Not showing up to your test date--QUESTION Forum

[Fiera]

Hi, does anyone know if you can just not show up to your LSAT test day without rescheduling? I know for the SAT you could not show up and the test you paid for would rollover to whenever you wanted to take it after that. I was told misinformation that the LSAT was like that, but it seems like there's a rescheduling fee and it can only be moved to December or Feb. I need to move it to next October, so this doesn't help....Am I screwed to lose my money?? And do they care if people don't show up? This sucks, $139 down the drain. :/

[Jeffort]

Hi, does anyone know if you can just not show up to your LSAT test day without rescheduling? I know for the SAT you could not show up and the test you paid for would rollover to whenever you wanted to take it after that. I was told misinformation that the LSAT was like that, but it seems like there's a rescheduling fee and it can only be moved to December or Feb. I need to move it to next October, so this doesn't help....Am I screwed to lose my money?? And do they care if people don't show up? This sucks, $139 down the drain. :/

You should read through the stuff on the LSAC site, it doesn't take long and the information is really easy to find.

http://www.lsac.org/JD/LSAT/test-dates-us-oct11.asp

The re-schedule your test date for a fee deadline expired minutes ago (midnight ET) 09/11/11

Of course you can pull a no-show on test day, but then an absent will be reported on your CAS report that law schools you apply to get.

You can also withdraw your registration up to midnight the day before the test online and nothing will appear on your CAS report, so the law schools will never know. If you go that route you forfeit the registration fee you paid and have to pay again to register for another administration.

[Fiera]

I literally just found that page as you replied, funny. But thank you for the link! I should've checked the FAQ but I lose my patience with those, as I find they oftentimes don't give complete answers and I still have to call with questions. But anyways, I think I read you get a partial refund with a withdrawal....? Anybody have experience with that? I think that's my only option at this point. Sigh.

[Fiera]

Dang it, I missed the deadline. That really sucks. I totally didn't take it seriously when I signed up for the October test because I didn't think I would actually end up taking it. Consequently didn't research. Consequently just lost $139.

[suspicious android]

You can also withdraw your registration up to midnight the day before the test online and nothing will appear on your CAS report, so the law schools will never know. If you go that route you forfeit the registration fee you paid and have to pay again to register for another administration.

Is this a recent change? I coulda sworn that they made it so that you couldn't withdraw the last week or so before the test, which didn't make any sense, but that link suggests that you can withdraw till midnight the day before the test, which is a reasonable deadline.

[soj]

You can also withdraw your registration up to midnight the day before the test online and nothing will appear on your CAS report, so the law schools will never know. If you go that route you forfeit the registration fee you paid and have to pay again to register for another administration.

Is this a recent change? I coulda sworn that they made it so that you couldn't withdraw the last week or so before the test, which didn't make any sense, but that link suggests that you can withdraw till midnight the day before the test, which is a reasonable deadline.

Yeah, I think it's been this way only since June 2011.

[Jeffort]

You can also withdraw your registration up to midnight the day before the test online and nothing will appear on your CAS report, so the law schools will never know. If you go that route you forfeit the registration fee you paid and have to pay again to register for another administration.

Is this a recent change? I coulda sworn that they made it so that you couldn't withdraw the last week or so before the test, which didn't make any sense, but that link suggests that you can withdraw till midnight the day before the test, which is a reasonable deadline.

Yes, it is a recent change LSAC put into effect shortly before the June test.

On Thursday May 12th LSAC sent out an email blast to everyone registered for the June test announcing the policy change adding the withdraw option. Then on the morning of Friday the 13th (cue up cheesy horror movies) LSAC updated their web page to show the new "Withdraw LSAT Registration" option, thereby adding a last minute chicken-exit so that nothing goes 'on your permanent record' if for whatever reason one decides to or cannot show up for the test the next day.

I'm happy they brought the option back so people can again avoid having either a cancel or absent on their CAS report all the way up to midnight the day before the test. We're back to the good ole days where students don't have to go through the starting more than three weeks before the test trying to predict the future -should I postpone, cancel or be absent? I don't know if I'll be ready to hit my goal score- freakout phase.

I'm pretty sure the option was reincarnated in its new form partially because law school admission committees were having a lot of trouble trying to figure out how to interpret score reports with multiple scores and/or canceled scores and/or absent notations. Now it's back to where having an absent notation on a score report, absent some emergency thing that can be explained and documented with proof later like a car accident day of test, means unprepared/irresponsible flake applicant.

I've talked to many admission committee people/offices and they have been getting really tired of getting and reading tons of total bull$hit excuse filled addendums about absent and/or canceled score marks and/or multiple reported scores in applicants CAS reports and trying to figure out how to judge all of it fairly.

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