Re: September Retake after July LSAT

[katesawyer]

Hi! I am scheduled to retake the LSAT in September after performing 5 points less than my PT timed average. I experienced a lot of test day anxiety but i am not sure how much that will change leading up the test.

I think the drop in my score is that I rushed toward the end of each section and guessed a lot at the end. My best section, logic games, in which I have typically gotten 100% or just one wrong, I ended up running out of time and blindly guessed on the last 5 questions. Timing has never been an issue in my timed stimulated exams so I am wondering what I can do to improve in such a short period of time.

Is it possible to take the exam in less than a month and be able to achieve my PT timed average? I am asking because I will not be able to take the November LSAT so I would be left with February, which will most likely set me back another year from submitting applications. Also, I work full time (60+ hours a week) so I really am only able to study on the weekends.

Thanks!

[Adam Tyson]

One quick note here, Kate, and that is that next year there will be no February exam. Instead, the test will be administered in the U.S. and Canada on January 26th and March 19th. So if September doesn't work out, that January test should be on your radar and will still be well within the acceptable timeframe for admission this cycle. Even the old February test was early enough for many schools, and you can apply with your current score and then they will be updated with your new score when it is released, which will likely be before they have filled all their seats.

The fact that you have already identified a big chunk of what went wrong in July - nerves, leading to rushing - tells me there is good reason to believe that you can achieve your best score in September. For one thing, as you continue to practice and review between now and then, your PT average should continue to climb, so that some drop from that average (which is normal) could still lead to a better score than what you just got. Second, you will be better prepared for what the real thing feels like, and thus less likely to freak out and let nerves ruin your experience the second time around. You can make a conscious decision NOT to rush, which is never a good idea on this test. You can work on things like meditation, breathing exercises, positive thoughts, and whatever else you need in order to remain calm and focused.

Finally, there is no reason NOT to take the test in September. If you do the same as you just did, then there's no harm, and you will have the added benefit of getting more experience under your belt to make the next attempt go even better, plus a released test to review to better understand where you need to improve and what went wrong. If you do worse, there's also no harm, because only the high score matters, and again you will benefit from the experience and additional study material. If you do better, then of course it was worth it!

So, take it in September, and continue to prepare with a positive attitude and a firm decision to do something about that anxiety and to never, ever, ever rush. 4 weeks is plenty of time to make a real difference, even with your intensive work schedule, as long as you make the most of the time that you do have to work on it. Of course, if you can do anything to scale back those work hours, especially in the week leading up to the test, that would be helpful, but if you can't then you you can't, and you just do what you can, when you can.

Keep at it, stay positive, and good luck!

[Mark83]

I'm in the same boat in deciding whether to retest in September. I also took the July test and performed about 4 points below my practice test average due to a variety of factors (mostly anxiety related).

I want to know if the potential 4 point bump in score is worth taking it again, and having two tests on my record? Also, if I cancel before test day arrives will it show a cancelled test on my record and is this bad? Thanks.

[Jon Denning]

Hey Mark - thanks for the questions!

A retake for an extra four points—or potentially more, given that you still have several weeks to keep prepping and improving!—is 100% worth it. Like, zero doubt. Schools won't care whatsoever about a second score on your record, and the chance to hit your PT average (or exceed it) in September is plenty reason to commit to another attempt!

Similarly, if you're confident you did worse than your July result and choose to cancel, schools won't view that negatively either. They really don't care one bit about cancellations or multiple tries, as every school in the country takes the highest score and that's it. So a score plus a cancellation, or two scores (even if your second is lower), both come to the same thing: schools will see you as your best result and evaluate you accordingly.

The potential exception(s) to this would only really arise if you were looking at a fifth or sixth attempt, or had an unusual pattern to your record, like three or four straight cancellations or wildly fluctuating outcomes (a 148, then a 162, then a 146, then a 155...that sort of thing) where schools might appreciate an explanation for the ups and downs. But barring any of that there's zero downside to giving it another shot

I hope that helps!

[Mark83]

Hey Mark - thanks for the questions!

A retake for an extra four points—or potentially more, given that you still have several weeks to keep prepping and improving!—is 100% worth it. Like, zero doubt. Schools won't care whatsoever about a second score on your record, and the chance to hit your PT average (or exceed it) in September is plenty reason to commit to another attempt!

Similarly, if you're confident you did worse than your July result and choose to cancel, schools won't view that negatively either. They really don't care one bit about cancellations or multiple tries, as every school in the country takes the highest score and that's it. So a score plus a cancellation, or two scores (even if your second is lower), both come to the same thing: schools will see you as your best result and evaluate you accordingly.

The potential exception(s) to this would only really arise if you were looking at a fifth or sixth attempt, or had an unusual pattern to your record, like three or four straight cancellations or wildly fluctuating outcomes (a 148, then a 162, then a 146, then a 155...that sort of thing) where schools might appreciate an explanation for the ups and downs. But barring any of that there's zero downside to giving it another shot

I hope that helps!

Thanks Jon. Sorry for the late reply. This was very helpful.