Is it worth it for me to take another test?

[shughes2701]

Hey gang,

I just got my September score back and I'm feeling horrendous about it. I wrote for the first time in Nov 2020, was ill during the exam and cancelled my score. I then wrote a second time in October 2021 and scored a 163. I was waitlisted that year with that score at my first choice and then denied. I wrote the September 2022 exam, average 167.3 on my 15 prior PT (Min 163, Max 173), but scored a 158, almost 10 points below my average, and five points below my previous score a year prior.

I feel like I've just wrecked my chances at law school, because now the admissions committee is just going to look at my recent score and think I fluked my 163. Is it worth writing the Nov 2022 exam (My fourth exam and third scored exam) in the hope that I can do better, or is it just time for me to give up on my law school dreams and spend the rest of my life as a waitress?

Let me know what you guys think about this situation.

[Rachael Wilkenfeld]

Hi shughes2701,

Sorry to hear your most recent score wasn't what you needed it to be. It happens! Lower test scores happen---with only three sections, a bump in the road can really throw things off.

Let's start with the good news. Admissions folks won't care when that 163. It's not a trend upward but they don't care. They just want to see the best you can do. The 163 is nothing to scoff at, and you should feel good about that score.

Your practice tests suggest you can do better. So really think about what happened during that last exam. WHY was your score so different than your recent PTs? Do you know what happened? Do you know how to avoid it in the future? Even if you don't know what happened in that specific exam, you can think about other tests you've done as PTs where things went south. What are your patterns when a test score is lower than average? What typically is going on? The more you know about yourself, the better.

So stick with it. Don't let an off test make throw you off your game and away from your goals.