How bad does it look to t20 schools to take the LSAT 4+ times?

[Bruin1998]

I've done some research into this topic but I was just curious what are the experts' opinions on this w/ the Flex exam. I've taken the lsat 3 total times now, all of which have been flex. My scores have been 159 (canceled)>162>164. I was really hoping this January exam (the 164 I got) would be my last exam, but I am not fully satisfied w/ this score because it is well below my pt avg., and I had a significant issue w/ the proctor that cost me several points (LSAC verified this issue, but I was too late to sign up for the rest option so I just chose to keep my score).
I am extremely nervous going into my 4th take because I know you only get 5 total attempts in a five year period, which for me atm basically means I only get 5 total attempts. I'm wondering if it looks bad to have 4 or more attempts? Say If i experience a huge score increase on my 4th attempts, going from 164 to 170 for instance (a score I had been averaging on PTs prior to January), will that look iffy to adcoms? Also is taking it 5 times a bad look? I just don't want to go into my 4th attempt w/ the mindset that it will have to be my final, ultimate do or die attempt, because I can't imagine how nervous I'd feel if I had to think that, so I wanna have the mental security that I'll at least have a 5th attempt if needed.

[Adam Tyson]

While taking the test 4 or 5 times may not be ideal, Bruin1998, it's not really a problem either, since law schools stopped averaging the scores long ago. The bottom line is this: if you can increase your score, it's a net positive, and if you do not increase your score then no harm done because your high score is what matters. Some would say that taking it again shows your dedication and hard work, so you can make it into a positive!

As to the amount of the score increase, there would be nothing sketchy about it, and no admissions officer is going to be concerned about such a jump. They might be interested to know what you did differently to get that high score, which would give you a chance to talk about how you learned from the earlier experiences and found ways to improve, which along with the higher score itself is also a good thing.

Which brings us to the most important question: if you are going to take the test again, what are you going to do differently to get that score increase? You have to dig into figuring out why your actual scores are so much lower than your PT scores. What are you doing differently on test day? Are your PTs done under very realistic conditions? If the thought of a proctor watching you makes you nervous, then try taking a PT with someone as your proctor, maybe a friend or family member sitting in another room and watching you on a webcam.

Have you considered getting some private tutoring to help identify your weak spots and give you some guidance on dealing with those? Give that some thought, because if you have only been doing self-study so far, and if you keep under-performing compared to what you know you are capable of doing, you may need a fresh perspective to help you see what's going on.

I say go for it, but only after you have figured out what the problems are that are holding you back and you have taken steps to fix those problems. Just taking it again and hoping for a different result would not be wise.

Good luck!