This Friday 5/14 is the last day to register for the June LSAT

[Anne]

Unless you're outside of the U.S., and then you have all sorts of different deadlines.

In any case, if you're living in the gool ol' U S of A, and you're taking (or planning on taking) the June 2010 LSAT, then this Friday is the absolute last day you can register to take it. 5/14 is the late registration deadline for all U.S. test center locations. A few caveats:

1. You will be charged a $68 late fee on top of the $141 test fee.
2. If you're planning on taking the test in a big urban area (think NYC, DC, LA), then it is very likely your first (and second, and third) choice centers will already be full. No, they don't have unlimited seating, and yes, they get full. Be prepared to have to have to drive a ways away from your home (or even go to a completely different city and stay overnight, which wouldn't be very conducive to pre-test relaxation).
3. The test date or test center change deadline (so that it doesn't show up on your LSAT score report as a "cancellation") is this Sunday 5/16. Which means that you only have two days after the late registration deadline to decide if you still want to take it in June or later. Two days isn't very much time to plan for contingencies or decide if you're really ready.

If, after all that, you still want to register for this administration and not wait until the October one, go here --> http://lsac.org/LSAT/test-dates-us-june10.asp. Click the Register Now button and get your registration on.

Good luck!

[LawSchoolGuy]

2. If you're planning on taking the test in a big urban area (think NYC, DC, LA), then it is very likely your first (and second, and third) choice centers will already be full. No, they don't have unlimited seating, and yes, they get full. Be prepared to have to have to drive a ways away from your home (or even go to a completely different city and stay overnight, which wouldn't be very conducive to pre-test relaxation).

I was about to post something about that. Funny.

When I took the test, I waited until the very last minute to sign up, and all the test centers within a 50 mile radius were totally full. I had to drive two hours just to get to the testing center, so I decided to stay in a hotel the night before to chill out and not have to drive the morning of. It was exhausting. I mean, I rested up the night before and tried to relax, but it woulda been nice to have been at home. Lesson learned. I tell all my friends taking the LSAT to sign up early to avoid the hassle.

[Anne]

Bumping this one up since tomorrow is the last day to register for the June LSAT.

[UnfGirl]

When do you recommend a good time to sign up for the October exam? And do you know of the deadline ? 

[Anne]

The October LSAT is being given on Saturday, October 9, 2010 (or Tuesday, October 12, 2010 for unpublished test centers and Sabbath observers).

The deadlines to sign up for the October test are:

Registration Online, by Mail, by Telephone - September 7, 2010 (receipt deadline)
Late Registration Online and by Telephone - September 8-17, 2010 (receipt deadline) <-- has $68 late fee attached to it

My recommendation would be to sign up for the October test as soon as you know for sure that you're taking it. Waiting til the last minute has less-than-pleasant repercussions (and not just in your pocketbook with the late fee); if you wait too late in the game, testing centers nearest your home can be filled up and you may have to go quite a ways away to take the test. I'm a big believer in planning as far ahead in advance as possible, so I would sign up as soon as I'm confident I'm taking the test on that date.

[Alabama Slama]

I am taking the december test, and I signed up for it months ago, cuz my girlfriend had a nightmare trying to get a good test center.

[SteelyDan]

I registered for the October test as soon as I could...I think January? Anyways, a long time ago.

[imgoingtolawschool]

Just signed up for the dec test. AAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!

[Strangelove]

So what happens if I sign up for a test and then don't want to take it? Do I just not show up, do I get penalized, what?

[LSHopeful]

So what happens if I sign up for a test and then don't want to take it? Do I just not show up, do I get penalized, what?

I had something similar happen to me...I was going to take the LSAT June last year and then decided I wasn't prepared enough and wanted to change it to a later test date. I got kinda screwed, though, because I decided to change it about a week before the test, and LSAC doesn't let you change your test date that late (I think you have to do it at least a month in advance). So what ended up happening was that I showed up the test, took it, and then cancelled my score right after I took it (I thought I did ok, but I wasn't taking any chances). In my score report, what shows up is a cancelation and then the score of the test I ended up taking. I asked schools if I would matter and they said that one cancelation is ok, so not to worry.

[Alabama Slama]

So what happens if I sign up for a test and then don't want to take it? Do I just not show up, do I get penalized, what?

you only get penalized if you decide you don't want to take the test after the test date change deadline (like what happened to the poster above). If you decide before the deadline that you don't want to take that test and want to change the date, then they just change it and nothing shows up on your score report, you just show up to the test that you changed to.

[Strangelove]

Wait, I'm confused. You can change your test date, but there's a deadline for changing it and if you don't change it in time they make a note in your report? Is that right?

[Anne]

Here's what happens:

Every LSAT has a number of different deadlines and dates attached to it. The most important one, obviously, is the date on which the actual test takes place. Then there are a bunch of others:

1. The regular registration deadline (i.e., if you register by that date you only have to pay the registration fee and nothing more).
2. The late registration deadline (this is for people that miss the regular deadline but still want to register for that particular administration--there's a $68 late fee in addition to the test fee).
3. The test CENTER change deadline (if you want to change WHERE you want to take your test).
4. The test DATE change deadline (if you want to change WHEN you want to take your test).

Here are the different consequences attached to each missed deadline:

Regular registration deadline
If you miss this deadline, you will have to pay an additional $68 late fee to the test registration fee, but you can still register to take the test.

Late registration deadline
If you miss this deadline, you're out of luck and cannot register for that particular test administration. You will have to sign up for a subsequent one.

Test CENTER change deadline
If you miss this deadline, you will have to take the test at the test center where you originally signed up. If you show up to the other test center, they will not have you on the roster and you will not be allowed to take the test there.

Test DATE change deadline
If you take miss this deadline, you have a couple of options:

1. You can decide to just not attend the test at all. If you do this, your LSAT Score Report (which the schools you apply to will see), will show that you registered for that test administration, but did not show up. It'll show you as "absent."

2. You can decide to take the test and cancel your score immediately. The answer sheet has a section where you can select to cancel your score on the spot. If you do this, your LSAT Score Reoprt will show that you took the test, but cancelled the score.

3. You can decide to take the test and cancel your score by the score cancellation deadline. After each LSAT is a six-day period when you can contact LSAC and cancel the score for the test you just took. If you do this, your LSAT Score Report will show that you took the test, but cancelled the score. You HAVE to cancel the score by the cancellation deadline, though, or else LSAC will not allow you to cancel your score.

4. You can decide to take the test and keep your score. If you do this, your LSAT Score Report will show the score for the test you took.

Hope that helps! You can find the different deadline if you go to LSAC Test Dates and Deadlines page, and click on the test you are interested in: http://lsac.org/LSAT/test-dates-deadlines.asp