LSAT Test Dates 2026-2027: The Last Date That Works

The earliest LSAT you can still register for is the November 2026 administration, and the deadline to register is October 1, 2026. Registration for the October sitting closed on August 27, so November 11 to 14 is now the first available test window in the United States and Canada, and its scores arrive on December 2.

That December 2 date is the one that decides things. It is one day too late for a December 1 application deadline, and it is the last score release that clears a February 1 deadline, because the January 2027 administration does not report until February 3. Every date below comes from LSAC's Upcoming LSAT Dates page, read on September 27, 2026.

Key takeaways

• 8 administrations run in the 2026-2027 testing year, across 28 test days. There is no LSAT in December, March, May, July or August.
• Score release falls exactly 18 days after the last test day of every administration in the cycle.
• Registration closes 41 to 45 days before the test window opens, and scheduling opens about two weeks before it.
• For five of the six consecutive pairs, the next test's registration deadline passes before your last score is released. A retake has to be booked blind.
• LSAC has not published 2027-2028 dates. Registration currently runs through June 2027 only.

Every 2026-2027 LSAT test date, deadline and score release

These are the administrations for the United States, including Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, and for Canada. All times are Eastern, and every receipt deadline is 11:59 p.m. ET.

Two patterns hold across every row, and neither is stated anywhere on the page they come from. Scores are released 18 days after the final test day of the administration, without exception. And LSAT Argumentative Writing opens exactly 8 days before the first test day, so the writing section is available to you before you sit the multiple-choice test, not after.

International administrations run on a shorter list: October 2026 (October 9 to 10), January 2027 (January 15 to 16), April 2027 (April 9 to 10) and June 2027 (June 11 to 12). Each one shares its registration deadline and its score release date with the US administration of the same month. One regional exception is worth knowing if you are in Canada: because of Bill 96, LSAC is not offering in-person LSAT administration in Quebec.

The last LSAT date that still clears your application deadline

Your score is usable on the day LSAC releases it, not on the day you test. So the only question that matters when you pick a date is whether that release date lands on or before your earliest application deadline.

Work it the other way and the calendar gets short fast.

The last administration whose score is released on or before each deadline. Source: LSAC Upcoming LSAT Dates, read September 2026.

Three of those rows turn on a margin of one or two days:

• A December 1, 2026 deadline cannot use the November 2026 LSAT. That score lands December 2, one day late. The last administration that works is October 2026, which closed for registration on August 27.
• A February 1, 2027 deadline cannot use the January 2027 LSAT. That score lands February 3, two days late. The last one that works is November 2026, registration closing October 1, 2026.
• A March 1, 2027 deadline cannot use the February 2027 LSAT. That score lands March 3, two days late. The last one that works is January 2027.

LSAC's own guidance is looser than that. Its steps to apply page says many law schools will require the test by November or December for admission the following fall, and that testing earlier, in June or September and October, is advisable. The arithmetic above is why "advisable" is doing so much work in that sentence. Check your own schools' dates rather than the round numbers, because law school deadlines are set school by school, and admissions at most schools are rolling, so a score that arrives the week of the deadline competes for whatever is left.

If you are still deciding whether your current practice scores justify waiting for a later date, what counts as a good LSAT score sets the benchmark, and the LSAT score converter turns a raw practice-test count into the 120 to 180 scale so you are comparing like with like.

Registration for your retake closes before your score arrives

This is the part no calendar page shows, and it changes how you should register.

Line up each score release against the registration deadline for the next administration. In five of the six consecutive pairs in this cycle, the next test closes for registration before you find out how the last one went.

April 2027 into June 2027 is the only pair whose registration deadline falls after the previous score release. Source: LSAC Upcoming LSAT Dates, read September 2026.

The November into January pair is the tightest and the most common. Your November score is released December 2. Registration for the January 2027 LSAT closed December 1. You have to decide on a retake the day before you learn whether you need one.

The money follows the same clock. LSAC notes that for most administrations the registration deadline is also the last day to request a free test date change, disability-related testing accommodations, or a full refund, and that fees apply to changes requested after it. Those deadlines vary by administration, so check the individual administration page before you count on one. In practice it means that registering for a backup date is a real purchase rather than a reservation you can undo: LSAT registration is $253 as of September 2026, and the full cost of the LSAT climbs quickly once CAS reports are added.

There is one exception, and it is exactly one day wide. The June 2027 registration deadline is April 29, 2027, and the April 2027 score is released April 28. April testers get a single day to decide about June with their score in hand.

Scheduling is now a queue, and it opens about two weeks before the test

Registering and scheduling are two different steps in 2026-2027, and the second one is new. LSAC has moved scheduling to the Prometric ProScheduler tool, and scheduling windows are assigned on a first register, first in line basis for each administration. Register early in the window and you get an earlier scheduling slot, which is how you get the day, time and center you want.

The lead times are consistent. Registration closes 41 to 45 days before the test window opens, about six weeks. Scheduling then opens roughly two to three weeks before the first test day, and stays open until about one week before the administration starts. You can change an appointment from 11 a.m. ET the day after your scheduling window opens.

Two rules cover remote testing. If you have an approved accommodation or distance exception that allows remote testing, you can only schedule on the Friday test day of the administration, and remote scheduling closes three days before the administration begins. That narrows a four-day window to one day, so it is worth knowing before you plan around a weekend.

Work backwards from CAS, not from the test date

A score in your file does nothing on its own. Law schools see it through a CAS Law School Report, and that report will not go out until your file is complete.

The Credential Assembly Service costs $219 for a five-year subscription, plus $45 for each school's report. Transcripts take about two weeks to process once LSAC receives them, and a paper letter of recommendation takes up to five business days. Those are LSAC's numbers as of September 2026.

LSAC's two pages disagree on how early to start. The CAS page says sign up at least four to six weeks before your first application deadline; the steps to apply page says approximately six to eight weeks. Plan on eight and both are satisfied. Against a February 1, 2027 deadline that puts your CAS setup in the first half of December 2026, which is the same fortnight in which you have to decide about a January retake.

Backing that into a study schedule is the useful move, and the LSAT study plan generator builds one from a target date rather than from a vague number of months. If cost is the constraint, work through the free LSAT resources and LSAC's own official prep before committing to a paid course.

Has LSAC posted 2027-2028 LSAT dates?

No. As of September 27, 2026, LSAC's dates page lists the 2026-2027 testing year only, and its registration page confirms that you can register and plan scheduling through the June 2027 administration and no further.

If you are planning past June 2027, use this year's shape rather than guessing at dates. The cycle ran September through June with no test in December, March, May, July or August, and gaps between administrations of 4 to 9 weeks. LSAC also notes that its published dates are subject to change, so a date you are counting on is worth re-checking before you build a schedule around it. The broader LSAT hub tracks format, scoring and prep for whichever year you end up testing in.

LSAT test date FAQs

How often is the LSAT offered?

Eight times in the 2026-2027 testing year, spread over seven months and 28 individual test days. The gaps between administrations run from 4 weeks (September into October) to 9 weeks (November into January). There is no administration in December, March, May, July or August this cycle, so "roughly every two months" is a better mental model than "monthly".

What is the best month to take the LSAT?

LSAC advises June or September and October, and says many schools will require the test by November or December for the following fall. The calendar backs that up: September and October are the only administrations whose scores clear a November 1 or December 1 deadline, and November 2026 is the last one that clears February 1, 2027. Later dates are not wasted, but they narrow which schools can still act on your file.

Is three months enough time to prepare for the LSAT?

It can be, and the calendar is the harder constraint. Three months of study starting today ends in late December 2026, which points at the January 2027 administration. Registration for that test closes December 1, 2026, four weeks before your study period ends, so you have to commit before you know where you land. Our guide to how long to study for the LSAT covers the hours side of that question.

Can I register for two LSAT dates at the same time?

You can, and the deadlines above are the reason many applicants do. Because the next administration's registration usually closes before the previous score is released, booking a backup date is the only way to keep a retake open without waiting a full cycle. The cost is that the refund window for most administrations closes on the registration deadline, so treat the second registration as money spent rather than money held.

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