Another "should I cancel?" thread Forum

[alexdough]

Hi everyone,
So I retook the LSAT yesterday after taking it in October and getting a 170. Maybe retaking wasn't the best idea, but in October I botched the RC section and based on PTs I was expecting over a 170. So when I got a post-graduation job and decided to hold off on law school another year I signed up to retake in February.
Anyway, I'm concerned because the LG is usually my best section and yesterday I ran out of time and had to randomly bubble in D for three questions. Also one or two on the snowplow game could have been wrong. The rest of the test felt normal, although after reading people's reactions here I'm starting to doubt myself.
Should I cancel? If this were my first time taking the test this wouldn't be an issue, but since anything under a 170 would be pretty embarrassing, I'm starting to freak out.
Advice?

[flepper]

Maybe do some contingency calculations. First, decide what score you'd be happy with, and why - you aiming for a Top 10 school, I'm assuming?

Next see what the curves have been like for past tests, try to predict a worst-case scenario for how many you got wrong, and see what score you'd get. Also, how have you scored on similarly difficult practice tests? At some point all of us have to leave it a bit to luck; very few of us know how many we actually get wrong, and have to just wait and see our score.

170 and a second very similar score isn't terrible, unless you're aiming for sure-thing at some T14s.

[Ganesh]

It's hard to say without knowing your recent PT average and range

[alexdough]

Recent PT scores were 170-175, and the lowest when I was studying for October was a 168.

And yes, I'm aiming for a Top 14... so let's say I get a 168 this time around, would that be a deal breaker for somewhere like Berkeley?

Thanks

[northwood]

if you tested within your pt range, you should be happy wiht the 170. its normal to test at the low end of your range.

however, count up how many you think you got wrong, then factor that in for a curve of -11. if you would be happy with that keep it. ( i say curve of -11 because you wont know the curve, and chances are it will be more generous than that)