How many times can you take the LSAT?
LSAC lets you take the LSAT 5 times within the current reportable score period and 7 times in your lifetime. Canceled scores count toward both limits, while absences and withdrawals do not. You also cannot retake the test once you have scored a 180. If you hit a limit, you can appeal to LSAC by email.
In more detail
The limit of 5 applies to the current reportable score period, which LSAC's page dates from July 2021 as of October 2026. The limit of 7 covers your whole lifetime, counted from tests taken in September 2019 or later. A score you cancel, even through Score Preview, still counts as an attempt.
To appeal, email [email protected] with your name, LSAC account number, the test date you want and any documents that support your case. The deadline is 5 business days before the registration deadline for that test, and LSAC answers within 5 business days. The decision is final. An exemption covers one limit only, so a sixth attempt in the period still leaves the lifetime cap of 7.
The limits rarely decide anything in practice. What a retake costs is time, a fee and another score on your record. Before you book one, check how the law schools on your list treat multiple scores, and retake only when your timed practice tests show room to gain points.
LSAT attempt limits (LSAC, as of October 2026)
| Limit | Number | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Current reportable score period | 5 | Canceled scores count, absences and withdrawals do not |
| Lifetime | 7 | Counted from tests taken in September 2019 or later |
| After a 180 | No retake | Applies within the current reportable score period |
| Appeal | Email [email protected] | Deadline is 5 business days before registration closes |
Step by step
- 1
Count your past attempts, canceled ones included, before you register for a retake.
- 2
Compare your latest timed practice tests with your target score, and retake only if there is room to gain points.
- 3
Read your score report and your missed questions to see which question types cost you the most.
- 4
Spend the weeks before the retake on those types with timed sections, not only full tests.
- 5
Take one full timed practice test about a week before the date.
- 6
If you need an attempt beyond a limit, email [email protected] with your documents before the appeal deadline.
How StudyPDF helps
Between attempts the work sits in a few question types. Upload your LSAT prep book chapters, your notes on argument types and reading passages and your missed-question reviews to StudyPDF, and it builds flashcards, quizzes and timed practice exams from them. It tracks per concept what you still miss, so the next set goes after it. Set your test date in the Plan tab to get dated sessions up to it. The free plan covers about 4 materials a week, no card needed.
See also
- AnswerHow hard is the LSAT?
- AnswerLSAT study schedule: how many weeks do you need?
- AnswerHow do you study for the LSAT?
- AnswerHow do you study for an exam?
- AnswerHow long is the LSAT?
- AnswerHow long should you study for the LSAT?
- Practice testLSAT Practice Test
- AnswerHow many times can you take the MCAT?
- AnswerWhat is a good LSAT score?
- StudyPDFAI Exam Generator
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More questions
How many times can you take the LSAT in one year?
LSAC's limits page lists no separate yearly cap, only 5 attempts in the current reportable score period and 7 in your lifetime. Older articles mention 3 per testing cycle, but that is not on LSAC's current page.
Does a canceled LSAT count as an attempt?
Yes. Canceled scores, including those canceled with Score Preview, count toward the limits. Absences and withdrawals do not.