how to be certain you should cancel? Forum

[countpillager]

I scored a 146 on the lsat in dec 2009, significantly lower than my 160 practice scores. I have terrible test anxiety, so I decided to retake the LSAT in Feb, confident that I got the jitters out of my system, and could score the 160 that I know I'm capable of scoring. I feel as though I bombed it. I did terrible on LG, only completing the first game and getting three or four on the other games. I didn't even read the last RC passage. I am not a stupid person, I just cannot take standardized tests well. Personally, I don't think the Feb LSAT was hard, I thought it was fair and straight forward. Using my genie skills, I think the best score I'll get if i dont cancel is a 156. My GPA is a 3.5 (not too impressive, but good enough to get into the law schools I applied at.)

I applied to Tennessee, UNC (reach), South Carolina, and Michigan State.

Do you think I should cancel? IMO its better to submit ONE 146 score than TWO 146's. I would like honest advice here, please be nice, I already feel bad enough

[booboo]

Looking at the raw score for a 146, it seems you would have to get around ~50 wrong. For a 156, you would have to get approximately ~30 wrong. The question is now referred back to you. Do you think you got closer to 30 wrong or 50 wrong? I would not suggest allowing two 146's stand on their own, especially if you plan to retake, seeing as adcomms may not look at it favorably. Having two 146's also helps you in no way in regards to admissions, as opposed to a 146, cancel.

[meddlingkid]

I think you should wait to get your score. I took the LSAT twice also, and the second time I was convinced that I had bombed RC...turns out that was my best section.

[Gwen]

Booboo gave some solid advice. I'm curious as to how you studied. When I started off with the LSAT my first practice test was a 142 and I scored a 163 in June 2009 after several months of intense studying.

[countpillager]

thank you so much for your honest advice. I took the Kaplan online course back in November. I thought it was a complete waste of time. So i took it upon myself to hire a tutor. She was great! I felt confident and I studied a few hours each day, 5 days a week. I took PTs and scored usually a 158 (highest was a 160).

Do you think its better to cancel this score, and wait to take the test in June? Is there anyway they would look at a June score? It would delay going to law school which is the absolute LAST thing i want to do, given the Michigan economy and the lack of jobs, I am dying to get out of here.

[Gwen]

thank you so much for your honest advice. I took the Kaplan online course back in November. I thought it was a complete waste of time. So i took it upon myself to hire a tutor. She was great! I felt confident and I studied a few hours each day, 5 days a week. I took PTs and scored usually a 158 (highest was a 160).

Do you think its better to cancel this score, and wait to take the test in June? Is there anyway they would look at a June score? It would delay going to law school which is the absolute LAST thing i want to do, given the Michigan economy and the lack of jobs, I am dying to get out of here.

If I were you I'd cancel, retake in June and apply during the next cycle. I'd also spend all of my free time between now and June becoming one with the LSAT and look in to strategies (or medicines) that would help me cope with my test anxiety. However since you claim that you cannot wait I hope you applied to a wide range of schools. With a 3.5 and 146 I bet there are some schools that would accept you but it won't be a top law school.

[ogman05]

Only completed 1 game and missed an entire RC screams cancel to me. You need to take more tests in tough situations to get over some of that anxiety. If you are that farr off you need help. If you have similar performance on sat and did well in UG submit that in an addendum. You have two choices. You can cancel and retake. Or see what your score is and if bad then retake. I think you will do yourself a great disservice applying with a 146(30%) vs. 160(83%). That is a huge gap and says a lot in itself. Id gear up for June and make sure you have taken 30 tests or so in classrooms or your testing area etc. you may have to do this to help with anxiety. Learn to beat the test. Do sections in 30 mins. Make sure nothing can beat you down. It will help. the more habit you develop by test day you will just be following that habit and less apt to anxiety.

[countpillager]

Booboo gave some solid advice. I'm curious as to how you studied. When I started off with the LSAT my first practice test was a 142 and I scored a 163 in June 2009 after several months of intense studying.

Would you mind telling me how you studied? What is "intense" in your opinion? Maybe my opinion of intense isn't enough... My life was consumed by studying. No social life, no full time job, no college, just straight up LSAT. And i still bombed....

[Cupidity]

I scored a 146 on the lsat in dec 2009, significantly lower than my 160 practice scores. I have terrible test anxiety, so I decided to retake the LSAT in Feb, confident that I got the jitters out of my system, and could score the 160 that I know I'm capable of scoring. I feel as though I bombed it. I did terrible on LG, only completing the first game and getting three or four on the other games. I didn't even read the last RC passage. I am not a stupid person, I just cannot take standardized tests well. Personally, I don't think the Feb LSAT was hard, I thought it was fair and straight forward. Using my genie skills, I think the best score I'll get if i dont cancel is a 156. My GPA is a 3.5 (not too impressive, but good enough to get into the law schools I applied at.)

I applied to Tennessee, UNC (reach), South Carolina, and Michigan State.

Do you think I should cancel? IMO its better to submit ONE 146 score than TWO 146's. I would like honest advice here, please be nice, I already feel bad enough

dude....

with a 146, you have to keep it. You need the chance that you improved.

[ogman05]

thank you so much for your honest advice. I took the Kaplan online course back in November. I thought it was a complete waste of time. So i took it upon myself to hire a tutor. She was great! I felt confident and I studied a few hours each day, 5 days a week. I took PTs and scored usually a 158 (highest was a 160).

Do you think its better to cancel this score, and wait to take the test in June? Is there anyway they would look at a June score? It would delay going to law school which is the absolute LAST thing i want to do, given the Michigan economy and the lack of jobs, I am dying to get out of here.

Based on this I want to make sure that you are not just rounding off. Make sure you keep identical testing situations (eg. timing, 5 sections, 15 mins break) All of that. 1 minute can make a huge difference. MAke sure you are within time constratints and dont cheat yourself. Not saying you are but be careful to be making real gains.

[countpillager]

I scored a 146 on the lsat in dec 2009, significantly lower than my 160 practice scores. I have terrible test anxiety, so I decided to retake the LSAT in Feb, confident that I got the jitters out of my system, and could score the 160 that I know I'm capable of scoring. I feel as though I bombed it. I did terrible on LG, only completing the first game and getting three or four on the other games. I didn't even read the last RC passage. I am not a stupid person, I just cannot take standardized tests well. Personally, I don't think the Feb LSAT was hard, I thought it was fair and straight forward. Using my genie skills, I think the best score I'll get if i dont cancel is a 156. My GPA is a 3.5 (not too impressive, but good enough to get into the law schools I applied at.)

I applied to Tennessee, UNC (reach), South Carolina, and Michigan State.

Do you think I should cancel? IMO its better to submit ONE 146 score than TWO 146's. I would like honest advice here, please be nice, I already feel bad enough

dude....

with a 146, you have to keep it. You need the chance that you improved.

Do you suggest keeping it if i decide i absolutely have to go to LS this term? Would you suggest keeping it, and if i happen to score another 146, then retaking it again in June? I'm pretty certain that if i score two 146s..my chances of getting into any decent school, even if i score a 170 on my 3rd try, are shot!

[Gwen]

Booboo gave some solid advice. I'm curious as to how you studied. When I started off with the LSAT my first practice test was a 142 and I scored a 163 in June 2009 after several months of intense studying.

Would you mind telling me how you studied? What is "intense" in your opinion? Maybe my opinion of intense isn't enough... My life was consumed by studying. No social life, no full time job, no college, just straight up LSAT. And i still bombed....

Well since I have a family, I couldn't completely shut off my social life, however, I did spend every free minute I had and down time at work either going over a timed exam I took the day before or practicing my reading comprehension strategy on a couple passages. In addition to putting the time in, you have to study smart focusing on your weakness while making sure you don't totally neglect areas you've deemed your strengths. I studied for almost 6 months.

If the anxiety you are experiencing during the test is due to you feeling unprepared, you haven't studied enough. If it's true performance anxiety, learn some calming techniques or ask your doctor for a script.

[beebs]

I took the LSAT twice. First time, post-test, I felt like I didn't do well. Actual score? Didn't do very well. Second time I took it, felt like I killed it. Actual score? Killed it.

Take it for what it is, but trust your gut. If you think you didn't do as well as you wanted, cancel. Take it again.

[JusticeHarlan]

I took the LSAT twice. First time, post-test, I felt like I didn't do well. Actual score? Didn't do very well. Second time I took it, felt like I killed it. Actual score? Killed it.

Take it for what it is, but trust your gut. If you think you didn't do as well as you wanted, cancel. Take it again.

Not to confuse you, OP, but on the flip side of this I walked out of my test thinking I'd done rather well compared to my practice tests, then got my score and saw I'd underperformed them by a decent amount. So sometimes its hard to tell.

beebs is right, though, only you can tell how you did, and you have to trust your feel for the test. Good luck either way, and I hope things work out well for you. Canceling and retaking is far from the end of the world, if it comes down to that.

[countpillager]

Playing a bit of devils advoate here
If schools take the top score, what's the point in canceling? Why not just keep the 146, keep the 2nd bomber, and try again in June hoping for a 160?

I probably know the answer to this question, because it reflects poorly on your application...but I wanted everyone's opinion.

[Norwood]

Usually I would tell people to cancel their exam if they even ponder the question whether to or not. However, in your situation you have a very low score already and there's no where to go but up especially if you say you were practicing in the 160s. So unless you fell asleep at your last test then you should at least have some improvement. Even if you underperformed again you still would have a better score than 146 which will help you in THIS cycle. I still suggest that you reconsider retaking the June LSAT if you don't score 156+.