GRE vs LSAT: which test for law school?
Both can open the door to law school, but they are built differently. The LSAT is the dominant, safest law-school test, accepted everywhere. The GRE is now accepted by more than 130 ABA-approved law schools, per ETS, and also works for most graduate programs. Here is how they compare, and how to pick.
Set on law school, or math-averse? Take the LSAT: every ABA-approved school accepts it, and it has no math. Want one score that also keeps graduate options open, or strong at vocabulary and quant? If your target schools accept it, the GRE can work. Either way, confirm that each law school accepts the GRE before you decide.
GRE vs LSAT, at a glance.
| Feature | GRE General Test | LSAT |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Most graduate programs (MS, PhD) and law schools that accept it | Law school (JD), where it is the dominant test |
| Sections | Analytical Writing, Verbal, Quant | Logical Reasoning and Reading Comprehension |
| Total time | About 1 hour 58 minutes | Four 35-minute sections (three scored, one unscored) plus a 10-minute break, about 3 hours; a 50-minute writing task is taken separately |
| Math | Yes, two Quant sections | None |
| Vocabulary in context | Heavy (text completion, sentence equivalence) | Not tested |
| Scoring | Verbal 130 to 170, Quant 130 to 170, Writing 0 to 6 | 120 to 180 |
| Logic games | Not on the GRE | Removed in August 2024; replaced by extra Logical Reasoning |
| Calculator | On-screen calculator in Quant | No math, so no calculator |
| Accepted by law schools | More than 130 ABA-approved schools, including every T14 school (per ETS) | Accepted everywhere; the standard law-school test |
| Score validity | 5 years | 5 years |
| Typical fee | US$249 in most countries (ETS, from 1 August 2026) | US$253 for 2026-27, writing task included (LSAC) |
Structure and scoring from the official ETS and LSAC test pages. Law schools set their own test policies, so confirm that each school accepts the GRE. Fees vary by country and delivery and change between cycles, so confirm the current figure before you register. Last checked October 2026.
Four differences that decide the choice.
Math vs no math
The GRE has two Quant sections and gives you an on-screen calculator. The LSAT has no math at all, and therefore no calculator. If numbers are a weak spot, the LSAT removes that pressure entirely; if quant is a strength, the GRE lets it count.
Vocabulary vs pure reasoning
GRE Verbal leans on vocabulary in context through text completion and sentence equivalence. The LSAT drops vocabulary entirely and tests Logical Reasoning and Reading Comprehension, the close reading and argument analysis that law school rewards.
Logical Reasoning is the LSAT core
Since the logic games section was removed in August 2024, the LSAT is built almost entirely around Logical Reasoning, with Reading Comprehension alongside it. The GRE has no direct equivalent to this dense, argument-by-argument format.
Acceptance and flexibility
The LSAT is accepted at every ABA-approved law school and is the safest choice. The GRE is accepted by more than 130 of them, according to ETS, and it also works for most graduate programs, so it keeps non-law options open. Always confirm a school accepts the GRE first.
How the GRE score converts to the LSAT.
ETS publishes a GRE Comparison Tool for Law Schools that predicts an LSAT score from your GRE Verbal and Quant scores, built from 1,587 admitted students at 21 law schools who took both tests. It is not a one-to-one equation because the two tests measure different things, but admissions offices treat it as a working guide. The table shows ETS's prediction for an even Verbal and Quant split, with LSAC's percentile for that LSAT score (2023 to 2026 testing years).
| GRE Verbal + Quant (combined) | Approximate LSAT | LSAT percentile band |
|---|---|---|
| 338 to 340 | 176 to 180 | 99th |
| 333 to 337 | 173 to 176 | 98th to 99th |
| 328 to 332 | 169 to 172 | 93rd to 97th |
| 322 to 327 | 166 to 169 | 87th to 93rd |
| 316 to 321 | 162 to 166 | 77th to 87th |
| 310 to 315 | 159 to 162 | 68th to 77th |
| 304 to 309 | 155 to 159 | 54th to 68th |
| 298 to 303 | 152 to 155 | 43rd to 54th |
Two caveats. GRE Analytical Writing is not part of the conversion; law-school committees read the AWA score separately as a writing sample. And the split matters: ETS's tool weights Verbal at about 60% and Quant at about 40%, so a 320 made of 170 Verbal and 150 Quant predicts about a 168 LSAT, while 150 Verbal and 170 Quant predicts about a 162. For the full decision guide with strengths-based recommendations, see our GRE vs LSAT deep dive.
Match the test to your plan.
Law school is your only goal
The LSAT is accepted at every ABA-approved law school and is still what most admissions teams know best. If you are sure about law and want the safest, most widely understood score, the LSAT is the default.
You are math-averse
The LSAT has no math, so a weak quant background never counts against you. The GRE includes two Quant sections, which can drag a score for test takers who struggle with numbers.
You want law and grad-school options open
If your target law schools accept the GRE, one score can serve both law school and most other graduate programs. Confirm each law school accepts the GRE before you rely on it.
Your strengths are vocabulary and quant
If text completion, sentence equivalence, and a built-in calculator play to your strengths, and your schools accept it, the GRE can be the friendlier route. Verify acceptance at every program first.
Whichever you pick, your target schools have the final word, and law schools set their own test policies. Check whether the GRE is required or accepted on our is the GRE required guide and the requirements directory.
GRE vs LSAT, answered.
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