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Should I ask for hand grading?

cleveroncleveron Free Trial Member
in General 17 karma

So I got my scores yesterday for the February LSAT. I ended up with a 172 which was on the lower end of my PT range, but still great of course. On the final section (non-experimental) I misbubbled a couple of questions toward the end. I noticed I had done so and had to change 4/5 answers. The bubbles had been filled in very thoroughly so they were difficult to erase. I wrote a note to myself after the exam to inquire about hand-scoring, however I was hoping it wouldn't be relevant. What I'm asking of more experienced people is this: what are the chances my score will go down? I realize the chances aren't 0, and that my current score is pretty good. So what do you think? Is it worth the risk?

Comments

  • stgl1230stgl1230 Member
    821 karma

    Hey @cleveron CONGRATS! That is an amazing score.

    I don't know if anyone knows the chances of your score going down. There isn't a lot of precedent here.

    I really don't know if it's worth the risk though. A 172 is a perfectly good score for HYS, assuming that you also have a high GPA. If this was your first take and your PTs are higher, I would maybe consider just leaving your score and studying for a retake.

  • SprinklesSprinkles Alum Member
    11542 karma

    @stgl1230 said:

    I really don't know if it's worth the risk though. A 172 is a perfectly good score for HYS, assuming that you also have a high GPA. If this was your first take and your PTs are higher, I would maybe consider just leaving your score and studying for a retake.

    Yup! and Congrats on the 172....holy crap, that's no easy feat.

  • Mo ZubairMo Zubair Alum Member
    edited March 2017 391 karma

    172 makes you competitive at best of the best schools. Why would you risk it?

    Big Congrats! This is a big achievement.

  • MoosaderMoosader Alum Member
    234 karma

    First of all thats awesome! If you're up to it, I would love to hear about how you studied and any advice you have.

    In regard to your question:
    "If the handscoring results in a score that is different from the original machine scoring—higher or lower—the revised score will be mailed to you and the law schools to which you apply." - LSAC

    Given that 172 is the lower end of your range, it seems that the answers in question are most likely right. I would ask for grading by hand, and decide on a retake from their if you're confident you can score higher. However, if you want to enroll this fall, I would leave it at the off chance your score goes down.172 is still highly competitive.

    Source:
    http://www.lsac.org/jd/lsat/handscoring

  • cleveroncleveron Free Trial Member
    17 karma

    Hey guys, sorry to bump a thread with so little general application but I really appreciated the input. Here's what I've decided to do: First, I'm going to ask for the hand-grading. I think there's a very strong possibility everything remains the same, but given my doubts I would rather be sure. I think the chances of my score going down, given how thoroughly I tend to bubble my intended answers, are extremely low. Second, I'm going to sign up for the June test regardless. I wasn't planning on applying for this cycle anyway so another exam can't really hurt me and doing a bit better will make a huge difference given my GPA (3.65).

    Moosader--I don't think I'm qualified to give advice to anyone, but I spent nearly 100 percent of my time doing actual tests. If anyone did ask me for advice I would tell them I agree with JY about time (taking about a year to study, I mean) being more important than one probably realizes.

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