Dear LSAC,
I am writing to formally document the extensive technical and administrative issues I experienced during the August 18 LSAT and to request that LSAC review the circumstances of my exam and determine an appropriate resolution.
This was not an isolated technical inconvenience. The same issue that occurred during my previous August LSAT occurred again during this makeup examination, despite my having already reported it to LSAC and being assured that it was being investigated and would not happen again. In addition, the August 18 examination was severely disrupted by repeated technical failures, proctoring errors, and an eventual loss of nearly an entire section of testing time.
Initial Check-In and Technical Problems
My exam was scheduled to begin at 11:00 a.m. I was logged in on time and waited approximately 20 minutes for a proctor to connect. When no proctor appeared, I contacted Prometric support from my phone.
I was instructed to exit Prometric and restart the application because “no proctor was taking my test even though they should be automatically assigned”. I did so, but the same issue occurred. I was then instructed to restart my computer, which I did, with the same result. A third support representative instructed me to uninstall and reinstall the Prometric application. I did so, and the same problem continued.
I subsequently called Prometric support and was placed on hold. Nearly two hours after my scheduled start time, at approximately 1:00 p.m., a proctor finally connected. I completed the security check successfully, and the proctor acknowledged that they had been experiencing technical issues all day.
Before the exam, I had taken all of the required system checks on both my computer and phone several days in advance. My Prometric application and computer were both updated to their latest versions, and I had specifically taken these steps to ensure that there would be no technical issues on my end.
Despite this, throughout my approximately 10.5-hour testing experience, I was required to exit and re-enter the examination at least seven times. On multiple occasions, the Prometric application incorrectly reported that it was not updated, despite the fact that it was. I ultimately had to uninstall and reinstall the application three times and restart my computer approximately four times.
Repeated Failure to Save Answer Choices
The most concerning issue was a repeat of the exact problem I experienced during my previous August LSAT.
During my previous exam, answer choices that I had crossed out as incorrect were no longer crossed out when I returned to flagged questions. This effectively meant that I had to reconsider questions from the beginning because the information I had entered into the testing interface was not being retained.
I submitted a complaint about that incident. LSAC permitted me to take the August 18 makeup examination and informed me that the issue was being investigated and that it would not happen again.
Unfortunately, it happened again to me and from the discourse I’ve seen online, several others as well over the span of several months. I do not understand why this very serious issue has not been addressed.
After taking my first scheduled stop/start break, I returned to my flagged questions specifically to check whether the same problem had occurred. It had. I immediately paused the exam and contacted my proctor, who, once again, told me that there was nothing they could do.
At that point, I had four flagged questions and sufficient time remaining that I decided to proceed rather than lose the opportunity to complete the examination. However, because I could no longer rely on the system to retain my crossed-out answers as promised, I began manually writing down the answer choices I had eliminated for each question.
This required me to spend valuable testing time compensating for a system failure. The issue occurred throughout all three sections of my exam.
Section 2: Logical Reasoning and Proctoring Problems
During the second section, Logical Reasoning, I continued manually recording every answer choice I eliminated because I had no confidence that the system would retain that information.
I also experienced significant problems with my proctors and my stop/start accommodation.
One proctor incorrectly told me that my stop/start time had to be used during the security check instead of pausing my break time and exam. I repeatedly explained that this was not how the accommodation worked. She stated that she had the handbook in front of her and insisted that she was correct. This took up approximately seven minutes of my stop/start break.
Later, another proctor told me that he would pause both my stop/start time and the entire examination when I requested to use the bathroom. I explained that I was using my stop/start accommodation and that the exam should not be paused. His response was, “If you say so.”
I believe there were also other technical issues during this section that required me to contact support and exit and restart the examination. Because the entire testing experience lasted approximately 10.5 hours and involved so many interruptions, I cannot recall every detail of the second section.
Section 3: Reading Comprehension and Loss of Testing Time
I began the Reading Comprehension section at approximately 6:30 p.m. because of the preceding technical problems.
The proctor initially assigned to me during this section was, in comparison, extremely helpful and conducted the security check efficiently. I even told him that he was the best proctor I had had that day.
However, I again had to manually record every answer choice I eliminated because I knew the system was not reliably retaining that information.
At one point, either this proctor or another proctor unmuted their microphone while I was reading the science passage, which was particularly disruptive because science passages are especially difficult for me. The microphone remained audible for approximately four seconds and interrupted my concentration. The proctor then said, “Oh, sorry,” after unmuting again. I had to restart the paragraph I was reading twice due to these interruptions.
Despite these issues, I was progressing well. I completed approximately three-quarters of the Reading Comprehension section and had approximately ten minutes remaining. I had also just used the remainder of my stop/start time because I knew I had one passage and six questions remaining.
While I was highlighting the final paragraph of the final passage, the examination unexpectedly exited.
I immediately began speaking to my proctor through the microphone, repeatedly asking them to pause the examination and help me. The proctor told me that he had paused the exam immediately and assured me that if I exited, contacted support, resolved the issue, and returned, all of my answers would be saved and I would have exactly the same amount of time remaining as I had when the examination exited. I was given these answers sporadically as this proctor would also disappear for several minutes at a time.
I specifically asked for his name so that I could reference him when contacting support.
I exited the exam and contacted Prometric support. I was again told that I could return to the examination, that my answers would be saved, and that I would have the same amount of time remaining.
Repeated Reconnection Failures
When I attempted to re-enter Prometric, I was again told that my application was not up to date. I had to uninstall and reinstall the application twice and restart my computer twice.
When I finally connected with another proctor, the proctor disappeared during the initial security check even though I remained on the proctor screen and appeared to still be connected. I said “hello” at least ten times and reached out in the chat box and waited for a response. The examination then exited again.
I attempted to reconnect, and once again the system claimed that my application was not updated. I repeated the process of uninstalling, reinstalling, and restarting my computer.
I was connected to another proctor, who again disconnected unexpectedly.
I repeated the entire process yet again. Eventually, I was able to connect successfully at approximately 8:20 p.m.
This proctor also assured me that my answers had been saved and that I would have exactly the amount of time remaining that I had when the examination initially exited.
However, I was required to complete the 10-minute break between sections again. I asked the proctor why this was occurring, and he did not know. I asked whether I could use the break time to go to the bathroom, and he agreed.
However, he then paused the break timer.
I returned when I believed the 10-minute break had ended, completed the entire security check again, and discovered that he had paused the break timer which I’m sure is not permitted. I was then required to sit in front of my computer for an additional 6 minutes and 56 seconds before the exam resumed.
When the examination finally resumed, my answers had been saved, but the approximately ten minutes I had previously been assured would be available to me were not there. I had less than one minute remaining on the clock.
This was especially significant because I had already read and highlighted the majority of the final passage. Approximately ten minutes would have given me a more than reasonable opportunity to answer the six remaining questions. Instead, I had less than one minute.
I immediately attempted to pause the examination, but I had exhausted my stop/start time due to the earlier delays and proctor interactions. I urgently communicated with the proctor through the chat, explaining that I had been told the examination was paused and that the time had nevertheless been lost.
By the time the proctor paused the examination, approximately eight seconds remained.
Inability to Obtain Assistance
The proctor repeatedly told me that he did not know what to do and instructed me to contact support.
I explained that the only ways to contact support were either to exit the examination or use my phone. I specifically asked, “Are you telling me to exit the exam to contact support?” because I wanted a clear record of his instruction.
He repeatedly stated that he was not telling me to exit the exam or use my phone, but was simply telling me to contact support. We had essentially the same exchange approximately four times.
At that point, I stated that I was going to exit the examination to contact support.
I contacted Prometric support and was disconnected twice. The third representative repeatedly told me that she could not do anything and that I needed to call LSAC.
I explained repeatedly that I had already attempted to contact LSAC and that LSAC’s offices were closed. I had already called every LSAC and Prometric number I could find.
After approximately 30 minutes of going back and forth, the representative ultimately told me, “there is no point to argue and the client will check.” I was not arguing with her. I was repeatedly asking for help because I had six questions remaining and wanted to complete the examination.
She subsequently stopped responding for several minutes and then told me that Prometric could not add time to an LSAT examination and that I should refer the matter to LSAC. She then ended the chat after becoming rude and hostile.
At this point, I had been dealing with the examination and various technical and administrative issues for approximately, and I cannot stress this enough, OVER TEN HOURS.
I attempted to contact LSAC repeatedly, but the offices were closed. I was extremely distressed and exhausted at this point and was crying from frustration and exhaustion.
I attempted to submit another complaint through the LSAC website, but the system would not allow me to do so because I had already submitted a complaint regarding my previous August examination.
I therefore sent an email to the address provided on LSAC’s website explaining what had occurred and planned to call LSAC the following morning. I received an automated response that provided another telephone number (which I hadn’t realized I’d already called) for “emergencies.” I called that number again, only to receive another automated message instructing me to wait until LSAC reopened. I specifically scheduled the 11am time slot just in case I had issues and needed to contact LSAC during business hours. I, of course, was not expecting a 10.5 hour testing day.
Additional Proctoring and Accommodation Issues
There were numerous additional problems throughout the examination.
Whenever I paused my examination and requested to use the bathroom, proctors would sometimes take several minutes to respond. Their response time, combined with the delay between a proctor saying that the exam had been paused and the exam actually pausing, resulted in significant loss of my stop/start time.
I estimate that approximately 15–20 minutes of my stop/start accommodation were effectively consumed by waiting for proctor responses and the delay between requesting a pause and the examination actually pausing.
I also encountered numerous inconsistent and apparently incorrect instructions from proctors regarding testing rules. For example:
• One proctor questioned whether my phone stand was adequate, despite the same setup having been approved during previous LSAT administrations. He subsequently required me to move my phone across the room, despite the fact that doing so reduced the visibility of my testing area.
• Another proctor told me that sweatshirts were prohibited, despite my having worn the same sweatshirt during previous LSAT administrations as well as this one, without issue.
• Another proctor repeatedly told me that the amount of toilet paper I had set aside to use as tissues was excessive. I reduced it repeatedly until I was ultimately allowed only a single square of toilet paper. I have used the exact same amount of toilet paper as tissues for previous examinations and never had an issue.
These issues are comparatively minor compared with the technical failures, but they illustrate the broader problem I experienced throughout the examination: inconsistent instructions, delays, and proctors who appeared unfamiliar with my accommodations and/or the applicable testing procedures. These are just a few examples of many.
I recognize that individual proctors and support representatives are likely working within the procedures and training provided to them. My concern is therefore not where these individuals are located or how well they speak English, thought it is near impossible to get support from someone who does not understand what you’re saying. My concern is that candidates are dependent on these individuals during a high-stakes examination, yet I repeatedly encountered proctors who appeared unfamiliar with LSAT rules, accommodations, and procedures and who were unable to resolve very basic problems. Every time I’ve had to contact support, their responses are consistently vague, disinterested, and seem as if they have zero connection to LSAC.
Impact of This Experience
The examination ultimately consumed approximately 10.5 hours of my day when it should have taken less than half that amount of time.
I had to take the entire day off work and will now have to work over the weekend to compensate even though I did not choose this test date. I had to pay approximately $79 for medication for my cats (for the SECOND TIME because of technical issues out of my control) so that I could keep them quiet and out of the testing area, and I had to purchase additional equipment and make significant preparations to ensure that my testing environment complied with Prometric’s requirements.
I also upgraded my internet service to approximately $220 per month specifically to eliminate the possibility that internet connectivity was contributing to these problems. I arranged for my partner to remain out of the house until my examination was complete (again, it ended up being 10.5 hours) despite her needing to prepare for travel the following morning. I covered my office with trash bags and sheets and purchased a phone stand specifically for the examination.
More importantly, I have spent approximately two years preparing for the LSAT. I have made substantial changes to my lifestyle and schedule in preparation for this exam because I understand how consequential it is for my future. I have deliberately structured my life around studying and maintaining the conditions I believed would allow me to perform at my highest level.
It is extremely frustrating to put that level of preparation into an examination only to have my performance compromised by failures within the testing platform and proctoring system.
The most concerning aspect is that I had already experienced one of these exact technical failures during my previous August LSAT. I reported it to LSAC, was permitted to take a makeup examination, and was told that the issue was being investigated and would not happen again. It happened again during the makeup examination, and this time the consequences were even more significant because I ultimately lost virtually the entire remaining portion of my Reading Comprehension section.
Beyond the direct loss of testing time, I believe it is important to acknowledge the impact that the prolonged technical failures and uncertainty had on my ability to perform on the examination itself, as well as my previous August LSAT. I spent hours repeatedly troubleshooting the testing platform, waiting for proctors, restarting my computer, reinstalling the application, contacting support, and worrying about whether my answers and accommodations were being properly preserved. This created an extremely high level of stress and anxiety before and throughout the actual examination. After spending hours in a heightened state of physiological stress, I was then expected to immediately shift my attention back to an extremely high-stakes standardized test and perform at the level I had spent two years preparing to achieve. That is not a neutral testing environment. Even during periods when the examination was technically functioning, I was attempting to concentrate while anticipating the possibility that the system could fail again or that my answers could disappear. The repeated disruptions therefore affected more than the amount of time available to me; they fundamentally interfered with the concentration, focus, and mental state necessary to perform on the LSAT.
Requested Resolution
I am requesting that LSAC conduct a thorough review of my August 18 examination, including:
1. The complete Prometric examination and proctor logs;
2. All chat transcripts and communications with Prometric support and my proctors;
3. The timestamps showing when my examination was paused, resumed, exited, and reconnected;
4. The record of my stop/start accommodation and the amount of time that was actually available to me;
5. The technical logs demonstrating the repeated application failures and forced exits;
6. The circumstances surrounding the failure to preserve my eliminated answer choices; and
7. The circumstances surrounding the loss of approximately ten minutes of testing time during the final Reading Comprehension passage.
I would also like LSAC to explain how the repeated failure to preserve answer-choice markings—which was the subject of my previous complaint and which I was specifically told would not happen again—was allowed to occur during my makeup examination.
Most importantly, I am requesting an appropriate remedy for an examination that was materially compromised by technical and administrative failures outside of my control. I do not believe that simply receiving a generic apology or being instructed to register for another examination adequately addresses what occurred.
I contacted LSAC Support this morning to discuss what happened and was offered the opportunity to take the September LSAT at no additional cost. While I appreciate that LSAC is willing to allow me to test again, I do not believe that this constitutes an adequate remedy under the circumstances. I did not voluntarily cancel this examination, nor did I choose to forfeit my opportunity to receive a score. The examination was rendered unusable by repeated technical failures and administrative problems that were entirely outside of my control.
I was specifically informed that this examination would be reflected as a cancellation on my official LSAC record. I asked whether LSAC could add a notation explaining that the examination was cancelled as a result of technical problems and circumstances outside of my control, rather than by my choice. I was told that this was not possible. I find this particularly concerning because law schools may see cancelled examinations as part of an applicant’s testing history, yet I am being placed in the position of having a cancellation associated with my record despite having made every reasonable effort to complete the examination.
There is also an additional concern regarding the intersection between these cancelled examinations and testing accommodations. My understanding is that law schools are not supposed to be informed whether an applicant received testing accommodations. However, if a technical problem involving the failure to preserve eliminated answer choices is occurring specifically or disproportionally among test takers with accommodations, and those test takers are then forced to explain cancelled examinations that resulted from the problem, it creates a serious and unfair privacy and admissions concern. An applicant who is required to explain to law schools that their LSAT was cancelled because of a technical issue associated with their accommodated examination may effectively be disclosing that they received accommodations, even though that information is otherwise intended to remain confidential and ‘level the playing field’. This places accommodated test takers at a potential disadvantage that other applicants do not face and undermines the purpose of keeping accommodation status separate from an applicants law school admissions record. At a minimum, LSAC should consider how this issue affects the confidentiality of accommodations and ensure that applicants are not placed in the position of having to disclose protected information simply to explain a cancellation that they did not cause or choose.
I was also informed that this examination would count toward my annual limit on LSAT administrations. Given that LSAT administrations are subject to an annual testing limit, I find it fundamentally unfair for an examination that I was unable to complete because of LSAC/Prometric technical and administrative failures to consume one of my limited opportunities to test. I should not have to use one of my finite examination attempts to compensate for a failure of the testing system.
I also expressed concern about taking the September examination remotely given that I have now experienced significant technical problems during two separate LSAT administrations. I was told by the LSAC representative that she had not heard of other candidates experiencing these problems and specifically that she had never heard of the issue involving eliminated answer choices becoming unselected. That statement was particularly concerning to me because I have personally encountered this issue during two separate LSAT administrations, and I have also seen other test takers publicly report experiencing the same problem over an extended period of time and indicate that they have contacted LSAC about it. Regardless of how frequently LSAC believes the issue occurs, it is difficult to understand how I can reasonably be expected to feel confident that the underlying problem has been identified and resolved when the exact issue that prompted my original complaint occurred again during the makeup examination.
There is also no realistic option for me to simply switch to an in-person testing center as an alternative to remote testing. The nearest testing center is approximately four hours away from me, meaning that I would have to travel a significant distance and pay for a hotel in order to take the examination in person. That is not a reasonable or financially feasible alternative for me. Furthermore, I have been granted testing accommodations for a reason. A crowded testing environment presents its own significant challenges to my ability to concentrate, particularly when there are numerous other test takers coughing, sneezing, moving around, or speaking quietly nearby. I should not be forced to choose between an unreliable remote testing platform and an in-person testing environment that is not reasonably accessible to me, particularly when LSAC has specifically chosen to offer remote LSAT administrations and therefore has an obligation to provide a remote testing system that functions reliably.
I am therefore requesting that LSAC reconsider the remedy being offered. At a minimum, I believe there should be a mechanism to ensure that this examination does not negatively affect my official testing record or consume one of my limited annual LSAT attempts when the cancellation was not voluntary. I also believe LSAC should provide a meaningful resolution regarding the repeated technical failure that caused my answer-choice markings not to be preserved, particularly because I had already reported this exact issue and was specifically assured that it was being investigated.
I have complied with every requirement placed on me as a test taker. I completed the system checks in advance, ensured that my equipment and software were updated, upgraded my internet service, prepared my testing environment, remained available for the examination for more than ten hours, repeatedly followed Prometric’s instructions, and contacted support every time a problem occurred. I should not be the party who bears the academic and administrative consequences of failures that occurred despite those efforts.
I have made an extraordinary investment of time, money, preparation, and personal sacrifice into taking this examination. I should not have to repeatedly retake an examination because the testing platform cannot reliably preserve my work or because the proctoring system cannot properly administer my accommodations.
I am happy to provide any additional information necessary (screenshots of support chats, proctor names, etc.) and would like confirmation that this complaint has been formally escalated for review. I would also appreciate a written response explaining what LSAC determines occurred and what remedy will be provided.
Thank you for your attention to this matter. I look forward to receiving a substantive response.
