Should You Retake the LSAT? The Case for (and Against) a Second Try

For many students, the LSAT doesn’t feel like a single event. It feels like a recurring character in their lives, similar to the uninvited guest who lingers a little too long. You sit for the test, wait anxiously for your score, and then, inevitably, you ask: Should I take it again?

The decision isn’t simple. Retaking the LSAT can open doors, but it can also eat away at your time, energy, and sanity. To figure out what’s right for you, let’s weigh the case for, and against, giving it another go.

The Case for Retaking

1. Law schools care about your highest score.
Most schools report only your top LSAT score to the ABA, which means it’s the number that matters for rankings. Admissions officers may look at your full score history, but they know the data that impacts their institution’s prestige is your best performance. Translation: if you improve, they benefit too.

2. The LSAT is learnable.
Scores in the 150s and low 160s often reflect shaky fundamentals like misreading stimuli, falling for attractive wrong answers, or running out of time. These aren’t immutable flaws; they’re habits that can be fixed with structured practice. Many students who commit to targeted review see 5–10 point jumps on retakes.

3. Your first test was a dress rehearsal.
No matter how many practice tests you’ve taken, nothing fully simulates test-day nerves. The unfamiliar testing environment, the pressure of the timer, even the oddities of remote proctoring, these factors weigh heavily the first time. By round two, you’ve experienced the chaos once. That experience alone often translates into a calmer, sharper performance.

4. Timing can reshape your cycle.
A retake can be more than just a chance at a higher score, it can be the difference between getting into a school this year or waiting another cycle. If you’re on the cusp of a median, a stronger LSAT in October or November could tip the scales in your favor before seats fill.

The Case Against Retaking

1. Diminishing returns are real.
If you’re already close to your personal ceiling, retaking may not move the needle much. A one-point gain might feel gratifying, but unless it lifts you above a school’s median, it’s unlikely to change your outcomes. And admissions officers know the difference between steady improvement and retakes that yield negligible results.

2. Splitter math doesn’t always reward a retake.
Here’s where nuance comes in. If you’re a high-GPA, lower-LSAT applicant (a “reverse splitter”), a small LSAT bump may not meaningfully alter your chances, since your GPA already bolsters the class profile. Conversely, if you’re a low-GPA, high-LSAT applicant (a classic splitter), your LSAT may already be doing the heavy lifting. For example, if your score is at or above a school’s 75th percentile, raising it another point is less valuable than strengthening your personal statement, résumé, or recommendations. Law schools are strategic: they balance medians, and if your LSAT already props theirs up, retaking may not deliver much extra leverage.

3. Opportunity cost matters.
Every month you spend chasing a few additional points is a month you’re not refining other parts of your application. Essays, recommendation letters, and résumés may not feel as “quantitative” as LSAT prep, but they can tip decisions, especially at schools practicing holistic review. Overinvesting in a retake risks leaving weaker, rushed materials elsewhere.

4. Burnout can backfire.
There’s a fine line between determination and exhaustion. Endless drilling can erode confidence, turning once-fresh strategies into stale routines. Admissions officers can tell when an applicant has poured everything into the LSAT but neglected the rest of their candidacy. Sometimes, accepting a strong (if imperfect) score is the healthier and smarter long-term move.

Let’s look at two case studies to help you envision this: 

Case Study: Anna, the Reverse Splitter

Anna graduated from UCLA with a 3.9 GPA in Political Science. She sat for the LSAT in June and scored a 167. A strong result by most measures, but just short of the medians at her target schools: Berkeley, Georgetown, and UCLA Law, where scores hover around 169–171.

At first, Anna debated whether retaking was worth it. After all, her GPA was already well above the median, and a 167 is far from weak. But here’s where the numbers mattered: law schools are laser-focused on protecting both their GPA and LSAT medians. Anna’s GPA already gave her leverage, but her LSAT score left her in an awkward spot, competitive, yes, but not at the level where she would help raise a school’s profile.

Put differently: her GPA was carrying its weight, but her LSAT was doing little to boost her chances. And in a cycle as competitive as this one, “good enough” often isn’t enough.

Anna realized that with a few more months of focused prep, she could realistically move her score into the 170+ range. That extra bump would not only align her with medians at her top schools, it would also strengthen her scholarship prospects. Law schools don’t just reward high GPAs, they reward applicants who help them report higher numbers to the ABA. By retaking, Anna would change from an applicant they had to debate over to an applicant they’d want to fight for.

So she registered for the September LSAT, revamped her study plan to focus on Reading Comp (her weakest section), and drilled her pacing until it was automatic. On her retake, she scored a 171.

The outcome? Anna was admitted to Berkeley, UCLA, and Georgetown, all with generous scholarship packages. Her 3.9 GPA gave her credibility, but it was her decision to retake and push her LSAT into the 170s that sealed the deal.

Case Study: Marcus, the Classic Splitter

Marcus graduated from UC Santa Cruz with a 3.5 GPA in Economics. His academic record wasn’t perfect, he worked two jobs during undergrad, which left less time for coursework, and a few rough semesters pulled his GPA down. But when he took the LSAT, he scored a 173 on his first attempt.

With that number, Marcus was already above the 75th percentile at nearly every school he wanted to apply to, including Northwestern, Duke, and USC Gould. His LSAT was doing the heavy lifting for his application, offsetting his lower GPA.

When his score report came in, Marcus briefly considered retaking. After all, why not aim for a 175 or 176? But when he dug into the data, he realized the potential payoff wasn’t there. He was already helping schools raise their LSAT medians. Moving from a 173 to a 175 wouldn’t change how admissions officers viewed his application, it would only add more stress and take time away from other crucial pieces of the process.

Instead, Marcus doubled down on his personal statement, using it to explain the circumstances behind his GPA while highlighting the resilience and work ethic he had developed. He also invested time in securing strong recommendation letters that spoke to his intellectual ability, ensuring schools saw beyond the raw GPA number.

The outcome? Marcus was admitted to multiple T20 programs, including Duke, with substantial scholarships. His 173 LSAT was already more than sufficient to carry his application, and the time he spent strengthening the narrative around his GPA made his file more persuasive than another retake ever could have.

How to Decide

So, should you retake? A few guiding questions can help:

• Where do you stand relative to medians? If your score is five or more points below a target school’s median, a retake could significantly improve your chances. If you’re already above a school’s 75th percentile, the return may not justify the effort.
• Are you trending upward? Look at your practice tests. If your recent scores consistently outpace your official result, you likely left points on the table. That’s a strong argument for trying again.
• Will your prep change? Retaking only makes sense if you’ll study differently. Without new strategies, fresh drills, or better review habits, you risk repeating the same performance.
• What’s the trade-off? Be honest about your bandwidth. If preparing for a retake means neglecting your personal statement, résumé, or letters, consider whether those sacrifices outweigh the potential point gain.

Final Thought

Retaking the LSAT is not a moral referendum on your worth as a student or future lawyer. It’s a strategic decision, shaped by medians, ceilings, and opportunity costs. For some students, a retake is the smartest investment they can make. For others, the wiser choice is to accept their score, polish the rest of their application, and move forward with confidence.

The key is to make the decision with clarity, not panic.

And if you’re still unsure? LexPrep’s AI can help pinpoint exactly where you’re losing points and whether a retake is likely to deliver meaningful gains. Join the waitlist at www.lexprep.ai to get early access when we launch.Because if you’re going to face the LSAT again, you deserve to know that the climb is worth it.