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Hi all,

I've recieved some conflicting information regarding the LSAT and how long it lasts. Does the five year period begin five years after the date of the test in question or five years after the end of that calendar year? I scored a 163 in February 2016 and a 172 in September 2017 but am in the military through 2022 at the earliest so I am trying to understand how my scores will play out in the 21-22 admissions cycle.

Thank you!

It will last 5 years so will still be good for applying for the 21-22 cycle. Unless they changed the policy the score will expire the June* after 5 years (so at the start of the 6th cycle after you took it). That would mean your score will expire July 2023.
In a few years it's worth double checking with LSAC though.


*July, once the new 5 administrations a cycle schedule starts.

Awesome, thank you @Rigo! That's what I was wondering. I realize that I wasn't clear in my question; I meant to ask whether the Feb 2016 one will still be good in late '21/early '22 but it sounds like a no.

7Steps wrote:Awesome, thank you @Rigo! That's what I was wondering. I realize that I wasn't clear in my question; I meant to ask whether the Feb 2016 one will still be good in late '21/early '22 but it sounds like a no.

Nah 163 will be history, but nobody cares about that one anyway.

Wtf? Why would the 2016 be "history" in 21-22 if a Feb 2017 is still valid until July 2023?

jgloster wrote:Wtf? Why would the 2016 be "history" in 21-22 if a Feb 2017 is still valid until July 2023?

Because a February 2016 will expire after the fifth cycle it was taken so the summer of 2021, which is the summer before the 2021-2022 cycle. That test was taken during the 2015-2016 cycle.

The September 2017 was taken during the 2017-2018 cycle (the current cycle). So take summer 2018 + five years and it will expire in the summer or 2023 (after the 2022-2023 cycle).
I am very confident it will be good for the 2021-2022 cycle. The following cycle it's in a gray area because 5 years after Sept 2017 is Sept 2022 which would make it seem like your score will expire too early in the cycle to be fully used, but I was told when I inquired about that awhile ago that it will last for that entire cycle 5 years after falls in.

So though his two scores are only one calendar year removed from each other, they're actually two admissions cycles (not one) apart.

Sorry if I'm not explaining this well.

Oh, duh. Makes sense. Thanks.