Registration for the LSAT

LSAT Test Dates and Testing Centers

In the United States, Canada, and the Caribbean, official LSAT test dates are held nine times per testing year, once each in June, July, September, October, November, January, February, March, and April. This does not necessarily mean that all dates are available at every test center; most locations only offer some of these dates. Internationally, the LSAT is administered twice per year in most countries. A full list of test centers and test dates can be found on the LSAC website.

Online Registration for the LSAT

To register for the LSAT online, test-takers must establish an account on the LSAC.org website. Required information includes the test-taker's name, address, email address, date of birth, gender, and ethnicity (account holders may request that their ethnicity not be reported to law schools). Once the LSAC.org account has been created, the student will be able to register for specific test administration(s). Online registration may be completed 24 hours per day, seven days per week.

Phone Registration for the LSAT

Students may also register for the LSAT by phone, although this option is only available on weekdays and within certain hours. Registration begins at 8:30 am EST and ends either at 4:45 pm (March through August) or 6:00 pm (September through the following February). LSAC advises students not to phone in their registration on Mondays if at all possible, because this is their busiest day of the week.

Registration Deadlines

The registration deadline for LSAT administrations is approximately 40 days before the official test date. LSAC no longer offers a late registration period. Registered students who would like to change their test date or location may do so until a later deadline, typically about two weeks prior to the test. The deadline for cancellation of LSAT registration is the day before the test.

LSAT Fees and Services

The current base fee for the LSAT is $190. Additional fees apply if the student wishes to change his or her test center or test date after registration ($125 each), and both are subject to the assigned deadlines given for a specific test date. Test-takers who reside more than 100 miles from an official test center and/or have legitimate difficulties with travel may ask LSAT to set up a "nonpublished" test center on their behalf. If approved, the fee for this service is $295 (domestic) or $390 (international). LSAT multiple-choice sections are scored electronically, but test-takers may have their scores verified by hand for a fee of $100.

Credential Assembly Service (CAS)

Most American Bar Association-accredited law schools require their applicants to submit admission requirements in a standardized format known as the Credential Assembly Service (CAS). The CAS creates a single law school application that can be sent to multiple institutions, and it includes an undergraduate transcript summary, a law school report, processing for letters of recommendation, and electronic application processing. LSAC charges a fee of $195 for the establishment and maintenance of a CAS account, which is valid for a period of five years.

Fee Waivers for the LSAT and CAS

For cases of "extreme need," LSAC will waive the fees associated with LSAT testing and the CAS. Fee waivers are usually granted only to prospective law students with very low income, as verified by tax returns and/or other documentation. If approved, fee waivers apply to no more than two LSAT administrations and one CAS. Waivers cannot be used to defray the cost of additional registration services, such as test date change or hand scoring.

The LSAT and Law School Application Deadlines

Deadlines for law school applications are typically between February and April for students wishing to begin study at the beginning of the following fall semester. Harvard Law School's deadline, for example, is February 1st, while Gonzaga Law School's is April 15th. Many institutions require their applicants take the LSAT no later than the November administration preceding the fall semester for which admission is sought (for example, these candidates should sit for the LSAT in or before November 2018 if they intend to begin a program in the fall of 2019). In order to avoid problems in the application process, students applying to law school are strongly advised to prepare for and take the LSAT with full awareness of all relevant institutional deadlines.