The hardest LSAT questions — often called 170-breakers — are the 10-12 questions per test that separate elite scorers from everyone else. Only 17-19% of test-takers answer the toughest ones correctly. Understanding which question types are hardest and how to approach them is essential whether you are aiming for 170+ or simply want to maximize your score.
Every LSAT contains a set of questions that produce the most incorrect responses among all test-takers. These are known as 170-breaker questions because you need to answer some of them correctly to break past the 170 score barrier. They are not labeled or identified on the test — you recognize them by their complexity and the time they demand.
These questions test the deepest levels of reasoning ability. They often involve abstract argument structures, multiple layers of conditional logic, or passages that require synthesis across several paragraphs. The term was popularized by test prep companies analyzing which specific questions had the lowest correct-answer rates across thousands of test-takers.
Each LSAT contains approximately 10-12 of these highest-difficulty questions, distributed across the two scored Logical Reasoning sections and the Reading Comprehension section. On older four-section LSATs, the count was slightly higher at 12-16.
| Section | Typical Count | Common Types | Strategy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Logical Reasoning (2 sections) | 6-8 | Parallel reasoning, flaw, justify | Attempt if aiming 170+; skip-and-guess if below |
| Reading Comprehension | 3-4 | Inference, science passages | Spend extra time on hardest passage |
| Total per LSAT | 10-12 | Mix of LR and RC | Plan your approach by section |
Parallel reasoning questions are consistently the hardest on the LSAT. They present a complete argument and ask you to identify which answer choice contains an argument with the same logical structure. These questions are notably longer than other LR questions and can consume 3-4 minutes if you are not efficient.
The challenge lies in abstraction: you must strip away the content of the argument and focus purely on its logical form. Some parallel reasoning questions have been answered correctly by as few as 17% of test-takers — barely better than random guessing on a five-choice question.
Flaw questions ask you to identify the reasoning error in an argument, then match it to an abstract description in the answer choices. The hardest flaw questions use abstract philosophical or moral content that makes the flaw harder to spot. Analysis of the 15 hardest LR questions ever shows that abstract reasoning questions make up 86.66% (13 of 15) of the most difficult questions, with abstract flaw questions having correct-answer rates as low as 19%.
Questions that require connecting multiple conditional statements — particularly combining "most" statements with "if-then" statements — rank among the hardest. These questions test formal logic skills and require you to understand the rules governing how different types of quantifiers and logical connectors interact.
| Question Type | Section | Relative Difficulty | Approx. Correct Rate | Key Challenge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parallel Reasoning | Logical Reasoning | Very High | ~17-25% | Long stimuli, abstract matching |
| Abstract Flaw | Logical Reasoning | Very High | ~19-25% | Identifying abstract reasoning errors |
| Complex Conditional | Logical Reasoning | High | ~25-35% | Chaining if-then statements |
| Justify the Conclusion | Logical Reasoning | High | ~30-40% | Finding the missing logical link |
| Science Inference | Reading Comp | High | ~30-40% | Technical vocabulary and synthesis |
| Comparative Passage | Reading Comp | Medium-High | ~35-45% | Tracking two viewpoints simultaneously |
| Strengthen/Weaken | Logical Reasoning | Medium | ~40-55% | Identifying argument gaps |
| Main Point | Reading Comp | Medium | ~50-60% | Distinguishing main from supporting ideas |
Setup: A parallel reasoning question presents: "All lawyers must pass the bar exam. Some bar exam passers never practice law. Therefore, some people who could be lawyers never are." You must find the answer choice with the same logical structure.
The correct answer mirrors the same logical structure regardless of its subject matter.
Reading Comprehension contributes 3-4 of the 10-12 hardest questions per LSAT. Science passages with dense technical vocabulary are particularly challenging for students with humanities backgrounds. The key is that the LSAT never tests scientific knowledge itself — it tests your ability to follow and analyze arguments about science. Focus on the argument structure, not the terminology.
The hardest RC questions are typically inference questions that require synthesizing information from multiple paragraphs. Unlike detail questions where you can point to a specific line, inference questions ask what must be true based on the passage as a whole. The trap answers are often statements that seem reasonable but go beyond what the passage actually supports.
Analysis of the 15 hardest LSAT Logical Reasoning questions ever recorded reveals a clear pattern: abstract reasoning dominates. Of those 15 questions, 13 (86.66%) tested abstract reasoning skills — flaw identification, parallel reasoning, assumption, and justify questions. Only 2 were purely fact-based questions like Must Be True or Resolve the Paradox.
This tells you something important about LSAT preparation: mastering abstract reasoning is the path to the highest scores.
Hard questions tend to cluster near the end of sections, though not exclusively. Of the 15 hardest LR questions analyzed, 5 were based on science topics and 4 used abstract philosophical stimuli. Novel argument structures that do not fit neatly into familiar patterns are also a hallmark of 170-breaker difficulty.
If your target score is below 170, the most efficient strategy is to skip the hardest questions on your first pass. Make an educated guess, mark the question, and move on. This frees up time for questions you are more likely to answer correctly. Come back to the 170-breakers only if you have time remaining.
If you are targeting 170+, you need to attempt most of these questions — but even then, do not spend more than 3 minutes on any single question before moving on.
Do not start your preparation with the hardest questions. Build your fundamentals with intermediate-level questions first. Once you are consistently scoring well on standard questions, gradually introduce 170-breaker level questions into your practice. Think of it like weight training — you build strength progressively, not by starting with the heaviest weight.
The key principle is accuracy over speed. Speed up on questions you find easy so you can bank extra time for the hardest ones. If you can answer questions 1-15 in a Logical Reasoning section in about 18 minutes, you will have 17 minutes for the remaining 10 questions — giving you significantly more time per question in the section where 170-breakers tend to appear.
Scenario: You have 35 minutes for an LR section of 25 questions. Questions 20-25 include two 170-breaker questions. Your target score is 165.
By strategically guessing on the hardest question and investing time where you are more likely to be correct, you maximize your raw score.
Enter your target score to see how many 170-breaker questions you need to answer correctly.