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Reviewed by:
Former Head of Pre-Law Office, Northeastern University, & Admissions Officer, Brown University
Reviewed: 11/30/23
If you’re interested in knowing how much writing the LSAT costs, read on to learn more!
While preparing for the LSAT, we’re sure you’ve asked questions like, “how do I get to my target score?”, “how do I study for the exam?”, “how do I pick my perfect date and register?” Another overlooked yet important question to ask is, “how much is the LSAT?”
Part of preparing for the LSAT is knowing exactly how much it’ll cost! It’s important to know these costs to make your LSAT budget. While you might think your LSAT budget should just include the costs of any prep materials, the actual LSAT itself can be quite expensive, so you should definitely factor it in!
This guide will cover all of the basic and additional fees you can expect to pay for your LSAT!
So, how much does it cost to take the LSAT? The basic cost to write the LSAT is $222. However, there are other fees you must pay in order to have your score reported and visible to the law schools you apply to.
The CAS fee is a subscription to a service that is valid for five years. Every ABA-accredited law school will require this subscription.
CAS makes the admissions process much easier for law schools as you will submit your transcripts from your undergraduate college, your letters of recommendation, and other relevant information through this service.
This subscription will cost $200.
You’ll also have to purchase a CAS report for each law school you wish to apply to. CAS reports include all of your LSAT scores for admissions committees to review.
Each CAS report will cost you $45. Even if you reapply to the same law school(s) in another application cycle, it will still cost you $45 per law school.
These reports add up if you apply to several law schools! Accordingly, it’s essential you create a realistic list of top law school choices to ensure admission to at least one!
The sweet spot tends to be around 10-12 law schools, meaning you’ll be spending $450 to $540 on your CAS reports alone!
The above LSAT fees are considered basic fees that every student pays. The following fees are optional add-ons you can purchase:
Students who want the option of canceling their score so law schools can’t see it can purchase this add-on. Students will receive their score at the same time as everyone else but will have six days to decide whether they want to keep or cancel it.
The LSAT score preview will cost $45 or $75, depending on when you sign up to preview your score. It will cost $45 if you sign up prior to the testing days and $75 if you sign up during a specific period after the testing days.
These official score reports detail all of your LSAT scores, including non reportable ones, those older than five years. These are not required to apply to law schools, but students wishing to see nonreportable scores or applying to intellectual organizations often purchase these.
Official LSAT score reports cost $50.
After receiving your score, you may be concerned that it was marked incorrectly or errors were made on LSAC’s part. If this is the case, you can request your score to be audited. The LSAT Score Audit costs $150.
However, it’s important to note that audits very rarely result in score changes.
The most common auxiliary fee applicants purchase is test date changes. If you chose an LSAT test date and realized you need to change it, you’ll have to pay a fee depending on how long you wait to request a change:
Circumstances change and life gets in the way of plans! Keep these dates in mind to ensure you’re prepared for the fees associated with these changes.
If you’re a financially under-resourced test taker, you can apply for a fee waiver and be granted one of the two-tiered packages that are part of the LSAC Fee Waiver Program.
The following test takers are eligible for the Tier One Package:
The Tier One Package includes the following fee waivers:
Eligible Tier Two Package candidates include:
This package includes the following fee waivers:
Law school will already be extremely expensive. If you’re eligible for either of these packages, ensure you apply for them to save where you can!
We’ve answered the main question, “how much is the LSAT?” But, for any remaining doubts or concerns, read on to find your answers.
Yes, you may be eligible for a LSAT fee waiver if you meet the income requirements.
The basic cost for writing the LSAT and giving your desired law schools access to your LSAT score(s) is $422 at minimum if you only apply to one law school. If you intend to apply to more than one, you’ll have to pay an additional $45 per school.
The amount you spend depends on the LSAT prep materials you choose to use. Students who rely on used and free materials may spend a few hundred dollars or less, and those who buy new materials and rely on courses, tutors, and more may spend a couple thousand!
It will cost you $222 each time you write the LSAT.
Yes, you can purchase a score preview that allows you to cancel your LSAT score.
It will only cost money to change your LSAT test date if you do so after your registration deadline.
Knowing exactly how much you can expect to pay for the LSAT can help you feel more prepared for and in control of the most daunting part of your law school application!
Good luck!
