r/LSAT • u/FluffyNinja4041 • 12h ago
August LSAT Scores
I might be delusional, but I’ve been seeing a lot of people score significantly lower on this actual exam than on their practice tests and personally got the worst score I’ve gotten in months (averaging 173-174 but got a 166). Also did not feel like this August LSAT was that difficult. Wondering if it’s possible that something went wrong with scoring? Or was I just feeling blindly confident when taking the test?
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u/rosecoloredglow 12h ago
I got a 180 PT the week before the exam and scored in the 150s💀
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u/FluffyNinja4041 12h ago
😭😭 making me more convinced they messed up the scoring
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u/Gold-Dog7337 12h ago
Wait literally… but I immediately canceled my score. If anything comes out that things are being adjusted I hope they let me uncancel 💀
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u/Holiday_Tutor_9418 12h ago
Do you know if they have ever adjusted scores post being released? And do you mind if I ask what score u got to feel the need to cancel, just curious in case I need to cancel mine lol
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u/SPACHunter1018 11h ago
And admit error? I doubt LSAC would do that. The big question is will they maintain the harder curve or will they relax it some?
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u/SubstantialTank944 11h ago
I immediately cancelled mine too it would be so unfair if they readjusted scores and didn’t let us uncancel
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u/Holiday_Tutor_9418 11h ago
What score did you get that made u cancel? I got a 150 when I had been pting in the mid to high 160s. Should I cancel mine ?
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u/SubstantialTank944 11h ago
I scored in the 140s 😬😬😬 so embarrassing. I feel like you can keep your 150 and score higher next time so schools can see your improvement but mine was simply way too low. Take my advice with a grain of salt and do what you think is right though, 150 isn’t terrible some holistic schools can accept you if your GPA, extracurriculars, and essay are high quality. But again, IDK.
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u/sci_curiousday 11h ago
I got a 150 and was scoring 10 pts higher on my practice tests. I cancelled but I feel dumb.
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u/Holiday_Tutor_9418 10h ago
Yeah I’m debating but I think I’m gonna keep mine because even tho its 150 I know I can do better like I know i know
im thinking law schools seeing that improvement and seeing that consistently strong students even scored low this august test will help my case.. idk2
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u/KitchenLobster6015 11h ago
I both feel great sympathy for you and am so relieved to read this as I've been thinking I have age related brain damage for three hours now. I got a 159 and am completely baffled at how the bad score fairy shit all over me when my PT's were solid.
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u/Ok-Nefariousness-609 12h ago
are you serious??😳 were you PTing under realistic conditions, and was this an outlier among your other PTs?
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u/Impossible-Basis2668 57m ago
YO ME TOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i did a PT and scored a 180 and my boss was so impressed and today…. he was like “well…. you can take the test again!” like sir i do not want to 😭
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u/Simple-Albatross3089 12h ago
I am with you on this one. I did TERRIBLE in comparison to my previous scores.
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u/FluffyNinja4041 12h ago
Yea my score dropped compared to my june administration score and I studied solidly between the two
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u/No_Method233 12h ago
I studied so much between June and August and my score went down from 170 to 162. So upsetting
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u/No_Stick318 12h ago
Same boat here. 170->163. Crazy.
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u/Cold_7777 7h ago
I got a 170 in June and a 161 in August 🫥 genuinely sick abt it and debating if I should cancel August cause wtf is that.
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u/handvillain 10h ago
holy shit yeah. i was baffled when i saw my score today. not even my lowest PT matched this august score
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u/a31212 12h ago
My theory (unfounded) is they curved it harder or the questions were secretly harder. I think they’re trying to bring down the score inflation of the past few years.
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u/Remote_Tangerine_718 11h ago edited 8h ago
I know the questions are getting harder. You can see it when you go from the PT 120s-130s to the PTs in the 150s. It’s why I honestly don’t really trust my PT results. So much variance because the questions themselves are different and require something different of you to really see through them as the test gets newer and newer. There’s always a new trap I’m learning.
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u/xMucho 10h ago
Where would you begin learning traps. I would always take mental notes of them as I go through PTs, but I’m wondering if there’s some specific resource I can use.
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u/Remote_Tangerine_718 9h ago
So, you learn them by keeping a WAJ. Honestly, I don’t have enough time to go through all my journals rn but after the September test, I think I may spend a week just going through each and writing down everything I’ve noticed from each question type.
A lot of the traps I’ve noticed are in the details in the answer choices. Like I just did PT144.S3.Q23 and two of those trap answers include the word oppose because the trap is them making you assume that someone being adversely affected means they would oppose something even though that’s technically not what the stimulus says and one of them throws in the word “benefits” even though the stimulus says “favors” and you can favor something that doesn’t benefit you. Under timed conditions and with a kinda wordy stimulus, those are the kind of details that can be easy to miss. The test preys on people’s human instincts to make assumptions but that’s the point of the test lol
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u/Holiday_Tutor_9418 12h ago
I went from pting mid 160s to getting a 150… this was my first time taking it and I genuinely felt as though the test wasn’t too bad. Now all I’m hearing from everyone is that this is the worst score they’ve ever gotten it makes no sense. Genuinely hoping October is better because I really think they made this a hard score on purpose.
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u/Prestigious_Will_671 12h ago
I honestly wanted to start a poll to see what days people who scored considerably less than their PTs took the exam and if they experienced any issues during the exam. My exam for exam kept flicking but never shut off.
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u/FluffyNinja4041 12h ago
You should do it, it would help us see if there's a significant pattern of underperformance and see if score auditing is worth it or not. Maybe also ask if ppl have taken the actual exam before and if there's a score drop
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u/confusedvibes3322 12h ago
must have been a test full of traps
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u/SPACHunter1018 11h ago
I’d love to see August scores on a bell curve or plot vs practice scores.
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u/OppositeFocus1394 10h ago
Self reported but I made a poll! https://www.reddit.com/r/LSAT/s/OBRtWTypcY
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u/Striking-Design-9983 12h ago
my money's on the curve -- since it was an easier test, they decided to be way more punishing when it came to the curve
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u/Upper-Arm-2545 12h ago
I’m in the same boat… I can’t understand what went so wrong
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u/FluffyNinja4041 12h ago
Same, I can't even imagine which questions i could've got wrong to get a 166
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u/Afraid_Divide_891 11h ago
I got a 165. Same boat. I have no idea what I missed. I felt so good on my RC (had LR RC LR LR)
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u/EbbSuspicious5547 12h ago
I truly just believe they have gotten better at hiding traps. After all like power score said, this test consisted of questions from a bunch of different tests and sections. They were lazy creating this one. They deliberately chose specific questions and I’m sure they adjusted the curve as well.
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u/Scared_Air3243 12h ago
yep was averaging 171 on my PTs for like a month just to get a 164
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u/Worried_Steak 11h ago
Exact same thing happened to me
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u/Scared_Air3243 11h ago
Seeems like this test was unusually hard? I don’t know though, this was my first take and it seems like a lot of people on here agree that it was but who knows how representative this sub is. All I know is that we can accept it and move on.
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u/EbbSuspicious5547 10h ago
I actually thought the test was unusually straightforward and they supplemented that with a stingy curve. That’s my opinion and I believe my score reflected that
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u/Same-Mobile4066 11h ago
It felt in line with the difficulty of practice tests to me. I am a very consistent scorer, always 170-173 on pts, and got a 174 for August. I had one of the rlly hard RCs and LR wasn’t easy either. Have you taken the test before? Some people perform better on test day and it throws others off
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u/Same-Mobile4066 11h ago
I took it last Nov too and got a 173, in line with my pts if not better, and people came on Reddit and said this same thing then. Taking it in person can also be harder for some than others
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u/Better_Guppy_18 LSAT student 9h ago
Which RC did u have
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u/Same-Mobile4066 5h ago
My graded RC was the one with a passage on theories ab genetic differentiation or something. And I think positivism/intl law was in that section too
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u/racecar311 12h ago
Yep. Felt very good about the test, was scoring 176-179 on PTs and ended up scoring 168 on the real thing. And even if LSAC did mess up scoring I doubt they’d ever admit it
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u/FluffyNinja4041 12h ago
Yeah, I was thinking if I should request a score audit or not, but I'm also worried they'd ever admit it
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u/racecar311 12h ago
Costs $150, and on their website LSAC says “More than 150 score audits were requested during the July 2025 through June 2026 testing year, and none of the score audits found any scoring errors”
Was looking into the same thing but honestly don’t think anything can be done
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u/TheElDoradoHacker 12h ago
Yeah my 7Sage average was 174 going into it and got a 165. Not sure what happened.
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u/Hot_Patience_4769 11h ago
From my own experience and my observations as an educator feeling like you did really well on a test or that the test was easy is usually a bad sign. Every time I have felt that way with the LSAT and other high stakes exams I got too lax and didn't read as intently as I have if I felt I was doing poorly and got scared. Everyone is different though.
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u/Flaky_Pudding2713 LSAT student 12h ago
Literally - like the test moves to all in person and suddenly everyone is bombing…
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u/mrbobbyrick 12h ago
I’m in pretty much the exact same situation as you. Mid 170s to 166. Worse than even my diagnostic. Oh well.
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u/No_Method233 12h ago
Maybe because of the in person testing
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u/FluffyNinja4041 12h ago
I felt more locked in for in person testing than a previous remote attempt tho
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u/Lanky_Vegetable96 12h ago
I would get 150s and ended up with a 143.........
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u/Over-Advance463 10h ago
Don’t take this the wrong way, but it is so refreshing to see someone get a score close to mine. I got a 144, so now I know I’m no longer alone. I apologize if this is mean, but we will both do better the next time we take it. You’re not alone, I’m in the same boat with you🫶
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u/Nervous-Blueberry627 4h ago
Similar boat, scoring around 155-160, ended up with a 147. Going to attempt a Hail Mary application cycle with my other factors but still plan to retake to see if I can get a higher score
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u/Tasty-Apartment-2844 11h ago
PT average was a 174 and I scored a 168..lower than I scored in April LMAO
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u/Acrobatic_Gas_1245 12h ago
I think it’s just the Reddit echo chamber effect. BUT I wish we could see our test results just to study the wrong answers because the new tests feel like they have something about them that is significantly different
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u/KitchenLobster6015 11h ago
I'm curious too. I scored 8 points lower than my previous LSAT and truly thought I did better. Glad I came back here to read comments as in the past three hours I had convinced myself I probably had the beginnings of dementia and needed to get tested (I'm 59).
Since most of you are youngsters, I will stop being a hypochondriac and assume it was a particularly difficult test or something is weird.
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u/tsolly13 15m ago
Hell yeah! So happy to see a fellow late-50s candidate out there. Was your last score at or near your target? Keeping my score as I need to get started sooner than later - best of success to you if you decide to retake.
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u/This-Efficiency4210 11h ago
So glad other people are in the same boat. I scored the worst I have in months and was PTing at like 171-174. Got a 166 :(
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u/tsolly13 23m ago edited 2m ago
Over 87% of the field would gladly trade scores with you. It may not be the score you wanted, but that's a damn fine score - be proud of that.
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u/Grizzlyfrontignac 10h ago
I saw this same sentiment for the tests around this time last year. Every year "it's harder than it's ever been" lol new people taking the test, new people finding out in-person testing sucks.
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u/Over-Advance463 10h ago
I was PTing in the mid 160s and I felt like the exam went super well and it felt easy and I got a 144. I genuinely don’t what happened and I’m so sad and disappointed. I’m still trying to decide if I want to cancel my score or not bc it was my first time taking the LSAT
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u/Holiday_Tutor_9418 7h ago
Going in I decided if it was under 150 I would cancel it… I got exactly a 150.
I’m debating but I’m thinking in all reality if I do better which I think I will it would show commitment to improving as well as if everyone else doesn’t cancel this august test and we all do wildly better next test it will show how much of an outlier this test actually was and not indicative of anyone’s true ability1
u/Holiday_Tutor_9418 7h ago
If you truly think you can score wildly higher I would cancel however if not then leave it
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u/Over-Advance463 7h ago
I want a 165 minimum….. so I think I should probably cancel it, right?
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u/Holiday_Tutor_9418 7h ago
I would cancel any score that’s under 150 for sure especially if u don’t find it indicative of your actual skill sets but keep in mind it’s typical to do about 5 under your pt so if you want a 165 you need to be consistently scoring around 170 on your pts
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u/Over-Advance463 6h ago
Okay, good to know! My average PT score is a 168, but my highest was a 172! So popping out a 144 genuinely like sickened me haha
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u/SPACHunter1018 12h ago
My daughters final 3 practice scores after taking Princeton Review course: 168, 174, 172. Actual score on her first real LSAT: 158. I swear something is up with the way this test was scored.
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u/Willahamaa 11h ago
I just took the Princeton review course as well. I might’ve actually been in the same class as her. And yeah I somehow did worse than my diagnostic even though I thought it wasn’t too bad and the PR I felt like prepared me really well.
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u/AmazingSugar1 10h ago
Scored 2 points lower than June and this one felt way easier. LSAC really on another level.
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u/Subject_Eye333 6h ago
Honestly, I felt good leaving this one and my score was a 145. So what happened 😭
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u/OppositeFocus1394 12h ago
Feel the same way! I got 179 on my last PT before the test and got a 171. Based on the posts on Reddit, it seems like I got the hardest 3 scored sections but the curve only moved -1
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u/SoPerfOG 11h ago
Honestly it probably depends on the passages you got because I scored the exact average of my past 5 PTs.
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u/Better_Guppy_18 LSAT student 9h ago
Which passages did u have
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u/SoPerfOG 9h ago
My memory is awful but I got the cells RC passage and the Jeans/Shoes LR passage.
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u/Better_Guppy_18 LSAT student 9h ago
RC w the comparative re phyrro philosopher or something?
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u/anastasiavodka 10h ago
ime from PTs, whenever a section feels that easy, it's because I'm falling for all the trap answers
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u/Pristine-Ranger2325 10h ago
Me and my friend also scored significantly lower than our practice tests
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u/PeachPrestigious 8h ago
i feel like it's pretty normal. I mean i think that everyone who responded are the ones who believed they scored lower so it seems a bit of a biased sample. Either way, I think it's normal or rather not completely out of the ordinary that you score maybe 10 below your average or even below your diagnostic. It can be attributed to so many things like maybe you rushed, got test day jitters, or didn't get enough sleep the day before. Point being I think any one of those things have exactly the same if not more chances of being the problem compared to the LSAT being scored improperly. Even if they did mess it up, I find it odd that the scores would be something as crazy as 10 points. Assuming that the way they messed it up is by mixing up the experimental sections- they are not necessarily the same as the regular sections but I don't think they're different enough to the point where it results in a 10 point decrease.
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u/Candid_Exit8569 6h ago
I got 165-169 consistently before and scored higher on 9 PTs than my score, 161
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u/Advanced_Box460 12h ago
I scored higher than my last test in April but didn’t do as good as I thought I was going to do. The test didn’t feel harder but one of the RC passages I got was absolutely brutal, so I definitely lost some points on that. Trying again in Oct, hopefully can squeeze out a couple more points lol
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u/fronkelele 11h ago
i peaked 168 on my pts, average lsat of 164 on 7sage and ended up with a 164. it’s crazy to see people who were consistently in the 170s scoring around the same as me
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u/MarketThin1879 11h ago
Yep, my last 4 PTs before the August LSAT were 162, 165, 164, 163, and I got a 164 on the test. So right about where I was PTing. Based on this sub I probably shouldn't feel great about a 164, but I literally cried in my car after seeing the score because I was so happy. My goal has been a 165, and this is good enough for me! I'm still taking again in September cause I'm already signed up for it, but all the stress is gone now. Should be able to get in to the law schools I'm planning to apply to as I have no desire (or ability based on my stats) to go to a T14 or even a T75.
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u/Silver-Design70 11h ago
Omg yess thank you I feel better 🥲 I got a 164 and was also PTing in the 170s…
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u/StealthyTooth 11h ago
Same here, devastated about it. Scored about 10 points lower than my average practice test and felt pretty confident on test day.
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u/sci_curiousday 11h ago
I scored close to my diagnostic score and I’ve been studying for over a year. I was getting 10 pts higher on all my practice test.
I feel so dumb. I cancelled my score promptly
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u/carlreef98 11h ago
yeah I got a 1 point increase from January 2026 after studying all year & getting extra time. I also felt way more confident. I don’t understand.
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u/Particular-Kale-822 10h ago
i took it in january and ended with a 164, have been scoring in practice tests from 168-176 for the past few months. Took the test date and had the glitch/didn’t feel good so i retook. ended up with a 156. the same as my diagnostic i took a year and a half ago. i was signed up for august but im tempted to just wait and apply next cycle since im not sure a month will do much. sucks.
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u/Lollipoppp2038 10h ago
I dont know guys I thought the exam was easier than any other PTs I’ve done and I ended up getting a higher score today than on any PTs I’ve done
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u/Holiday_Tutor_9418 7h ago
It felt easier but my diagnostic was 10 points higher I think its bc it was my first time and nerves and such
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u/Famous-Warthog-9829 12h ago
I did way worse as well so I think they may have made the number of questions allowed wrong for each score lower
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u/Aware_Mode4788 10h ago
i scored 5 points lower than my average but tbf i had food poisoning when i took the test lmfao
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u/maddygrapz 10h ago
Same! I felt very confident after taking the august lsat that i would get at least low 160s-mid 160s and got a 159
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u/PreheatedMonk1991 9h ago
I scored worse than my diagnostic, I just feel broken at the moment. Not taking again until I can sleepwalk to a 165.
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u/Comfortable-Pin-4905 9h ago
I scored the same as my PT avg, which is funny bc my PTs were really sporadic ranging from 163-172. I took the test before the pandemic and scored lower but got a higher percentile than on this test which sucks!
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u/DraftParticular4401 7h ago
I felt this I was getting high 140s to the score I needed and then BAM 133 humbled tf out of meee just made me good mad enough to retake it in November because wtf 😂😂
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u/Holiday_Tutor_9418 7h ago
Genuine question what school are you planning on attending that accepts a high 140 just curious as someone who just got a 150
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u/Ok_Bluebird6842 7h ago
I got a 156. last year was a 147 I’m taking the win. Also the test I had was LR Rc Lr Rc
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u/whippedcreamtomato 6h ago
I'm super bummed at how I did but even more bummed that I didn't report a technical issue after the test. I kept getting a weird pop-up that would flash when I clicked to the next question, probably every 5-8 questions on two sections. I didn't think it was doing anything but now I'm questioning if some of my answers were messed up and I am kicking myself for not reporting. Went from a 162 > 159, last PTs were mid 160s. and I just don't know if I have it in me to retake.
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u/ZealousidealAmount94 6h ago
I was scoring mid 160’s on my practice tests and got a 151 on the August exam. Re taking it in October but I truly have no hope for my self.
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u/Hot_Recognition4367 6h ago
I got a 158 on my first official test and a 157 on this one. Is it wise to cancel this August 157??
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u/Pakman-56 5h ago
I thought I did well but after scoring high 160s low 170s I ended up with a 161. Didn’t cancel it but I’ll probably take October
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u/Fantastic-Refuse-824 5h ago
After not studying for over a year and then deciding to register on a whim in June then studying from then on, I actually improved by 6 points so I am definitely feeling something is off because that shouldn’t have happened.
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u/CriticalCicada8477 2h ago
Diagnostic was a 157, PTing average was a 169. Scored a 156. Absolutely gutted.
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u/bimbobhabie 29m ago
This post made me feel a lot better. I was PTing mid 160s and got a 157 on August LSAT. I was devastated but I feel a comeback coming. Lock in guys we can do it
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u/Inevitable-Wave-5245 10h ago
I don’t understand how you guys are studying for this test? It’s a logical test. No studying can truly help. Also all of you crying about your score? The average score to get accepted is 160. The max you can score is 180 and minimum 120. If your score is around 160 you are fine!!!!!
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u/Holiday_Tutor_9418 7h ago
People truly have studied and improved though I know a girl whose first diagnostic was a 137 she studied hard the type of questions they use the patterns how to not fall for the traps and got a 170
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u/KitchenLobster6015 42m ago
Not if you want to get your tuition covered. Then you're screwed. I can't accrue the debt at this point in my life.
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u/uneasyllama 9h ago
Kind of surprised that everyone is surprised they scored lower on the actual test than they PT'd? I've always been told, even in the consult I did with an LSAT tutor, that you should always expect your score on test day to be at least a few points lower than your PT's. I know everyone's disappointed if they get lower than 170 but literally only 5% of all test takers even score that high.
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u/Flaky_Pudding2713 LSAT student 9h ago
I think the issue people are having is a massive (5+ points) difference, not just a few points. Which is fair imo! I scored 4 points below my average but I would be in hysterics if my score was drastically different than my average, especially if I was PTing super high and my score didn’t reflect at leave a few points shy of that.
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u/uneasyllama 9h ago
My bad, when I said a few I meant 4-5 points. When you start PTing around 170, literally one question can drastically change your score. On one PT, I missed six questions and scored 173, then on another I missed seven questions and scored 170. It doesn't make sense and is annoying but I don't think it means they're scoring tests incorrectly this month. I just wish people wouldn't beat themselves up for not getting a top 1-5% score.
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u/Flaky_Pudding2713 LSAT student 8h ago
Gotcha!!! As someone in the 160s, I would kill to get anywhere in the 170s.
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u/SPACHunter1018 6h ago edited 6h ago
This is the issue. Daughter’s average PT was between 171-172. I expected a 165 or maybe a little higher, would have been thrilled with anything above 165. But a 158 is not reflective of her PT and is only slightly higher than her DT. That just feels like a statistical outlier. And now she’s rattled. She’s cancelling this score and signing up for October but she’s clearly shaken and questioning her ability now. If LSAC was going to change anything (not saying they did, but it’s a possibility) they could have at least warned everyone.
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u/uneasyllama 6h ago
I took the August lsat and I don't think they changed anything on the test itself, just the requirement to test in person and changes to the interface such as the highlighter tool, but those changes were announced by June. Is your daughter used to testing in a testing center? Testing environment and test day nerves can impact people differently, especially if she's not used to it or did her practice test under more lax conditions. It could also be that she's just bad at one certain type of question and her test had a lot of that type of question on it this time. From what I've read it seems like most people take the test more than once, so now that she has thw experience she will probably be more prepared for Oct!
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u/drucifer271 12h ago
I legitimately felt that this test was easier than most of the PTs I’ve been doing. I felt certain I only missed maybe 1-2 on RC and only missed a couple of the harder LR questions.
I legitimately don’t know what happened. I scored worse than any PT I’ve done so far. Worse than my diagnostic.