LSAT Score Trends

LBIsurfer

I have score 162 and 167 on my first two LSATs. I am aiming for a 170 but have never scored over a 166 on PTs. Would it hurt me (for admissions purposes) to take the April LSAT I am signed up for if I am just as likely to score lower as I am to score higher? I assume law schools would see a downward trend as a red flag.

The alternative would be to study another few months and focus on my weakness (LG) then take again in June/August.

However, if a lower score won't hurt me I wouldn't be opposed to taking both the April and a June/August test.

BravoEchoNov

Overall a score improvement of even 1 point will help you much more than a repeat of your current score or even a decrease of 1 point. With that being said, I think waiting a little bit to give you more time to study and hopefully improve your score is probably your best option if it is feasible for you. Best of luck!

kkole444

Hello, JY says take you recent 3 exams average them and you'll score within 3 points of that average. So if you are aiming for a 170 or so, then I would wait for the June exam if that is possible. I assume that you are wanting to apply to the 2022 cycle? On top of that LG has the most linear return on time for more questions correct. If I were you I would push off until June.
If you have take the LSAT exam twice this year then you would not be able to take the exam in April and June(maybe). I have contacted LSAC and asked because under the FAQ section it says the testing (beginning in 2019 and after..) year is from June 1st to May 31st but under their policy for retakes it says that the new testing year does not start until August which tossed a wrench into my test schedule because I wanted to retake in April and June. Retakes are not the best option for someone starting the LSAT but I was not well prepared for the first times taking the exam. But sometimes retakes are necessary.

LBIsurfer

Thank you both for the helpful comments! I am leaning toward pushing off my third test until June/August and really try to master the LG section (I usually can only get 2-3 games out of 4 in the time span). Very much appreciate your insights and advice.