Should You Retake The LSAT?

If you took the LSAT and are thinking about canceling your score, or you already got your score and it wasn't what you wanted.

Here are some thoughts on deciding whether to retake. (Also see How to Study for a Retake.)

1. Does your dream law school average multiple LSAT scores?

Most law schools don't average them anymore. Instead, they'll only count your highest LSAT score when they create your "admissions index," which is a formula combining your LSAT and GPA - each law school does it differently.


2. If you retake it, will you have to apply later?

Law schools review applications in the order they receive them (it's called rolling admissions). It's better to apply early in the cycle (usually September or October). Make sure that you'll get at least a few points higher on your retake to outweigh the downside of applying slightly later in the cycle. Consider retaking it and waiting a year, if necessary.


3. Did anything unusual happen the previous time?

If you had were sick, had a personal crisis, the test center was too noisy, or something else happened, you might do better the next time around.


4. Was your LSAT score similar to your scores on practice tests?

If it was significantly below your practice scores, you can probably score better on a future exam and demonstrate your ability.


5. Will you have the time and determination to adequately prepare?

You'll need to salvage your books from the trash and get your brain in gear. This takes effort. Create a plan that allows you a comfortable amount of time to study during both the week and weekend between now and your future test date.


6. What did you do to study the previous time?

It's best to complete several PrepTests before taking the exam for real. If you didn't do this, a retake may be in your best interest. However, doing the PrepTests is necessary, but it's not sufficient. It's also important to analyze your incorrect answers in order to understand why you answered those questions incorrectly.


7. Do you think you can improve your LSAT score?

The LSAT has a great deal of weight in the admissions process. If you think it's within your ability to improve your score, the time you invest in preparing for the LSAT and taking it again will pay for itself when you get into a better school, get merit aid, and, eventually, get a better job after you graduate.


***

I hope you don't need to retake and that you're done with the LSAT for good. If you decide to retake, see some LSAT study schedules for retakers (scroll down). Even if you've used up every single LSAT PrepTest, there's still plenty to learn from them, so don't worry. You'll still be able to study just fine.

***

I also hope my thoughts in the above post are sufficient to help you make your decision.

Unfortunately, I can't give everyone personalized advice about whether to retake, but if you leave a comment, maybe others who read this will give you some thoughts on what to do.

Wish you all the best!

From Average LSAT Scores to High LSAT Scores | 7 Tips

In this LSAT Diaries compilation, I picked 7 tips from blog readers who started off with average LSAT scores but, after a great deal of work, ended up with high LSAT scores.

On the journey to achieving these significant score improvements, they learned valuable lessons and, ultimately, shared their great advice in LSAT Diaries.

Enjoy, and if you want to be in LSAT Diaries, please email me at LSATUnplugged@gmail.com. (You can be in LSAT Diaries whether you've taken the exam already or not.)

Read more »

Should You Cancel Your LSAT Score?

Hope the LSAT went well for you!

If the LSAT might not have gone so well, read the below post, but also check out:

How to Cancel Your LSAT Score

Should You Retake the LSAT?

LSAT Study Schedules for Retakers (scroll down)

How to Study for a Retake

One bad reason to cancel your LSAT score is that the LSAT has become such a large part of your life that you just don't want to let it go. It's a slippery slope, my friends.

Seriously now, this post is for those who took the LSAT and are now deciding whether to cancel the score.

First of all, relax. Even if it didn't go great, this isn't the end of the world. Everything is going to be fine. Take a deep breath, have a glass of water, listen to these calming waves (mp3), and count backward slowly from 1,000.

Done?

Ok, good.


If you fall within one of the following groups, you should almost certainly NOT cancel your score:

-You just have a vague sense of impending doom (this is a common feeling).

-You just think you didn't do as well as you normally do, and maybe got a few more questions wrong than usual (also common). There have been plenty of people who thought it went horribly, but didn't cancel their scores, and and ended up scoring 170+.

-You just feel like this test was a bit harder than the LSAT PrepTests you did for practice (also common). It often seems more difficult when you know it's for real.



However, if you fall within one of the following groups, you should almost certainly cancel your score:

-You misbubbled several questions.

-You feel you could do a lot better if you gave yourself a few more months to study and/or feel you didn't really give yourself enough time to study before.

-You were coughing, sniffling, sneezing, nose-blowing, and/or vomiting so much that you didn't have enough time to adequately complete the number of questions per section that you normally do.

-You were coughing, sniffling, sneezing, nose-blowing, and/or vomiting so much that other test-takers voted you off the island, took away your test booklet, and repeatedly punched you in the face.

-The jerk sitting next to you was sick and prevented you from concentrating.

-You panicked. In your practice tests, you were always able to complete 4 games, 4 passages, and the entire LR section, but on Test Day, you got really nervous, forgot everything you knew, and know you didn't even come close to your normal performance.

-You couldn't concentrate because you've recently been going through some major life crisis.

-There was an earthquake, terrorist attack, or noisy sporting event / marching band / construction, and it negatively affected your performance, and LSAC isn't willing to do anything about it. If this happened, before you cancel, call LSAC at 215-968-1001 to inform them of what happened and see whether they're willing to do anything for you.

-The test-taker next to you morphed into a hyena and bit off your writing hand, so you were unable to diagram in the Logic Games section.

Basically, if something unusual happened that significantly impacted your score in a negative way, canceling may be the way to go.


Some other factors to consider:

Which section was the experimental section?

If you determine which section is the experimental section, this can help you decide whether to cancel.

(FYI, it's not the same for all test-takers and not all test-takers complete sections in the same order. In other words, there's more than one ordering in which test-takers complete the scored sections and experimental section.)

Not all test-takers have the same experimental section. Additionally, not all test-takers have the experimental section at the same point in the exam. Some might have it 1st, others might have it 2nd, and others might have it 3rd, 4th, or 5th. For many years, it was always one of the 1st 3 sections, which often made it easy to determine which one it was. However, that changed beginning with the October 2011 LSAT. Since then, test-takers have had the experimental section appearing 4th and 5th also.

If you know there's one section on which you did especially poorly, figuring out that that one was the experimental would suggest that you might want to lean toward keeping your score. On the other hand, finding out that you did much better on the experimental section than on the real one(s) of that type may suggest that you should lean toward canceling.

Often, the experimental section stands out as being abnormally difficult or abnormally easy. This is due to the fact that the questions in the experimental section are not necessarily intended to compose a full section on a future exam. Rather, they're simply a bunch of LSAT questions, some of which might appear as part of a future section.


Have you already taken the LSAT and gotten a decent score?

If so, you might want to lean toward canceling, since you wouldn't want to demonstrate a drop in scores.

If not, you might want to lean toward keeping this one, since you'd otherwise have to retake. You have to hope that next time goes better and that nothing horrible will happen next time. See my post titled "Should You Retake the LSAT?" It brings up some points that may help you decide whether to take another shot at the LSAT.



Have you already taken the LSAT and canceled?

1 cancellation won't hurt at all, but 2 (or 3 or more) starts to look like you may not have it together. How much does that hurt you? Somewhat.

This sort of thing isn't really quantifiable due to incomplete data. However, it's something you want to avoid having too many of, like dead bodies in the basement. Sometimes it just isn't avoidable, and 1 doesn't smell too much, but start piling up more than a couple, and the neighbors may start to notice the smell [end creepy/weird analogy]. However, a cancellation is still better than a low score, and you can write an addendum explaining multiple cancellations.



"But I don't know whether I'd have a low score! You only get to find out what your score would've been if you keep it. "

That's precisely the problem. Incomplete information in decision-making is never fun, especially when the stakes are high. Instead of thinking about how Test Day went as a whole, try to break it down into manageable chunks, section-by-section.

Think about how many questions you were certain of on each section, how many you felt pretty good about, how many you blindly guessed on, and how many you guessed on when you were down to two choices, etc. This will help you calculate various potential scenarios for your score.

For example, in making your estimation, you might give yourself all but a few of the questions you were most certain of on each section, most of the ones you were pretty certain on, 1/5 of the ones you blindly guessed on, and 1/2 of the ones you were down to 2 on, etc.

Then, look at some of the most recent raw score conversions ("curves") to translate your raw score into a score out of 180. Are you happy with a fairly low-end estimate? What about a medium or a high one?



What scores do you need for your desired law schools?

If you haven't already, enter your GPA into LSAC's Official Guide UGPA/LSAT calculator (see upper-left area of that site) or LawSchoolPredictor along with various potential LSAT scores to see what kind of score you'd likely need.

See whether one of your reasonable possible score estimations would likely be good enough to get you into a school you'd be happy with. If so, you may want to keep the score.

***

I hope the answers to the above questions end up leading you to keep your score and that you're done with the LSAT for good. Again, if not, see some LSAT study schedules for retakers (scroll down). Even if you've used up every single LSAT PrepTest, there's still plenty to learn from them, so don't worry. You'll still be able to study just fine.

***

I also hope my thoughts in the above post are sufficient to help you make your decision.

Unfortunately, I can't give everyone personalized advice about whether to cancel, but if you leave a comment, maybe others who read this will give you some thoughts on what to do.

Wish you all the best.

Photo by mag3737

Retaking the LSAT Study Schedule

Also see the Retake LSAT Study Schedule: Premium Day-By-Day Version.

So, you're planning to retake the LSAT.

It's incredibly important to figure out what you did wrong the first time around and plan what you'll do differently this time.

Maybe you didn't have enough time to study for the LSAT. Maybe you just didn't use it wisely. I recommend a minimum of 3 months.

It could be you didn't use the right LSAT prep books.

Maybe you didn't spend enough time on a certain section. Maybe your approach just wasn't flexible enough.

The biggest concern students have is "there aren't enough PrepTests" and/or they've "already used up too many PrepTests." There are more than 70 PrepTests.

Of course, having to resort to the older exams and having to redo newer ones isn't ideal, but it shouldn't be a major concern.

This article will help you figure out to move forward as you prepare for an LSAT retake.

Whitney writes:

"[M]y concern is whether I need to do question type practice or just simply do more full length and section practice."

Ideally, you'll do a mix of practicing specific question-types and doing full-length sections. You'll end with full-length exam practice.

The real issue is figuring out what went wrong the first time around and using that info as you plan your retake schedule.

If you aren't having difficulty with a specific type of question, then full-length section/exam practice is all you need.

However, this situation is rare - most people have more difficulty with some question-types than others.

This means you'll probably need to "Drill, baby, drill."

If you didn't cancel your most recent LSAT score, review that exam and make a list of the question-types you answered incorrectly and/or that gave you difficulty.

If you did cancel it, do a few full exams (untimed) to determine question-types that give you difficulty.

If there were relatively few types that gave you difficulty, you might just want to spend a week or two drilling those types and then move onto doing a practice test or two each week.

The following 3-month retake schedule assumes you already did most/all of what I recommend in my LSAT study schedules for first-timers. If you did little or none of the things contained in those schedules, use those instead.

This schedule also assumes there are 4 Logical Reasoning question-types that give you difficulty and at least two types of Logic Games that gives you difficulty. (Here's an example of one way you might analyze a Logical Reasoning question in more detail.)

Finally, it assumes you've already seen/used dozens of the most recent PrepTests in your prep the first time around.

Feel free to alter this schedule according to your needs.

***

Find out how to get LSAT exams and other study materials in the Best LSAT Prep Books post.

***

Week 1: Study my articles on Logical Reasoning. Do several dozen questions of that type (untimed) using the LSAT Logical Reasoning list or spreadsheet (from exams you've never touched, if any). Review all questions that give you difficulty and write explanations for why each wrong answer choice is wrong and why the right answer choice is right.

Week 2: Do the same with another type.

Week 3: Do the same with another type.

Week 4: Do the same with another type.

Week 5: Study my relevant articles on Logic Games, then complete several Logic Games of a particular game type giving you difficulty (untimed) using my Logic Games categorizations. Create diagrams to disprove each incorrect answer choice and prove why the correct answer choice is right.

Week 6: Do the same with another type.

Week 7: Do the same with another type, or read my articles on Reading Comprehension and do several timed sections of Reading Comp.

Week 8: Complete 3 recent LSAT PrepTests (timed). Splice in sections from another to simulate the experimental section. Review all wrong answers and write out explanations for them. Review each exam on alternating days.

Week 9: Complete 3 recent LSAT PrepTests (timed). Splice in sections from another to simulate the experimental section. Review all wrong answers and write out explanations for them. Review each exam on alternating days.

Week 10: Complete 3 recent LSAT PrepTests (timed). Splice in sections from another to simulate the experimental section. Review all wrong answers and write out explanations for them. Review each exam on alternating days.

Week 11: Complete 3 recent LSAT PrepTests (timed). Splice in sections from another to simulate the experimental section. Review all wrong answers and write out explanations for them. Review each exam on alternating days.

Week 12: Complete 3 recent LSAT PrepTests (timed). Splice in sections from another to simulate the experimental section. Review all wrong answers and write out explanations for them. Review each exam on alternating days.


Weeks 9-12 should include 5-section exams (the 5th section simulates the experimental section). See Preparing for the Experimental Section for why, where, and how to include "experimental" sections.

***

I know this schedule will include exams you've already done. Remember, I said I'm assuming you already used the newer PrepTests the first time around. That's okay.

Your goal shouldn't always be to get an accurate gauge of your progress. No one (except maybe your parents) is going to give you a prize for how you do on a practice exam. The real thing is all that matters in the end.

Even if you've already done these exams (and remember them well) will you really remember all the answers? If you really think you will, do a previously-taken exam or two under timed conditions. Just see if you get perfect scores on them. If you don't, it means you still have something to learn from them.

Besides, doing them in chronological/numerical order puts at least a few months between you and any particular exam. This means if/when you answer questions correctly, it's more likely this will be due to your understanding of the questions' logic rather than your memory.

If you're really concerned about remembering them, substitute those for exams you've never seen before (see the list of all LSAT PrepTests).

However, it's important to redo the newer PrepTests to ensure that you fully understand them because the LSAT changes over time.

Good luck!

The Dinosaur Game and Whether to Cancel Your LSAT Score

First of all, congratulations to everyone who took the LSAT on Monday - you made it!

For the most part, it sounds like most of you did well. However, some of you had difficulty with one Logic Game in particular - the "dinosaur game." After the exam, many of you emailed me to ask my advice about whether or not you should cancel.

This post is primarily for June 2009 test-takers, but it'll apply to anyone who takes the LSAT and is stressed about a particular question.

Anyone who didn't take the June 2009 LSAT probably thinks the dinosaur on the right looks cute and cuddly. I understand your skepticism.

However, you'll know why many June test-takers were intimidated by the dinosaur game when you finally look at PrepTest 57 (June 2009 LSAT).

LSAC has rules prohibiting the discussion of LSAT questions prior to their publication. As such, I won't post any specifics about it for the next few weeks.

Until then, here are some tips for June test-takers about the decision of whether or not to cancel their scores.

Reasons to cancel your LSAT score:
If the dinosaur game threw you off for the rest of the exam, I would cancel the score to avoid blemishes.

It looks better to have a cancellation and a high score than to have a low score and a high score.

Cancellations are ambiguous. Low scores aren't.

You don't need a low score on your record to motivate yourself. You can motivate yourself with the goal of getting into the law schools you want.

It's much better to cancel than to let a low score remain on your record.

Many students canceled or were absent simply because of the early postponement deadline. If you cancel, you'll be part of the "silver lining" group I described. Enjoy.


Reasons not to cancel your LSAT score:
Most test-takers didn't like the "dinosaur game." If that game was the only thing that gave you an unusual degree of difficulty, and everything else went as usual (or better), I wouldn't cancel the score.

Keep in mind that most LSAT-takers are in your shoes. It all comes down to how LSAC makes the curve. I wouldn't be surprised if the curve (LSAC prefers to call it a "test-equating process" since the LSAT is not technically curved) were more generous than usual in order to account for the fact that so many test-takers found the dinosaur game difficult.

***
You have 6 calendar days from the exam date to cancel.

For advice on retaking the LSAT, please see Should You Retake the LSAT? and How to Study for a Retake.

If you're concerned about running out of material, please see How Many (Free) LSAT PrepTests Are There? for some exams you may have missed.

5 Reasons Not to be Discouraged by a Low LSAT Score

After LSAC sends out the scores, I hear from many of you. Many of you did great (congratulations!), but others did not-so-great (congratulations on having a few more months of LSAT fun!).

Here are 5 reasons that a low LSAT score on the LSAT can actually be a good thing:

Reason #1: You have at least a few months to study for an LSAT retake.
The LSAT's given in February, June, September or October, and December. A few more months is plenty of time, especially since you're already familiar with the exam.

Reason #2: You can still be early in the law school application process.
You can study hard, take the LSAT again, and submit your application toward the beginning of the admission cycle. Rolling admissions means applying early to law school gives you a better shot because more seats are available.

Reason #3: You have more time to plan your applications and future.
Being forced to retake means you'll have more time to decide whether or not law school is right for you. You'll also have more time to work on your personal statement, get recommendation letters, and cultivate relationships with alumni who can help you.

Reason #4: An addendum might help.
If your SAT score wasn't an accurate indicator of your college GPA, you can submit an addendum explaining that the LSAT may not accurately reflect your potential in law school either.

Reason #5: I'll be there with you every step of the way.
As you study for your retake, you'll now have several more months of LSAT Blog posts to read, memorize, and share with your friends. All 100% free!

How to Study for a Retake (or...

What to Do When You Run Out of PrepTests)

Someone recently asked me, "What should you do if you have used a lot of your LSAT material already but need to retake?"

Here are 7 tips for anyone in this common situation:

1. Redo practice tests.

Even if you've done every PrepTest (you probably haven't), you won't remember every question. The purpose of doing practice tests is to analyze the logic of each argument or game, so make sure you actually think through each question, even if you know you've done it before. Soon enough, the right answers to each question will seem obvious even if you've never seen the question before.


2. Avoid fake practice tests like the plague.

They're full of errors and not similar enough to real PrepTests. You're better off redoing old PrepTests than spending time with bad materials. Check out my LSAT retake study schedules (scroll down) for tips on how to prepare for your retake.


3. Analyze your current performance on practice tests.

Save every PrepTest answer sheet from the first time. After a few months, retake these PrepTests and compare your performance between the 1st and 2nd times. If you answered the same question incorrectly both times, spend several minutes figuring out the reason.

Keep track of all your mistakes by making a big list with the PrepTest #, Section #, and Question #. Make two columns: one for every serious mistake and one for every stupid mistake. Don't ignore stupid mistakes - they cost as many points as serious ones, and you can decrease the number of stupid mistakes you make.


4. Create strategies based on patterns in your performance.

Figure out the reason you consistently answer certain types of questions incorrectly. Even if you say you won't make the same mistake again, this alone won't prevent you from doing it the 2nd (or 3rd, 4th, or 5th) time.


5. Explain LSAT questions to a friend.

This will help you gain a fresh and concrete understanding of the arguments.


6. Create your own LSAT-style Logic Games.

This jazzes things up and indulges your creative side. More importantly, it allows you to understand their structure. Spend a lot of time creating the incorrect answers. LSAC has a consistent strategy for making wrong answers - each one is wrong for a specific reason.

By making your own Logic Games, you will begin to understand these reasons. Consider writing your own Logical Reasoning questions, too.

(Send in your LSAT-style Logic Games! I'll publish them here.)


7. Try for perfection on each PrepTest.

Allow yourself to puzzle over every question you answer incorrectly. Make sure that you fully understand why the correct answer is correct and why that tempting, but incorrect, answer choice is incorrect.

***

Also see my LSAT Retake Study Schedules.

Should You Retake the LSAT? 7 Ways to Decide

Maybe you took the LSAT already and didn't get the score you wanted. Here are some thoughts on deciding whether to retake it. (Also see How to Study for a Retake.)

1. Does your dream law school average multiple LSAT scores?

Most law schools don't average them anymore. Instead, they'll only count your highest LSAT score when they create your "admissions index," which is a formula combining your LSAT and GPA - each law school does it differently.


2. If you retake it, will you have to apply later?

Law schools review applications in the order they receive them (it's called rolling admissions). It's better to apply early in the cycle (usually September or October). Make sure that you'll get at least a few points higher on your retake to outweigh the downside of applying slightly later in the cycle. Consider retaking it and waiting a year, if necessary.


3. Did anything unusual happen the previous time?

If you had were sick, had a personal crisis, the test center was too noisy, or something else happened, you might do better the next time around.


4. Was your LSAT score similar to your scores on practice tests?

If it was significantly below your practice scores, you can probably score better on a future exam and demonstrate your ability.


5. Will you have the time and determination to adequately prepare?

You'll need to salvage your books from the trash and get your brain in gear. This takes effort. Create a plan that allows you a comfortable amount of time to study during both the week and weekend between now and your future test date.


6. What did you do to study the previous time?

It's best to complete several PrepTests (past LSAT exams) before taking the exam for real. If you didn't do this, a retake may be in your best interest. However, doing the PrepTests is necessary, but it's not sufficient. It's also important to analyze your incorrect answers in order to understand why you answered those questions incorrectly.


7. Do you think you can improve your LSAT score?

The LSAT has a great deal of weight in the admissions process. If you think it's within your ability to improve your score, the time you invest in preparing for the LSAT and taking it again will pay for itself when you get into a better school, get merit aid, and, eventually, get a better job after you graduate.


***

I hope you don't need to retake and that you're done with the LSAT for good. If you decide to retake, see some LSAT study schedules for retakers (scroll down). Even if you've used up every single LSAT PrepTest, there's still plenty to learn from them, so don't worry. You'll still be able to study just fine.

***

I also hope my thoughts in the above post are sufficient to help you make your decision.

Unfortunately, I can't give everyone personalized advice about whether to retake, but if you leave a comment, maybe others who read this will give you some thoughts on what to do.

Wish you all the best.