How long to study for the LSAT to get a 170

For general LSAT timelines, see how long to study for the LSAT. This page is about what changes when 170 is the target: how much room for error that leaves, how long the gap from your diagnostic takes to close, and where the last points come from.

What a 170 takes

Since August 2024 the LSAT has two scored Logical Reasoning sections, one scored Reading Comprehension section, and one unscored section that you cannot identify (LSAC). That makes about 75 to 78 scored questions. Magoosh estimates a 170 at about 8 to 11 misses. Each test is scaled separately, so the exact cut moves by a question or two.

The table shows why the jump is hard. Going from 160 to 170 means cutting your misses roughly in half, and the questions you still miss at 165 are the hardest ones on the test.

How long it takes from your diagnostic

Blueprint says successful students study 200 to 300 hours over three to six months. That is for the LSAT in general. For a 170 target, use your cold diagnostic to place yourself:

• With a diagnostic in the high 150s or above, about 250 hours over 3 to 4 months is a realistic plan.
• With a diagnostic in the low 150s, plan on 350 to 400 hours over 5 to 6 months. The early months go on learning the question types properly.
• Below 150, plan for six months or more, and judge your progress at the halfway point before booking a date.

These are planning ranges, not guarantees. Progress is rarely smooth: most students plateau in the mid 160s for a few weeks before the next jump.

Where the last 10 points come from

Logical Reasoning accuracy

With two scored LR sections, LR is roughly two thirds of your score. Students in the low 160s usually lose points on the same few question types: flaw, necessary and sufficient assumption, and strengthen or weaken. For each, learn what the correct answer must do, then drill that type untimed until your accuracy is above 90%. Only then add the clock.

Blind Review

After each timed section, redo every question you were unsure about without the clock, before checking answers. Your Blind Review score shows what you know; the gap to your timed score shows what time pressure costs you. If your Blind Review score is below 170, you need more understanding, not more speed. The Blind Review method in the main LSAT guide covers the steps.

Reading Comprehension timing

RC is one scored section, but a bad passage can cost four or five questions at once. Practise reading for structure: the main point, the author's view and what each paragraph does. Do not try to memorise details, which you can look up when a question asks.

A plan for a 170

1. In month one, take a cold diagnostic, then learn every LR question type untimed. Keep a log of every miss with the reason you missed it.
2. In month two, add RC practice and start timed LR sections. Blind Review every section.
3. In month three, take one full timed practice test a week, with a full day of review afterwards.
4. In the final month, take two practice tests a week and drill only the question types in your miss log.

Official practice tests are on LSAC's LawHub. Save the most recent ones for the last month, because they are closest to the current test. For choosing materials, see the best way to prep for the LSAT.

Aiming higher?

Above 170 the room for error shrinks fast. See how long to study for a 175 and what a 180 takes.

How StudyCards AI fits in

Your miss log is the most useful study material you have. Turn each miss into a flashcard that asks for the reasoning ("What must the correct answer do on a necessary assumption question?"), and review on a spaced schedule so the same mistake does not come back. Upload your notes or log to StudyCards AI to make the cards, and export them to Anki.

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