late registration adds a $50 fee. Changing your test date after registration costs a $135 fee.
Changing your testing format from online to in person or vice versa is typically free up until a cutoff point and then incurs the same change fee. Test center changes for in-person testing are generally free if requested before the cutoff. These fees are separate from CAS costs at $207 for the initial year of service plus per-report fees of $45 per law school report.
LSAC fee waivers cover the LSAT registration fee, CAS subscription, and a number of law school report transmissions for candidates who demonstrate financial need. The application process requires documentation of household income, federal tax returns, and other financial disclosures.
Approval typically takes 4 to 6 weeks. Fee waivers are renewed annually and cover up to two LSAT sittings during the waiver period. Submit your fee waiver application well before you plan to register for a specific test date — approval before registration lets you skip the upfront charge rather than seeking reimbursement later.
Test center logistics differ between online and in-person delivery. Online LSAT requires a quiet private room with a desk and a single computer that meets LSAC technical requirements. You connect to ProctorU at your scheduled time.
The proctor verifies your identity, scans your testing space, and monitors you throughout the test via webcam. Bathroom breaks are scheduled. Tech failures during the test trigger LSAC review and potential retake offers without additional cost. Internet stability is critical — wired Ethernet beats wireless almost every time for online proctoring.
In-person LSAT is delivered at Prometric centers in major cities and smaller regional locations. Centers vary in environment, noise level, and equipment quality. Some candidates prefer specific centers based on past experience or proximity.
If you have flexibility, look up reviews of available centers before registering. The same test date at two different centers can produce noticeably different test-taking experiences. Familiarity with your specific center on test morning matters more than you think when nerves are already running high.
Photo ID requirements are strict for both delivery modes. Acceptable ID includes a government-issued passport, driver's license, state ID card, or military ID. The name on your ID must match your LSAC registration exactly.
Mismatches cause testing day refusals. Verify your name and ID match before test day, not at the testing center. If your legal name changed after registration, contact LSAC immediately to update your record rather than showing up with a mismatched ID.
The LSAT exam prep resources cover the full logistics checklist alongside content preparation. The how long is the LSAT breakdown helps you plan your timing strategy for each section, and the LSAT exam tips guide covers pacing, breaks, and what to bring on test morning.
Before your test date, do at least one dry run of the full check-in process. For online testing, log into ProctorU's system check tool, run the bandwidth and webcam tests, and clear your physical testing space. For in-person testing, drive to the center, identify the parking and the entrance, and time your travel.
Small logistics failures derail more LSAT performances than people realize. A locked computer at home, a forgotten ID at the test center, or a wrong-address arrival on test morning can cost candidates their entire registration fee and force a months-long delay before they can sit again.
Maximum 5 LSAT sittings within the current reportable 5-year period. Includes both completed scores and canceled scores.
Maximum 7 LSAT sittings across your entire lifetime. Once you hit 7, you cannot register for another administration without LSAC review.
Maximum 3 LSAT sittings in any single testing year (June through May). Most candidates do not approach this limit but it does apply.
Withdrawing before the test date does not count toward any retake limit. Only sittings count. Withdrawing strategically preserves future slots.
The retake limits above sound generous until you realize how easy it is to burn through them. Many candidates sit twice early in their cycle without serious preparation, then need three more strong sittings to recover. Sitting strategically rather than reactively matters from your very first administration.
If you are not scoring within 3 to 5 points of your target on official LSAT practice test attempts, postpone rather than burn a slot. Most score improvements between sittings come from candidates who took at least 6 to 10 weeks between administrations and used the time for targeted weakness drilling rather than general review.
If your first administration did not produce the score you needed, the gap between test dates becomes critical preparation time. The LSAT classes and LSAT courses options serve candidates who need structured prep before sitting again, especially those whose self-study did not produce target results.
Structured programs add accountability, feedback on weak question types, and exposure to systematic strategies that self-directed study often misses. The right program for your situation depends on how far you are from your target score and how much time you have between administrations.
Plan your retake timing carefully. If you sat the June administration and missed your target, the August or September dates are tight but workable for the upcoming application cycle. If you sat August, the October date is the realistic retake window.
Sitting October and missing means a November retake or waiting for the January or February dates, which lands your application late in the current cycle. Most candidates who improve substantially between administrations do so by analyzing their score report in detail.
LSAC provides section-level performance data that reveals exactly which question types lost you points. Target those question types specifically in your retake preparation rather than redoing general review. A 5-point score lift between sittings is achievable, and a 10-point lift is possible but requires very disciplined targeted work over a longer interval.
Take a diagnostic LSAT practice test to establish baseline. Choose primary study resources (book, online course, or tutor). Begin foundational content review on Logical Reasoning and Reading Comprehension.
Register for your chosen test date as soon as registration opens. If requesting accommodations, submit documentation now. Begin intensive section drilling.
Shift from content learning to timed section practice. Take 1-2 full PrepTests per week under timed conditions. Track score trajectory weekly.
Regular registration deadline closes. Final push: take 2 timed PrepTests per week, focus on weakest question types, refine pacing strategy.
Stop introducing new content. Review existing strengths. Take 1 final timed PrepTest. Confirm photo ID matches LSAC registration. Prepare testing environment if online.
Get full night of sleep. Eat balanced meal. Arrive (or log in) early with all required materials. Trust your preparation. After test, wait 3 weeks for score release.
LSAC administers the LSAT 7 to 8 times per year, typically in January, February, April, June, August, September, October, and November. Specific dates within each month vary by year and are published on LSAC.org once registration opens for each administration, generally 4 to 6 months ahead of the test date.
LSAT test dates for 2026 are spread across January, February, April, June, August, September, October, and November. LSAC publishes the specific dates within each month on LSAC.org. Registration opens for each date approximately 4 to 6 months in advance. Check LSAC.org regularly for confirmation of your target month's specific date.
For fall enrollment the following year, the June, August, or September administrations are strategically strongest. Sit in June or August to receive your score in time for the first wave of applications opening in September. The October and November dates land your application mid-cycle, which still works but produces measurably weaker scholarship outcomes at most schools.
Standard LSAT registration is $238 in 2026. Late registration adds a $50 fee on top of standard. Changing your test date after registration costs an additional $135 fee. LSAC fee waivers are available for candidates demonstrating financial need and cover the registration fee plus CAS subscription costs.
LSAT scores are released approximately 3 weeks after each test date. You receive an email notification with a link to view your score in your LSAC account. The score appears on the 120 to 180 scale along with your percentile ranking. Score release dates for each administration are published on LSAC.org.
Yes, you can withdraw from a registered LSAT test date up until approximately 1 week before the test. Withdrawing before this cutoff entitles you to a partial refund. Withdrawal after the cutoff forfeits the full registration fee. Withdrawal does not count against your retake limits, unlike sitting the test and canceling the resulting score.
LSAC limits you to 5 LSAT administrations within the current reportable 5-year period, 7 administrations across your lifetime, and 3 administrations in a single testing year (June through May). These limits include both completed scores and canceled scores. Withdrawals before the test date do not count.
The regular registration deadline is approximately 5 to 6 weeks before each test date. Late registration extends roughly 1 more week with a $50 late fee. Final registration cutoff is approximately 4 weeks before the test date. Accommodations requests should be submitted 6 to 8 weeks before the test date to allow processing time.
Both delivery modes contain identical content and scoring on the 120 to 180 scale. Choose online if you have a quiet private room with a desk and a computer meeting LSAC technical requirements. Choose in person if your home environment, internet reliability, or focus tendencies make a controlled Prometric testing center a better choice for your performance.
LSAT scores remain valid and reportable to law schools for 5 years from the test date. After 5 years, the score drops off your reportable record automatically. Law schools see all reportable scores when you submit applications through the Credential Assembly Service, although most schools weight the highest score most heavily in admissions decisions.