At Blueprint, we’re confident that the LSAT is like nothing you’ve seen before (unless you’ve seen an LSAT before). Its scoring system is no exception. Until now you’ve been judged on an A-F scale or with gold stars and smiley faces. With this test, though, you’re looking at a range of scores from 120 to 180. At Blueprint, our job is to help you get your LSAT score closer to that higher number. But what do LSAT scores really mean? Blueprint has the answer.

At Blueprint, the first thing we teach is that the LSAT is a multiple-choice test with roughly 100 scored questions. Every question has five answer choices, and your score is based on how many of these you get right. But the LSAT isn’t just scored 0-100. It’s curved. You’re graded on how well you do in comparison to everyone else taking the same LSAT (literally tens of thousands of people). You score in the 120-180 range, numbers that equate to percentiles. For example, if you get a 163 you’re roughly in the 90th percentile. This means that you did better than 90% of people, but you did worse than 10%. And your parents are proud.

On many tests, you can miss around 20 questions to get a 163. But not always. If your LSAT is particularly difficult, you’ll get fewer questions right. Sad. Blueprint feels your pain. But this LSAT would be difficult for everyone, and so everyone would get fewer questions right. In such a situation, you might be able to miss 23 and still be doing better than 90% of test-takers, thus earning a 163. Conversely, if an LSAT is particularly easy, you might get more right, but it will be easier for everyone. In such a situation, you might have to miss 17 to be getting a 163. Due to the curved nature of the test, there is no reason to hope for a “hard” or “easy” test.

Your score is very important when it comes to applying to law schools. This is the reason why LSAT prep companies such as Blueprint exist. In fact, your score is the single most important factor in your law school application. For this reason, we at Blueprint think you should study for the LSAT as much as possible. A high score can make you very competitive, leading to lucrative financial aid offers, while a low score can immensely weaken your chances of admission into law schools.

We at Blueprint also believe that your LSAT score reveals your reading comprehension and logical and analytical reasoning skills. These are skills that will be tested in law school time and again. So we at Blueprint would like to remind you that by studying for the LSAT you are preparing yourself to be a law student, as well.