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need advice: should I push back my exam date?

kimste17kimste17 Alum Member
edited January 2023 in General 74 karma

I'm currently signed up to take the February exam. I took the LSAT in October and got a 164, and I'm really hoping to get at least a 170 since this would be my third attempt, and I won't be able to take any more exams until the next cycle begins. I was studying on and off between November and December, and recently committed myself to studying full time since I graduated from college a semester early. However, I just took a practice exam and got a 164, the exact same score as my real test. On the other hand, if I were to continue studying as I am now until April, it would be taking up a lot of time I could spend on other things, like finding a job or working on applications. Is it possible to improve in such a short amount of time if I really commit to it, or would I be better off saving my last attempt for the testing cycle and buying myself a little more time?

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Comments

  • Matt SorrMatt Sorr Alum Member ⭐
    2245 karma

    Is it possible to make that jump before February? Absolutely. Is it likely? No. If you’re only eligible to take one more test this cycle (and particularly if this will be your last LSAT), I wouldn’t use it unless I had at least hit the score I was aiming for a time or two recently. Ideally, you’ll be averaging at or above your desired score before your test.

    I don’t know your situation, so if you have extenuating circumstances that make the February test more feasible, then take the test and give it all you’ve got. It’s totally possible that you get the score you want. If, however, you don’t have any reasons aside from those listed in your question, I’d strongly urge you to reschedule for April. Nine times out of ten, a few points on the LSAT will help you far more than anything else in your application.

  • elias.christensenelias.christensen Yearly + Live Member Sage 7Sage Tutor
    edited January 2023 37 karma

    Considering that this is the last test you can do this cycle, the February test is only a few weeks away, you're planning to apply in the fall, and you're still testing several points below your goal at the moment, I would strongly recommend holding off. While the improvement you're looking for isn't impossible, you'd be putting immense pressure on yourself to turn in that performance, and getting better scores tends to be harder in the 160s compared to the 150s. The LSAT is the kind of test where you get much better results with consistency than with cramming! Especially considering how far off the next cycle still is, unless you have some extraordinary circumstance at play, I can't imagine you would regret giving yourself plenty of time to achieve your best score.

    And for what it's worth, you can get a job and still study for the LSAT, and even testing in June gives you an early start on applications compared to most of your peers! If you'd ever like to discuss how best to build out your schedule, whether you're optimizing for full-time studies or balancing LSAT prep with work, you can always schedule a free consultation with one of our expert tutors and talk it over: https://calendly.com/7sage-tutoring/7sage-tutoring-free-consultation?utm_source=FCA_A

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