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Taking LSAT twice vs once/ Not ready

MadelynBMadelynB Core Member
in General 17 karma

Hey, all!

So, I decided to take the LSAT in June and in August as I read it is better to take it twice and experience the real thing first, then come prepared better the second time. But the problem is that I do not feel I will be entirely ready in June. I have been studying since January, and during the months of Feb/March, it was only sporadic study due to personal/family events. The June test is two months out vs the August four months out.

So I need your opinion/help. Should I just wait, study harder for the next four months and only take the test once?
or
Take it in June first, then in August again, even if I am not ready for the first one?

How does not doing well on the first then improving for the second affect my record regarding LSAC?

Any help/advice is much appreciated!

Take once or take twice?
  1. What should I do?70 votes
    1. Take the test in June (semi-prepared), then again in August?
      40.00%
    2. Study hard for the next four months, and only take the test in August?
      60.00%
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Comments

  • lilpinglinglilpingling Member ⭐
    638 karma

    I took it twice. I wasn't sure if I would be ready the first time and I definitely wasn't. Two months later, I was more prepared and upped my score by 10 points. I've just now started getting responses from my applications and I can honestly say that it makes no difference. They really only care about the higher of the two scores. I added an addendum to explain that the first exam took place during a difficult week for me and I performed better the second time. I'm not sure it was necessary, but it didn't hurt.

    You still have some time to think about it. As far as I know, you have until a few weeks prior to the exam to reschedule without losing your money. So you can always reschedule without losing too much money. If you don't need to take it a second time, you can cancel. On the whole, there's nothing to worry about. Even if you bump them both, you will still have plenty of time for the upcoming cycle.

  • nataliebnatalieb Member
    32 karma

    Universally, law schools only consider your highest score. That's how it goes, period. My understanding is that taking the test twice is super common. So if you're not happy with your June score and you do a lot better in August, your June score doesn't matter anymore.

    However, I don't really see a reason to take it in June if you don't feel ready. Personally I don't recommend that. There's not that much time between the June and August exams, so even if you learn a lot from how the June exam goes, you won't have that much time to use that information to help you prepare for August. What are your reasons for taking the test two months apart? I don't see any harm in it, but I don't see much benefit either.

  • tahurrrrrtahurrrrr Member
    edited April 2021 1106 karma

    Generally, I'm of the mindset that you shouldn't take a paid test until you're confident you can achieve the result you want.

    However, another thing to consider is that the June format will be shorter. In August, the test goes back to 4 or 5 sections whereas June will still be the shorter FLEX version. So it might actually be worth doing the June one since it's a less brutal test and you might surprise yourself.

  • Cynthia-2Cynthia-2 Member
    498 karma

    I thought the August test will be one Analytical Reasoning section as opposed to the normal two. Am I wrong?

  • tahurrrrrtahurrrrr Member
    1106 karma

    @"cynthiaabreu.ca" It's always been only one Analytical Reasoning Section (AR is the logic games) Did you mean Logical Reasoning? If so, it's possible that I'm mistaken (admittedly, I didn't look it up to confirm before answering)

  • Austin.hutchinson1Austin.hutchinson1 Core Member
    104 karma

    I would register for both and reassess after taking the June, and/or sign up for score preview if possible. Ive only taken it once and I definitely wasn't ready the first time, but personally it helped ground me for the rest of the year and kept me humble about the entire process. And honestly, PTs are PTs, you still don't really know where you stand until you take it. For me, my timing was so bad that I canceled my score the day after I took the test, but I blanked like 15 q's. For you, you could cancel the score, do score preview and cancel and retake, keep score and retake, or god willing, ace it the first time and cancel the June one and set prep books on fire in the middle of the street outside your house and rub it in the noses of "da haters" on social media and back home. In all scenarios, I don't see the downside with taking it twice at all in your situation, but I guess if you're worried it will psych you out or undermine your confidence then bear those things in mind.

    I just think especially with the unusual circumstances of the lsat-flex and all that stuff, you can only get more familiar/comfortable with the LSAT in terms of logistics as well as time management/real world stress and other variables and contingencies.

  • emkjohnson3emkjohnson3 Core Member
    11 karma

    I was in the same boat. Studied hard from Sept-Dec 2020, and took the January exam when I was not feeling quite ready yet. Long story short is I feel like I wasted my score preview and had to end up cancelling my January score. Overall it wasn't a great experience and if I could do it over I would have changed my test date to later in the year when I was actually feeling ready!

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