Should You Retake the LSAT?
If your score on the LSAT is worse than you had hoped, you may be tempted to retake the LSAT. According to one study, candidates who took the test a second time scored on average 2.7 points higher than their first scores. But, remember, this number is an average. Many test takers achieve higher scores but also many test takers actually earn lower scores. Some law schools will look at the higher score, but many will average the scores. One important thing to remember is that the American Bar Association (ABA) recently changed the requirements for LSAT reporting from member law schools. While the ABA used to request score averages of accepted students for the purpose of ranking law schools, they now only require the highest score. For that reason, even if you only think you can boost your score by 2 or 3 points, it may still be worth retaking, as maximum scores are much more meaningful to law schools than in the past.
If your score is not good enough to get you into any of the law schools identified on your pre-law plan, you should consider retaking. But, you need a realistic assessment of whether you are capable of the type of improvement you are looking for. You should have a good idea of what range you are testing in before you walk in to take the LSAT. You shouldn’t take the test if you aren’t ready to score in the range you need (25th to 75th percentile for each school). Also, consider getting professional help if you are preparing to take the LSAT for a second time—especially if you did not employ such assistance for the first round.