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.

How to Cancel Your LSAT Score

If you intend to cancel your LSAT score or to be absent, please my post on canceling or being absent.

After your test, please submit your LSAT test center reviews to help future test-takers.

***
This post includes excerpts from LSAC's website explaining how to cancel your LSAT score. It also includes info from LSAC about how score cancellations and absences appear on your score report. Here the LSAT score cancellation form (PDF).

Canceling Your LSAT Score
LSAC says:

We must receive a signed fax or overnight letter with your request within six calendar days of the test. If you do not receive confirmation of receipt of your request within four calendar days after your request was submitted, contact LSAC immediately. If your request has not been processed, you may submit proof that your request was received at LSAC within the required period. Documentation of proof of receipt will not be accepted beyond 14 calendar days after the test. You can also cancel your score at the test center if you are absolutely certain you want to cancel your score.

How Cancellations and Absences Appear on Your Score Report

Both score cancellations and absences do appear on your LSAC score report. This means they're reported to law schools.

LSAC says:

The score report that is displayed online or mailed to you will show your current test results, along with the results of all tests—up to 12—...including absences and cancellations. An average score is also calculated and reported when you have more than one reportable score.

However, test date postponements and registration cancellations made by LSAC's deadline (3 weeks before the exam date) do not appear on score reports.

Photo by mag3737

How to Challenge a Flawed or Unfair LSAT Question

Even the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) makes mistakes.

Occasionally, a flawed LSAT question (a question that has no clearly correct answer) slips through the cracks and makes it onto a scored section of an actual administered LSAT exam.

Fortunately, like any bureaucracy worth its salt, LSAC has a set of rules in place just in case a clever (or stubborn) test-taker decides that his/her logic surpasses LSAC's. You can find these rules in "Policies and Procedures Governing Challenges to Law School Admission Test Questions."

Blog reader Jamie recently emailed me about "withdrawn" LSAT questions (questions that students have successfully challenged). Because LSAC doesn't want to confuse students with ambiguous or poorly-written questions in the published versions of its exams (and because it doesn't want its mistakes to live on in published form), these questions are not reprinted. Instead, the space where they appear is simply noted as "withdrawn."

Jamie writes:

I sometimes come across a "withdrawn" question on a released test: you know, "withdrawn from scoring." I imagine a number of different situations: LSAC scores the exams and realizes that a certain question threw off the difficulty of the test, or two angry LSAC philosophers break into arm wrestling match over a question only to realize there are multiple acceptable solutions as presented, or perhaps a heroic test candidate catches a flaw the LSAC glossed over, reports it to Newtown (Ed: the town in Pennsylvania where LSAC's headquarters are located - Steve), gets a 181 and a ticker-tape parade.

Whatever the cause, what are the implications? If LSAC withdraws a question, and your answer was the credited answer, do you lose out on a point? If you're certain that a test question has an error, do you have a recourse? I just wonder if it's detrimental to note "withdrawn" on the released test, since the released version is no longer an accurate specimen of what you would have sat through for that particular test.

LSAC calculates the scale (translation of raw scores to scores out of 180) before each administration, and it pre-tests questions in previous exams' experimental sections. For this reason, it's not due to the exam's difficulty. (LSAC occasionally recalibrates the scale if an exam turns out to be harder or easier than expected. However, it doesn't withdraw questions for this reason.)

It's also not the philosophers' arm-wrestling match, as amusing as that would be. LSAC philosophers do all their arm-wrestling before the exam is ever administered.

Withdrawn questions only result from the efforts of heroic flaw-catching test candidates.

Yes, if they withdraw a question, but you answered it "correctly," you lose out on the point.

If you're certain that a question is wrong, you can email LSAC afterwards. If they decide in your favor, they'll withdraw the question.

However, under test day pressure, it's better to attempt every question than to puzzle over one you believe to be poorly-written. While you'd live on in the test-takers' hall of fame for your efforts, it's to your advantage to prioritize the other questions instead of getting bogged-down.

If you take a practice exam that contains a withdrawn question, your experience won't be perfectly similar to that of the people who actually took that test, but it'll be pretty darn close, just one fewer question out of approximately 100 questions. It's negligible in the larger scheme of things.

LSAC recalibrates the scale when this happens, so you'll still get an accurate result.

***
Read on for Withdrawn LSAT Questions | Item Removed From Scoring.

Photo by andycarvin

Cell Phones Not Allowed At The LSAT

Just a reminder that LSAC does not permit cell phones at the test center.

The rules require that you leave them at home.

Take another look at the LSAT test day tips for more on what you can and can't bring.

I'm just guessing here, but I think the cell phone ban might stem from a 12-year-old LSAT cheating scandal - back when people actually used pagers:

The Law School Admission Council, the official administrator of the Law School Admission Test, or LSAT, became intimately aware of the threat in 1997, when a University of Southern California test taker ran out of the exam room with his test book. A proctor chased him, but couldn't stop him from hopping into a getaway car.

Hours later, the thief sent the LSAT answers to two test takers at the University of Hawaii at Manoa -- where the test was just commencing -- via electronic pager. The proctor became suspicious when she noticed the test takers frequently looking at their pagers. She let them finish their exams, then contacted the LSAC, which turned the case over to the Los Angeles Police Department.

All three students were prosecuted in California Superior Court on charges of conspiracy to commit robbery. They were sentenced to a year in jail each and forced to pay $97,000 in restitution to the LSAC.

The LSAC retains experts in electronic surveillance equipment from Securitas Security Services USA Inc. to provide staff to administer tests, carry out security investigations and alert testing companies of the latest cheating gadgetry and trends.

But, for now, it doesn't use electronic detection devices. Jim Vaseleck, executive assistant to the president of the LSAC, notes that astute proctors, not gadgets, foiled the USC plot.

"We instruct test takers and train proctors that folks are not allowed to bring electronic devices into testing centers," he says.

Plus, he believes that low-tech cheating schemes, which can be combated only with astute proctors, remain a bigger problem. He notes incidents where test takers carved exam answers into No. 2 pencils, selling them on the black market for close to $1,000, or lined up different-colored M&Ms on a desk to correspond to answers of multiple- choice questions. "Electronic devices present more of a nuisance than a security problem," Mr. Vaseleck says.

(article from Wisconsin School of Journalism's website - link down- http://www.journalism.wisc.edu/crediteducation/WSJ%20art.htm):

I hope that LSAC learned its lesson and hires more physically-fit proctors these days.

Either way, the bottom line: don't try to cheat on the LSAT.

Photo by ewige

Cancel, Postpone, or Absence? | June 2009 LSAT

UPDATE:

The below post is now outdated due to an LSAC policy change - please see New Option to Withdraw Your LSAT Registration From LSAC.

***

If you're simply curious about former LSAC policy, see the now-outdated: Cancel LSAT If You Missed The Test Date Change Deadline?

***

This post is meant for anyone who registered for a particular LSAT date, then missed the deadline to postpone (and wishes they hadn't).

I initially wrote this post for June 2009 LSAT-takers, who were the first ones to deal with the earlier-than-usual test-date-change deadline. However, this post also applies to all future LSAT-takers.

As I previously mentioned on the blog, this deadline is earlier than ever before - 3 weeks prior to the test date. (See why LSAC decided to make the test-date-change deadline earlier.)

The early postponement deadline causes admissions-related dilemmas for anyone who wishes to postpone but missed the deadline.

This post will help you figure out what to do now that you've missed the deadline, and it will show you how to avoid any negative marks on your LSDAS report.

(Note: LSDAS is LSAC's Credential Assembly Service --- formerly known as the Law School Data Assembly Service. Like Prince, aka O(+> , they've rebranded. Who said LSAC wasn't hip?)

Here are excerpts from a couple of emails I've received in the past week about missing the postponement deadline:

"Although I've been preparing for a while I am not as far along as I need to be..i.e. I'm still working on the fundamentals- not taking timed tests.
Worse still, due to the "economic crisis" I have to take on a second job starting (you guessed it!) this week.
Having to manage these two jobs over the next two weeks will prevent me from gaining any real ground in my studies. In about a month they should level off and I will return to my 40hour work week.
So, given the new LSAC policies...what should I do? Take the test and cancel my score?
Take the absence?
To me an absence reveals that I am at least intelligent enough to assess myself.
How can an absence be seen as flaky when we now have two weeks for legitimate conflicts to arise? Its not as though I'm waking up the morning of with reservations.
To me a score cancellation reads as a bad performance or an expression of self-doubt.
How do you think admissions will read these two different labels in light of LSAC's new policy?"

"I just spoke to the LSAC people and they inform me that I can't cancel my date, just the score."

What you should do if you've missed the LSAT postponement deadline:
I feel your pain. You've missed the deadline, and LSAC won't let you cancel your "date" beforehand via email or phone.

In the dating world, refusal to take "no" for an answer is considered a sign of an abusive relationship.

However, it's perfectly acceptable in the world of law school admissions. Go figure. (That's just a joke, LSAC. I ♥ you guys.)


You have 4 main options:

Option #1: Just don't show up to the LSAT. Why miss work or school to run a pointless errand when you already told LSAC you weren't going?

Option #2: Show up to the LSAT and cancel without taking the exam.

Option #3: Show up to the LSAT and take the exam to get a sense of what your "real" LSAT test center experience will be like in September (or December). Cancel after the exam.

Option #4: Show up and take the exam even though you don't feel ready. Don't cancel and let the score stay on your record, whatever it may be.


After hearing from a few admission officers, it turns out that Option #1 is fine, despite the fact that you might think it appears irresponsible. When I emailed Dean Edward Tom of UC Berkeley at Boalt Hall about a student who'd been an LSAT absentee, Dean Tom said, "No, it shouldn't prejudice her application. She may wish to provide a short explanation via an addendum."

Option #4 isn't a good idea because you also don't want a low LSAT score on your record. Even if the schools you're considering don't average scores, one high LSAT score still looks better than a low score and a high one. Take it once and get it done right the first time.

Option #2 is fine. You can show up and immediately cancel when the exam starts. Many other students will end up having to do the exact same thing.

However, Option #3 may be even better. You've already paid the full fee. Since you missed the postponement deadline, you won't get any of your money back anyway, and you'll already have a cancellation on your record.

Why not take the opportunity to get used to the test center experience? Just cancel your score at the very end of the exam. Doing this will make September seem much less scary.

However, there's one big reason that you might consider Option #1 over Option #3:

Score cancellations count towards the no-more-than-3-LSATs-per-2-years-rule, while absences don't.

I recently emailed LSAC to double-check this. LSAC replied, "An absentee does not count as one of the three times that you can take the test in the two year period."

If you suspect that you might end up needing all 3 LSATs over a 2-year period, being absent is probably the better choice.

How the earlier LSAT postponement deadline will affect admission officers' views on score cancellations:
As things currently stand, LSAC score reports will not distinguish between:

- Students who show up on test day and cancel their test registration because they couldn't do so after they missed the postponement deadline.
- Students who didn't decide to cancel until during or after the exam.

However, score reports do distinguish between score cancellations and absences.

Due to the earlier LSAT postponement deadline, increasing numbers of applicants will have score cancellations and absences on their records. For this reason, I suspect that score cancellations and absences will have fewer negative connotations than they previously did.

(This creates a silver lining for students who didn't plan to cancel their scores on test day, but then something unexpected occurred. These students will "luck out" due to this ambiguity on the score report.)

I asked Dean Tom to comment on how admissions deans will consider LSAT cancellations in light of the now-earlier postponement deadline:

"Things will become more relaxed. They will at Berkeley. I think it's always a good idea to provide an explanatory addendum, regardless of the reason. "

After I published this blog post on Thursday afternoon, Anna Ivey, former Dean of Admissions at University of Chicago Law School (and independent law school admission consultant) wrote:

I agree 100% with your advice. It may sound counter-intuitive, but a cancellation actually looks better than a no-show. I always tell applicants that one cancellation is not the end of the world -- everyone can have a bad day, and admissions officers know that. I don't think they look askance at one cancellation (or at least I never did when I was an admissions officer). More than one cancellation does start to make you look flaky, though, so if you cancel the June test, you've basically used up your one non-flaky-looking cancellation. Please don't wake up with the flu in September, and if you do, then that's a good reason to write an addendum (canceling more than once).

So if you need to physically show up at the test anyway just to be able to cancel it (and avoid a no-show on your record), why not stick around and get the upside of a practice LSAT in a real testing environment? Don't keep the score though. There's no point in having a score from a day when you aren't feeling in peak form. With the LSAT, it's best to take one bite at the apple. Do it once, and do it right.

Also be sure to see Anna Ivey's more recent thoughts at the end of this blog post.


Dean Sarah Zearfoss of the University of Michigan Law School emailed me on Friday afternoon:

Having a single "absence" show on a report is absolutely nothing from an admissions officer's perspective--unlike a cancellation, an absence means that you were never exposed to the test, and so it doesn't look like you got one free run-through before getting a score. (And to be clear, having a single cancellation doesn't look weird, either--although a pattern may.) Of course, having multiple absences does start looking a little flaky, so it is true that a candidate needs to be very careful to clear his/her calendar for October or December and be sure to show up for the test--or, at least, to postpone the test in accordance with LSAC's timeline.

I note that originally, it seemed a little unfair to me that someone would have an absence b/c it seemed wrong to treat someone who tried to alert LSAC to the forthcoming absence three weeks in advance with a candidate who, say, just didn't show up. But upon further reflection, I changed my mind, concluding that there's just no good way to make a distinction between "people who are behaving as responsibly as possible but who missed the applicable deadline" and "people who simply were blase and didn't show up." At least--I can think of a million hypotheticals where whatever distinction you make ends up being the wrong one (which may simply be the result of my law school training). After all, it is true that however excusably (for example, one candidate we've heard from is a paralegal who now has a trial scheduled for the week of the LSAT), the candidate hasn't satisfied the timeline posted and explained by LSAC. It's not a big deal at all, but a notation of absence seems to me to accurately reflect the situation.

UPDATE (December 4, 2009):

I've left some additional thoughts on the decision of whether to cancel or be absent in the comments on this blog post here.


UPDATE (February 2, 2010):

I received the following email from Anna Ivey (who is also quoted above):

I've been fielding some questions about what I said in this blog post. On reflection I'm thinking that applicants SHOULD go with a no-show rather than a cancellation after all if it's too late to reschedule the test. I talked to a number of admissions officers about this, and while there is some split in opinion, the no-show camp ended up persuading me.

Test Day Tips for the June 2009 LSAT

Taking the LSAT soon? Make sure to read my big list of LSAT Test Day Tips as well as LSAC's Test Day Rules.

I suspect that most of the Possible Test Center Violations in LSAC's rules are actually definite test center violations. Example:

6. Bringing a weapon or firearm into the test center.

Please save everyone at your test center a lot of trouble and don't bring your weapons and firearms. You can stop off at home after the test before going on that long-awaited hunting trip.

Also, under Items Prohibited at the Test Center (emphasis added):

IMPORTANT: Electronic devices, including cell phones, are not permitted in the test center, and the use of any electronic device is strictly prohibited. Any test taker discovered using or having in his or her possession an electronic device, including but not limited to cell phones, pay phones, pagers, iPods™ or other media players, or personal computers will be dismissed from the test...

Why did they add "pay phones" to the list? I'm just venturing a guess here, but back when people actually used pay phones, some not-too bright LSAT-taker must have ripped a pay phone out of the ground and brought it to a test center. I'm not sure that pay phones need a separate mention anyway, though, because I've never seen a pay phone that would fit inside a one-gallon "ziplock bag."

However, rules are rules. Don't bring phones of any kind, whether they're cell phones or pay phones.

***

This week, the webcomic XKCD demonstrates a practical application of Logic Games:



Photo by dwallick
(I believe that sign appears at Hard Rock Cafes around the world.)

Preparing for the June 2011 LSAT Experimental Section

In my LSAT study schedules, I recommend that you include extra sections in your practice exams. Why would I recommend such a cruel and difficult task?

Because LSAC uses test-takers as lab rats (like many organizations that administer standardized exams - think back to the SAT). LSAC includes an unscored experimental section on the LSAT and doesn't tell you which one it is. If you knew which one it was, you'd probably take a nap to recuperate between the sections you care about - the scored ones.

To LSAC's credit, this practice increases the validity of the scored sections of future LSATs. The experimental section allows LSAC to pre-test questions with several thousand applicants, helping LSAC determine which questions deserve to make it into future scored sections.

On the other hand, not knowing which section is the experimental can make it difficult to decide whether or not to cancel your score. If you bomb the experimental section, it may affect your performance on the other sections. Additionally, being forced to "donate" 35 minutes of free research for LSAC after paying to take the LSAT hardly seems fair.

Regardless, because you'll see a 5-section exam on test day, rather than the 4 you're used to seeing in your books of PrepTests, it's essential to prepare.

I decided to write this post after blog reader Katie wrote to me this week with the following question:

I have been taking 4 section timed tests for a while now but am starting to take 5 and 6 section timed tests as you suggest. I have two questions:

1. I assume that the type of "extra" section(s) I include should vary from test to test. For example, on one day, I would add a logic games section and the next day either a reading comprehension or a logical reasoning section. Is this what you would recommend?

2. What is the best way to score these tests? Which section do I omit? I took a test last night and did an extra logical reasoning section. The scoring for the test I took the extra section from was very different from the full test I was taking - does this make sense? I want to make sure I'm getting an accurate read of my performance.

Varying extra sections
There are two main approaches I'd recommend:

-You can rotate the type of "extra" section(s) that you use.
-You can make the extra section(s) the one that you like the least.

For most people, a combination of the two is probably ideal. Figure out which type of section you dread the most, and include it more often than the others.


Which section to omit
This makes perfect sense, Katie. To get the most accurate score reading, omit the section(s) that are not from the original exam. Different exams have different scales.


Another tip on preparing for the experimental section:

Mix up sections.
As I said earlier, on test day, you won't know which section is the experimental. For this reason, you may want to lay out the sections from each PrepTest beforehand. Take two from the "scored" exam and one "unscored" experimental, and mix them together.

This way, you won't know which ones are scored and which ones aren't, and you'll be forced to put the same effort into each.

Photo by happysteve

Why NOT to use Adderall and NoDoz to Study for the LSAT

Students often take Adderall and NoDoz in a misguided attempt to study the LSAT 10 hours a day, which is just too much. You don't want to end up like Jessie Spano from Saved by the Bell, a classic burnout case.

I'm not a healthcare expert, so I certainly advise you to do your own research. If you actually have the condition for which Adderall and similar medications are prescribed, this post does not apply to you. This post is written for those who do not have ADD or ADHD but seek out these drugs for a "boost." Since it's a common misconception that study drugs are uniformly helpful on the LSAT, I'd like to offer some evidence to the contrary.

Negative in the long-term
Needless to say, caffeine or Adderall may give you a short-term boost, but both can lead to psychological dependence - in short, they're addictive. Using Adderall without a prescription is illegal. Besides, if you "need" pills for the LSAT, will you also "need" them throughout law school, studying for the bar, and throughout your career?

Stimulants can hurt more than they help
Adderall and other stimulants may actually hurt your LSAT performance more than they help. Additionally, they can cause sleep deprivation.

The intense concentration these stimulants allow may actually prevent the creative "thinking-outside-the-box" mindset that some Logical Reasoning questions require. The drugs can also bog you down in the details of Reading Comprehension passages, where reading for structure is more important.

Since I'm not a psychiatrist or neuroscientist, I'd like to refer you to a recent article in the New Yorker, "Brain Gain: The underground world of “neuroenhancing” drugs."


A few excerpts from the New Yorker article
This excerpt supports the idea that Adderall may harm your ability to do Logical Reasoning and Reading Comp:

That afternoon, he went to the library, where he spent “too much time researching a paper rather than actually writing it—a problem, I can assure you, that is common to all intellectually curious students on stimulants.”

So does this one:

“It only works as a cognitive enhancer insofar as you are dedicated to accomplishing the task at hand,” he said. “The number of times I’ve taken Adderall late at night and decided that, rather than starting my paper, hey, I’ll organize my entire music library! I’ve seen people obsessively cleaning their rooms on it.”

This one discusses addiction and side effects:

Drugs such as Adderall can cause nervousness, headaches, sleeplessness, and decreased appetite, among other side effects. An F.D.A. warning on Adderall’s label notes that “amphetamines have a high potential for abuse” and can lead to dependence. (The label also mentions that adults using Adderall have reported serious cardiac problems, though the role of the drug in those cases is unknown.)

Bottom line on study drugs: They may hurt more than they help. It's much healthier and safer to exercise. Regular exercise will help your sleep patterns. Eating a healthy diet (which includes breakfast!) with plenty of protein will keep your mind sharp.

Photo by alexdoddphotography / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

LSAT Test Center Ratings and Reviews

Did you take the LSAT last week? Please add to these LSAT test center ratings and reviews!

If you haven't registered for the LSAT yet, take a look to help you decide where to register.

The comments on Columbia University's LSAT test center indicate that it's the sort of test center you'd want to avoid:

"Seemed there were too many LSAT test takers or we were moved because of the SAT II test takers, but were placed in an auditorium with pretty cramped seating. Proctors were quick/efficient. Desktop pulled up from arm rest, slightly smaller than the LSAT booklet."

3 Tips to Prepare the Day Before (and Day Of) the LSAT

If you've been studying for months and your timed practice scores are close to your desired LSAT score, just relax and take the day off. If you read my big list of LSAT Test Day Tips, you'll know everything you need to deal with Test Day.

However, if you haven't studied for very long, and if your practice LSAT scores are not close to your desired LSAT score, consider postponing your test date. There's no evidence that taking the LSAT before you're ready is any more effective or satisfying than setting your money on fire and stomping on it like a caveman.

Here are 3 quick tips to de-stress the day before (and day of) the LSAT:

1. Consider NOT using a timer.

Constantly being reminded of the passage of time can really stress you out. I like to think of a silent timer as a "Panic Attack in a Box."

People ask me, "How do I know when to go to the next question if I don't use a timer?" It's simple. When you think you should go on, go on. You're probably stressed about time without having a clock to remind you, so trust yourself to avoid getting stuck on any one question.


2. Focus on each LSAT question, not your overall LSAT score.

Thinking about your overall score and how each question affects it will only make you more nervous. This is the LSAT version of Lao Tzu's famous quote, "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." Treat each question (step) separately as you proceed through the test (journey). Briefly pause between each question if necessary in order to clear your mind.


3. Get a fresh perspective on tough Logic Games.

If you begin to become nervous during the exam, particularly during Logic Games, stop for a moment and breathe deeply. Looking back at the game after a minute or two may give you a fresh perspective on it.

--
Good luck to everyone taking the LSAT tomorrow. Please let me know how it goes!

LSAT Proctors, Test Center Reviews, and Test-Taking Strategies

What will you do if the LSAT proctor at your test center doesn't give you enough time on test day? How will you deal with the guy who sniffles every 30 seconds? While this isn't as tough as trying to do a Rubik's Cube in the middle of a war zone, it can feel that way. When I took the LSAT, the proctors circled us like vultures. I wanted to reach into my clear plastic bag and toss them a sandwich so they'd leave me alone.

You're about to find out how to deal with less-than-ideal LSAT proctors and test centers, how to avoid them, and how to prepare for worst-case test day scenarios.

The LSAT Proctor:

If your LSAT proctor cuts you short on time, notify him or her immediately. It can't hurt to complain - it can only help. Getting back even 40-45 seconds to which you are entitled is significant because it can net you another question or two. LSAC's policy is to allow you to work on relevant sections after you complete section 5 for the amount of time you were shorted. Don't be shy - be assertive. You DO want to be a lawyer, right?

However, even if your proctor doesn't follow this procedure and will not listen to your complaints, obey all instructions anyway. Don't become overly argumentative, and don't cause a scene. Complete the writing section and follow all instructions - otherwise, your score may be invalidated and a mark might be placed in your file. Notify LSAC immediately after the exam of what happened. Once you're outside the test center, ask the other test-takers to do the same. Filing a report can't hurt you, so do what you can.


LSAT Test Center Reviews and LSAT Registration:

Of course, you probably want to avoid test centers like the ones mentioned above. Fortunately, other students have posted their LSAT test center reviews, so keep them in mind when you register for the LSAT, if you haven't done so already. If you know you'll be taking it on a certain date, register now. The best test centers get filled up quickly.


Test-Taking Strategies:

-Mark your answer sheet and bubble at the 5-minute warning.

The 1st page of each section lists the # of questions in the section. Make a tiny line on your answer sheet under that number. This will help you save time and prevent you from mis-bubbling. Tie up loose ends on your answer sheet when the proctor announces there are only 5 minutes left. This is especially important in case the LSAT proctor cuts your time short, which occasionally happens. You also won't have to watch the clock every few seconds at the end of the section.


-Take some practice exams under actual LSAT conditions.

-Noise

Especially in winter months, some of the other test-takers might be sick. Bring tissues and cough drops to keep them quiet. However, you don't know if this will be enough, and there might be other noises around you. For this reason, take practice LSAT exams in various public places like coffee shops or libraries. If you can take the LSAT with people around you, you can take it anywhere. Remember, earplugs are not permitted on test day.

-Motion

The proctors may walk around the room throughout the course of the exam and keep a close eye on you. The other test-takers might highlight, underline, and erase excessively. Again, this means you should take the LSAT in places you would expect to be much worse than your test center.

-Pacing

Many students flip out when they see others turn the page before they do. They think, "I'm falling behind already. I'd better skip these questions and move on." Remember the other test-takers may have a completely different pacing strategy than you do, or maybe they just don't know what they're doing.

Stay focused on your pacing strategy, and remain confident in your techniques. Do some practice exams with a friend. This will help you get used to being around people who write or turn pages faster than you. Have a friend proctor a practice LSAT so you'll get used to having someone else keep time.

10 Tips to Prepare for the Day of the LSAT

Make sure to save this and re-read it the week before your exam so you'll know what to do.

The week before:

1. Visit your LSAT test center.

The best way to get rid of pre-test jitters is to see where you'll be taking the LSAT.

2. Decide what you'll wear.

This isn't Project Runway - I'm talking about comfort. Wear a couple of layers, including your lucky t-shirt or sweatshirt. It doesn't matter what time of year it is. The room you're in might be hot or cold. Hoodies aren't permitted, though. When I took the LSAT, security wouldn't let me bring mine in. I was forced to stash it in a nearby park because test centers don't have a place to check banned items.


3. Decide what you'll bring.

Fill a see-through plastic bag with your admission ticket, #2 pencils, energy bars, bananas, a bottle of water, photo ID, a logic game (#9 explains why), and an analog watch. Make sure you bring a watch because it's possible that the room won't have a clock. Consider bringing a magazine or something to read on your way to the test center. See the Law School Admissions Council's day of test rules since the rules are updated frequently. Security does not allow you to bring a cell phone, so plan how you'll manage.


4. Relax the day before your exam.

If you studied for a decent period of time, one more day won't make a big difference. It's good to take a break so you don't burn out. Remember - there's a world beyond the LSAT!


5. Get to bed early the night before and set multiple alarms.

You want to be well-rested for the exam. Make sure you don't drink anything with caffeine after 3PM.


The morning of your exam:

6. Rise and shine.

Hopefully, you've been waking up early all week and you're well-rested, so this shouldn't be difficult.


7. Eat a big breakfast.

I've heard several people recommend that you eat a light breakfast. I believe that it's better to eat a full meal. Remember, you will be at your test center for several hours. I've heard stories of students being stuck at their test center for half a day or longer after the LSAT proctor screwed up. This probably won't happen, but it's best to be prepared so you're not hungry.


8. Leave for the test center early.

You never know when you'll have a traffic jam or public transportation delay. If you'll be getting there by car, save the phone number of a local taxi service just in case your car breaks down or won't start. This is especially important if you're taking the LSAT in the winter, and you live somewhere cold.


9. Complete a logic game right before the exam.

When you're just outside test center, take a few minutes to re-do your "favorite" logic game or a few logical reasoning questions that didn't give you any trouble. Completing these will boost your confidence and get your brain warmed-up. This way, your first LSAT question of the day won't be the first one on the real exam.


10. Chill.

The LSAT's only a test. Of course it's a big deal, but if test day doesn't go according to plan, you'll always be able to retake it, and you can cancel your score up to six days after the test date.