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Whether you scored poorly on your first attempt or you’re simply trying to hedge your bets, students often ask, "is it bad to take the LSAT more than once?"
As a rule of thumb, law schools generally look for score improvements overall, and do not necessarily view multiple LSAT attempts as a negative factor for your application. However, an exception to this general rule would be any major score discrepancies in the past five years. We explain further below.
Does Taking The LSAT Twice Hurt You?
Taking a standardized assessment of this magnitude is a lot of work, requiring hours of study and preparation. Fortunately, the LSAT can be taken multiple times, which provides students with some sense of relief.
When considering multiple attempts, it’s important to know the limits: you can take the LSAT up to five times within a five-year period and seven times total over your lifetime. While the previous rule limiting you to three attempts per year has been removed, you still want to be strategic.
To make sure every attempt counts, programs like Blueprint offer personalized analytics that show exactly where you’re losing points so you don’t ‘burn’ one of your limited chances.
This is especially true since the August 2024 format change, which permanently removed Logic Games. For current applicants, retaking the exam is now a more focused path, as you no longer have to split your study time with complex puzzles and can instead focus entirely on mastering Logical Reasoning and Reading Comprehension.
Something else that is important to know is that scores over five years old are automatically removed from your LSAC record and therefore cannot be used on an application or seen by law schools.
According to Stetson Law, ideally, candidates will receive their desired score on the first attempt of the LSAT. Realistically, many law schools understand that this will not be the case. Law schools can see an applicant’s history of scores, cancelled or withdrawn scores, and even any no-show’s to testing appointments.
As a rule, schools do not average your scores together, but instead, look for a pattern of increase in scores over multiple tests. Weighing the pros and cons of retaking the test if you’ve already done so multiple times is incredibly important.
The LSAT has a hefty price tag attached, at $248 per test session. Therefore, thinking about whether taking the test again will be worth spending the money multiple times is essential.
Overall, law schools understand that the LSAT is a difficult and lengthy assessment that can be overwhelming. As a rule, law schools are accepting applicants that take the assessment more than once, and look for an improvement of scores after each session.
An applicant with extreme fluctuation of scores may be harder to read than one with consistently increasing scores. Another aspect to consider is that the LSAT Argumentative Writing section (a separate, unscored 50-minute task completed online) carries weight in admissions decisions.
While it doesn’t affect your 120-180 score, law schools use this essay to gauge your “real-world” persuasive ability and to differentiate between candidates with identical multiple-choice scores.
Ok, now suppose that you had a total meltdown during your exam. You froze. You weren’t adequately prepared. You might have even had pre-celebratory indulgences the night before and you had a screaming headache during the exam.
Heck, maybe you were just overwhelmed from the excitement of it all and you didn’t finish. Can you take steps to cancel your LSAT score? Quite simply, Yes. Cancelling LSAT scores is possible, but there is a catch: you typically won’t receive your actual score until three to four weeks after your test date.
Because of this, you must decide whether to cancel your LSAT score up until 11:59 pm on the sixth day after the date of your LSAT test. Once that six-day deadline passes, the score becomes permanent and cannot be canceled for any reason, even though you won’t actually see your results for another few weeks. The only exception is for first-time test takers who purchased the ‘Score Preview’ service, which allows you to see your score before deciding to keep or cancel it. Logging into your LSAC.org account will provide you with the guidelines for cancelling your LSAT score.
While that sounds easy enough, take time to do the research and make an educated decision before cancelling your LSAT score.
LSAC is very clear that there will be no refunds for score cancellations, and that requests are irrevocable and cannot be retracted. If you cancel your score, you will not receive your score, so you will forever be guessing about your performance.
This actually brings up another question that you may have…
Is It Bad To Cancel Your LSAT Score?
Do law schools care if you cancel your LSAT score? Is it a bad thing? Well, the answer to these questions is the classic “it depends.” Law schools will see cancellations on your report.
One cancelled score is not a big deal. Schools will probably assume that you had a good reason for cancelling, and realize that circumstances sometimes get in the way of your performance on the test – illnesses, emergencies, or simply a very bad day. They won’t necessarily penalize you for cancelling your score, unless it happens more than once.
More than one cancellation might result in their perception that you are not able to handle pressure or that you lack confidence in your abilities. Another way to look at it though, is that a cancelled score might be an indicator to the school that you have an advantage over other students, as you have had the benefit of taking the test before.
You should really give cancelling your LSAT score some serious thought before moving forward with it. You know that the LSAT is tough. It’s long. It is grueling. It is demanding. It drains you of every last bit of your energy. And after it’s over your mind is mush.
You are going to ask yourself why in the world you would ever put yourself through such an unnerving experience. Why would anyone? You will be haunted by it for days. Butdon’t beat yourself up. Relax. Stop overthinking it.
Chances are, that if you did all the work to properly prepare, your scores will be reflective as such. You probably did far better than you initially thought. Think back to times when you thought you bombed a test, only to be pleasantly surprised that you actually did quite well. This is no different.
Still on the fence about cancelling your LSAT score or not?
Sleep on it for a couple of days; mull it over. If you are 100% positive, without any doubts, that you miserably failed your LSAT, then cancelling your score may be the best option for you.
If not, what’s the worst that can happen? Let’s say your LSAT score doesn’t end up where you want it to be. Put a positive spin on it. You get to do it again. You already have the experience of taking the test, so for the most part you know what to expect.
Plus, you have the added benefit of your first score report (which you would not have with a score cancellation), allowing you the opportunity to review and address areas where you might need to spend a little more effort improving. While there is no guarantee that your score will go up, if you are well prepared, you can feel quite confident that your score will increase.
At the end of the day, only you know what is best for you. Take the time to think about your circumstances and learn about all of your options, and then move forward with a plan that makes you feel the most comfortable.
FAQ
Does taking the LSAT twice hurt your law school admission chances?
The answer to this question is complicated. The short answer is no; however, there are a couple scenarios where taking the LSAT multiple times could come back to bite you.
Does taking the LSAT twice look bad?
Generally speaking, it doesn’t look bad to take the LSAT twice. Law schools generally understand that test takers need retakes. In fact, almost half of all LSAT takers take it more than once.
