How Much It Costs to Prep for and Take the LSAT or MCAT
By Muntasir Minhaz • Published Aug 04, 2026 • Graduate & Professional School
Taking the LSAT costs at least $253, plus $219 for the Credential Assembly Service most law schools require. Taking the MCAT costs $355. Add prep materials and commercial courses, and the total for either test climbs into the thousands.
💵 LSAT registration: $253 for the 2026-2027 testing year
💵 LSAC Credential Assembly Service: $219, plus $45 per extra law school report
💵 MCAT registration: $355, plus $130 more for international test takers
📩 Official prep bundles run from $124 a year (LSAT) to about $324 (MCAT)
Fee assistance programs cut most of these costs for qualifying applicants
LSAT Costs
LSAT registration for the 2026-2027 testing year costs $253, which includes the LSAT Argumentative Writing section, according to LSAC . Most ABA-accredited law schools also require the Credential Assembly Service, which standardizes your transcripts and letters of recommendation for $219. Individual law school reports beyond what CAS includes cost $45 each.
LSAC's own prep option, LawHub Advantage, costs $124 a year and gives you access to a library of official LSAT PrepTests, according to LSAC .
MCAT Costs
The standard MCAT registration fee for 2026 testing dates is $355, with an additional $130 non-refundable fee for international test takers, according to AAMC .
AAMC's Official MCAT Prep Bundle costs $323.70 and includes 5 full-length practice exams (Exams 2 through 6), question packs, section banks, and the CARS diagnostic tool, according to AAMC's store .
LSAT and MCAT Costs at a Glance
| Expense | LSAT | MCAT |
|---|---|---|
| Base registration | $253 | $355 |
| Required add-on | CAS: $219 | None |
| Extra reports | $45 each | Included with THx account |
| Official prep bundle | $124 a year | $323.70 |
| Minimum realistic total | About $596 | About $679 |
Commercial Courses Cost More Than Official Prep
Self-paced commercial LSAT and MCAT courses from major test prep companies commonly run from about $800 to over $1,600. Live online courses and structured bootcamps run higher, and one-on-one tutoring packages reach several thousand dollars depending on the number of hours booked. Pricing changes by provider and by season, so treat any figure you see elsewhere as an estimate and confirm current pricing directly with the provider before you commit.
A commercial course adds structure and outside accountability, but it does not replace the official practice material both LSAC and AAMC sell directly. Many applicants combine free or low-cost official resources with a smaller number of paid add-ons instead of buying a full commercial package.
What a Retake Adds to Your Total
A single LSAT retake adds another $253 registration fee, since CAS and LawHub Advantage cover future attempts once purchased. A single MCAT retake adds another $355, plus the international surcharge again if it applies. Factor a possible retake into your prep budget before you register the first time, since a second attempt often costs more than a few extra weeks of study would have.
Lower-Cost Options
LSAC and AAMC both run fee assistance programs that reduce registration costs and add free or discounted prep materials for applicants who qualify by income.
LawHub offers free official LSAT PrepTests outside the paid Advantage tier, and AAMC sells individual MCAT practice products separately if you do not need the full bundle.
Public libraries and undergraduate pre-law or pre-med advising offices sometimes lend official prep books or provide free access to practice question banks.
Study groups built around official free materials cut cost without cutting practice volume.
This total covers the test and its official prep materials only, not application fees like AMCAS or LSAC's own application service, which come later in the process.
A Realistic Total Budget Example
An applicant taking the LSAT once, buying LawHub Advantage, and applying with the standard CAS subscription spends close to $596 before any commercial course. Add one retake and that total climbs past $849. An MCAT applicant paying full registration plus the official prep bundle spends close to $679 before any commercial course, and a single retake adds another $355 on top.
Where the Money Goes
The base registration fee pays for the test itself: the exam content, scoring, and delivery through the testing agency. The Credential Assembly Service and its report fees pay for LSAC standardizing your undergraduate transcript and recommendation letters into a single file every law school on your list reads the same way. Official prep bundles pay for realistic, test-agency-written practice material, which tends to predict your real score more accurately than third-party practice questions.
Timing Your Spending
Buy official prep materials early, since both LawHub Advantage and the AAMC prep bundle give you months of access for one fee. Register for the actual test only once your practice scores sit close to your target, so you are not paying to sit for an exam before you are ready.
Ask Your School Before You Pay Full Price
Pre-law and pre-med advising offices frequently know about local scholarships, application-fee grants, or free proctored practice tests that do not show up in a general search. Ask before you register, since some of these resources carry their own application deadlines separate from the test registration deadline.