Feb test confiscated after break ... advice please? Forum

[PDaddy]

Whats the use of an appeal at this point though? I mean your score would be horrible since you didn't finish two sections and I do not think you would get a free retake since you clearly violated the rules, i.e. not bringing cell phones into the testing center. I really don't think an appeal is doing anything for you.

On the the upside though, if you write an addendum when you apply, hoepfully schools will not hold the incident against you.

There would be no score. The penalties for a violation is the score cancelled and irregularities notices to the schools as well as the bar(s) upon graduation - if OP should ever get to go to law school. In some cases, the score cancellation is a good thing, but if OP were headed for a 170+, it's a bad thing.

The proctors clearly told OP before the exam that no cell phones were allowed. If OP had a good reason for keeping the phone near, the proctors would have kept OP's phone for him/her. Before handing out the materials, and certainly before testing, they usually give the examinees a chance to turn in any banned items.

I don't believe OP; it sounds as if he/she WAS trying to cheat. Live and learn.

[PDaddy]

I agree with Matlock, a lot of people study really hard for the LSAT, and when one point can make or break you if you are borderline, it is incredibly unfair to them to do this. You could of not taken it and written an addendum with proof for law schools about why you couldn't show. Or you could of accepted that there was nothing you could of done from the testing center if your son got worse; what would you have done? Left the test halfway and driven home? The outcome as far as you would of been concerned is thus the same. Except with what you did you may have inadvertently hurt someone's chances of getting into their dream school.

Could/would he "of", or could/would he "have"? LOL. You walked into that one.

[PDaddy]

I feel like law schools are more forgiving than LSAC.

Yes. Especially if you couch this as a brain-fart ("I knew the rule and meant to put the phone back in my car after the break, but out of habit slipped it into my pocket. When I realized my error back in the test room, I tried to remove the battery to eliminate any appearance of impropriety and was dismissed from the testing center.")

I would call LSAT, however, to ask how this event will be described on your file -- I would assume it will say "Dismissed for Possession of Forbidden Object in Test Room" or something vague.

You should be prepared to provide to the LSAC and law schools copies of your cell-phone bill to prove that your phone was not used during the exam. The other thing that complicates things is that your cell-phone number is listed with law schools and with the LSAC, no? The bill of whatever phone/line you claim to have been yours that day needs to match up with what you say was going on with your son, i.e., calls to the home, doctor, from the nurse/babysitter, etc. If you aren't prepared to provide electronic proof, don't even bother appealing.

[blhblahblah]

I feel like law schools are more forgiving than LSAC.

Yes. Especially if you couch this as a brain-fart ("I knew the rule and meant to put the phone back in my car after the break, but out of habit slipped it into my pocket. When I realized my error back in the test room, I tried to remove the battery to eliminate any appearance of impropriety and was dismissed from the testing center.")

I would call LSAT, however, to ask how this event will be described on your file -- I would assume it will say "Dismissed for Possession of Forbidden Object in Test Room" or something vague.

You should be prepared to provide to the LSAC and law schools copies of your cell-phone bill to prove that your phone was not used during the exam. The other thing that complicates things is that your cell-phone number is listed with law schools and with the LSAC, no? The bill of whatever phone/line you claim to have been yours that day needs to match up with what you say was going on with your son, i.e., calls to the home, doctor, from the nurse/babysitter, etc. If you aren't prepared to provide electronic proof, don't even bother appealing.

To be fair, you would also have to provide proof of when the break started and when it ended, so as to prove that OP's telephone call overlapped only with this time interval, and not at any other time during the administration. Doubt this can be done to any degree of satisfaction, however.

Is writing an appeal letter to LSAC my only option?
Is this a situation where a "warning" should have been given instead?

1) Yes, but expect your appeal to be denied. You should also write a brief addendum in your law school applications explaining the situation.
2) No, the proctor followed protocol correctly.

This.

[spearnreel]

When one door closes another one opens. Try looking at this as a blessing in disguise...any alternative avenue to persue if a legal career didn't quite work out?

[wakefield]

Should anything have happened during test Mom would have taken him to hospital and I would have left test center immediately.

I just want to know how artlaw would have "immediately" left if there was only one opportunity to check in during the 5+ hours at the test center.

[yung]

I don't think appealing would do much for you...while the reason was sound, as rule was still broken...

[lostjake]

Just appeal, don't offer any information that LSAC doesn't ask for. I've never heard of anyone getting a black mark on their record because of something like this. Or even writing after the time limit was up. I would start by appealing and DEMANDING that they let you take the next test free of charge. That way they know where you stand and they'll be happy with just letting it go and you paying for the next test. $$$ is king, no matter where you go, or who you talk to.