Explosion of 180s?
Using 2022-2025 scoring data, the percentile for a 180 LSAT score among test takers was 99.9th. In fact, I don't think it has ever been lower...
Until now. Using 2023-2026 scoring data, a 180 is a 99.8th percentile score when rounded to tenths/99.85th percentile when rounded to hundredths.
What's interesting, though, is that 2023, 2024, and 2025 are constants in this data. The new percentile just drops 2022 and adds 2026, which suggests there were a LOT more 180-scorers in 2026 than 2022.
The percentile shift may seem small, but it strikes me as quite significant given that the number of 180s in a given year is in the hundreds and that this data includes 3 years of constants.
I don't think it's possible to say how many more are being scored year-over-year because LSAC doesn't release the number of scores earned in a given year. Although LSAC released the number of applicants from last cycle and the year before that earned each score ( https://report.lsac.org/VolumeSummaryOriginalFormat.aspx ), applicants in a given year use scores from multiple cycles.
I love statistics, but I'm not an expert. Anyone have theories or different ways of interpreting this? Is it possible to draw any more definitive/precise conclusions?
Here's historical tests administered data if anyone finds that useful ( https://report.lsac.org/TestTakers.aspx ), but LSAC may use reportable scores instead of administered for calculating percentiles and I think we only have access to the number administered for older cycles.