Should I cancel my score if my section was warned?

[doodidooda]

I took the LSATs last Monday and there was a discrepancy in my test taking room.  Well, to be more precise, the room was a semi-circular "auditorium" with a left, center, and right section.  I was seating in the left section when during the third section, someone receives a text message and I hear a "ding".  I don't know precisely where it came from nor do the rest of the test takers in the section.  At the end of the section, the administrator walks towards us and asks whose cell phone it is.  No one would fess up and then, she calls the supervisor.  The latter comes and instructs the administrator to flag (i.e. write warnings) for EVERYONE in the section.  The worst, she does that before the fourth section begins and five seconds later, we're told to start section five.  Not only were we distracted, but we also lost our concentration, spending a big part at the beginning wondering and worrying whether our scores would even be counted.  Does anyone have any advice?  Will that flag/message appear on my LSAC report when I apply to law schools?  I will write up a complaint, but what else can I do?  Has it happened to anyone?

[Tetris]

Seriously, I had a friend who got a mark like that on their LSAT file.  He had a 3.7 GPA and a 165 LSAT score and the best school that accepted was a T3, even though he was T1 material.  The T1s and T2s wouldnt even touch his tainted @ss.  F*ing crazy. 

Hate to say it, but get your Cooley application ready.  Here's a link to Cooley.  I wish I had better news for you.

http://www.cooley.edu/admissions/admchar_fit_disc.htm

Oh yeah, and it won't matter if you cancel or not (so don't cancel).  It's on there forever.  If you cancel it even looks shadier... the LAST thing you want is a cancel AND a flag.

[notagoodidea]

I took the LSATs last Monday and there was a discrepancy in my test taking room.  Well, to be more precise, the room was a semi-circular "auditorium" with a left, center, and right section.  I was seating in the left section when during the third section, someone receives a text message and I hear a "ding".  I don't know precisely where it came from nor do the rest of the test takers in the section.  At the end of the section, the administrator walks towards us and asks whose cell phone it is.  No one would fess up and then, she calls the supervisor.  The latter comes and instructs the administrator to flag (i.e. write warnings) for EVERYONE in the section.  The worst, she does that before the fourth section begins and five seconds later, we're told to start section five.  Not only were we distracted, but we also lost our concentration, spending a big part at the beginning wondering and worrying whether our scores would even be counted.  Does anyone have any advice?  Will that flag/message appear on my LSAC report when I apply to law schools?  I will write up a complaint, but what else can I do?  Has it happened to anyone?

Call LSAC and ask them what it means.  I have a hard time imagining that your LSAC report will be flagged--I'd guess that it just implies some extra scrutiny during the scoring process.  I suppose this might be a problem if you scored a 180 or something.  The more important question is whether the incident hindered your performance to the point you should consider cancelling.  Even if you don't cancel and decide you need to retake this is something you could easily address in an addendum.

[Tetris]

Someone in my test had their phone ring (it was a hard rock ringtone too... grrr).  It was at the very end of the test and the person was escorted out... to his whining and protests.  I think he screamed something like "Mom!  It isn't fair" on the way out or something.  Anyway I was pissed b/c b/w the phone and the proctor coming over to him and him leaving I'd say I was distracted for a good 1 1/2 minutes.  If it was anything but the essay section I would've been pissed.

[Hank Rearden]

Someone in my test had their phone ring (it was a hard rock ringtone too... grrr).  It was at the very end of the test and the person was escorted out... to his whining and protests.  I think he screamed something like "Mom!  It isn't fair" on the way out or something.  Anyway I was pissed b/c b/w the phone and the proctor coming over to him and him leaving I'd say I was distracted for a good 1 1/2 minutes.  If it was anything but the essay section I would've been pissed.

Good luck, Tetris.   

And for the OP, confirm with LSAC your test was actually flagged (there should be a way to do this).  If it actually was flagged, and they won't take it back, then you should write a letter to law schools explaining why it was flagged.  Hopefully you can even get other people who took the test with you to sign something saying that was what happened.   

[cipnj718]

THATS really messed up....they gonna flag everyone for one's mistake...is it your fault that you didnt know who it was...thats just ridiculous....they cant ruin your chance just because they didnt know who it was....i really hate how these people conduct the test....some proctors are really anal...they could be atleast nice when they are asking us to do things...may be add the word... please...before some of their commands...stupid F%*ks...hate them...another thing...I was at a hotel...and had to pay 25 dollars to park my car...what bs was that...its not enough that i pay your asses 115 to take an exam...but you couldnt find a place where parking wouldnt be an issue...

[Lindbergh]

Someone in my test had their phone ring (it was a hard rock ringtone too... grrr).  It was at the very end of the test and the person was escorted out... to his whining and protests.  I think he screamed something like "Mom!  It isn't fair" on the way out or something.  Anyway I was pissed b/c b/w the phone and the proctor coming over to him and him leaving I'd say I was distracted for a good 1 1/2 minutes.  If it was anything but the essay section I would've been pissed.

What's unfair, of course, is taking a frigging phone into the exam which could easily have answers texted to you.

[Lindbergh]

Seriously, I had a friend who got a mark like that on their LSAT file.  He had a 3.7 GPA and a 165 LSAT score and the best school that accepted was a T3, even though he was T1 material.  The T1s and T2s wouldnt even touch his tainted @ss.  F*ing crazy. 

Hate to say it, but get your Cooley application ready.  Here's a link to Cooley.  I wish I had better news for you.

http://www.cooley.edu/admissions/admchar_fit_disc.htm

Oh yeah, and it won't matter if you cancel or not (so don't cancel).  It's on there forever.  If you cancel it even looks shadier... the LAST thing you want is a cancel AND a flag.

This post is wrong on pretty much every level, but definitely funny.

[notagoodidea]

Also, pluralizing the LSAT always makes my brain make nails-on-chalkboard noises.

But there were like over a hundred LSAT questions or something dude! 

[doodidooda]

What's unfair, of course, is taking a frigging phone into the exam which could easily have answers texted to you.
[/quote]
I don't think anyone is desperate enough to cheat on the test with such complexity.  Imagine the hassle to photograph and/or text the question, get an answer, and write it down.  The time that consumes is too much, plus your risk of getting caught is way too high.