The SAT is one of the most important tests for college-bound students in the United States. A strong score can have a major impact on college admissions, scholarships, and all academic experiences. So, how many times should you take the SAT? Just once? Twice? More? In this blog, we’ll discuss the pros and cons of multiple SAT attempts to help you navigate what could be best for you.
Why Take the SAT More Than Once?
Some students are proud of their first SAT score and feel their convoluted score renders no connection to their potential. They feel proud based on their benchmarked SAT score, but churn is not linked to the fact that a particular (academic) progression is utilitarian.
Here are some circumstances a student might create a reason to take the SAT again.
- Boosting Your Score
Many students take the SAT a few times in a row to get a better score. Studies have shown that students who take the SAT again have a better chance of a higher score with focused prep in between tests. If you have a specific goal score for a selective school, taking more than one standard also gives you the possibility of reaching that goal score. - Confidence in Performance
Test anxiety can affect performance, and sometimes a second (or third) attempt can help you get more comfortable with the format, timing, and pressure of the exam. If you didn’t perform as well as you expected the first time, retaking the SAT might allow you to focus more and feel more confident in your abilities. - Scholarships and College Admissions
If you raise your SAT score, you might have access to more scholarship opportunities and be eligible for admission to even more schools (potentially more competitive). Some colleges will use your highest score from each section (super scoring), so use multiple sittings to build the best score possible. - Better Time Management and Test Strategy
At least after you take the SAT once, you have some idea of the pacing, the types of questions, and your own strengths and weaknesses. All of this will allow you to be more strategic about your study approach and the way you perform when you take the SAT again!
The Pros of Retaking the SAT
- Potential for Higher Scores
As noted earlier, students who retake their SATs tend to improve their scores. Average studies indicate that retaking the SAT generally increases students’ total scores by 20-40 points. - Superscoring Advantage
Many colleges use a super-scoring policy that combines your best section scores from either test. This means if you achieve a higher score in a section on your second test but lower in others, it is possible the school will add your superstitions scores together to yield a new total score. - More Time to Prepare
Retaking the test gives you additional time to study and improve. You can use the time between test dates to identify and work on your weaknesses. - Test-Optional Schools (But Not Always)
While some schools are test-optional and may not require the SAT at all, many still consider it a strong factor in admissions. If you think you can improve your score, retaking it might boost your application.
The Cons of Retaking the SAT
- Extra Stress
Getting ready for the SAT can be time-consuming and stressful. Doing it again can ramp up the stress levels too, especially if you didn’t feel you did well on the first attempt. The stress you feel about retaking the SAT could be null and void because the stress may hinder your performance. - Expense
The SAT costs money. Doing it multiple times costs even more. Every time you register, it costs money, and if you decide to do an extra preparation course or hire a tutor, it will just add to your expenses. - Marginal Utility
The idea of taking the SAT has suppressing returns for everyone. For some students, taking the SAT only two or three times and improving each time won’t make sense to continue for the marginal improvements in SAT scores. More attempts may not provide value-added. - Time Commitment
Studying for and taking the SAT involves a sizable time commitment. This time could be utilized better on other important initiatives like holding a strong GPA, engaging in extracurricular activities, and writing strong college application essays. Taking the SAT several times may detract from those other variables.
How Many Times Should You Take the SAT?
The best answer is unique to the individual involved. It’s the personal goals, performance, and resources available to you. In general, we recommend that most students take the SAT 2-3 times. Here’s a quick outline of a strategy:
- First Attempt: Take the SAT when you’re ready to take it. Some students will take it in the spring of their junior year, while some students will wait for the fall to take the test. Whenever you take the test, make sure you do it early enough that you have time to take the SAT again.
- Second Attempt: If the score you achieved on the first test was not what you wanted or did not meet your college goals, then we recommend you take the test. Use your experience from the first time to find the areas that you can improve on and align your studies accordingly.
- Third Attempt: By the time you take the third test, you should have a good idea if you can make any more improvements. If you have seen improvement in your score, it may make sense to take a third test. If you have not seen improvement, then it may be time to put your energy into something else.
Key Takeaways
- Retakes of the SAT can provide a better score, more scholarship possibilities, and strengthen your college applications.
- The best way to prepare for a retake is to concentrate on your weaknesses and gain more confidence in testing conditions and time management strategies in the interim period between the two attempts.
- Be careful about taking the SAT too many times. Don’t overdo it. Taking the SAT too often can lead to burnout, unwanted stress, and even expenses without much improvement to your scores!
- Be aware of your own goals for colleges and how many attempts you want to make based on what those colleges are expecting.
In the end, how many times you want to take the SAT should depend on your own academic goals and what you believe you can improve upon. If you believe that a second or third shot can improve your score, why not!? Just be sure to stay grounded concerning the overall balance in your own college action plan.
How The Princeton Review Can Assist You In Understanding How Many Times You Should Take the SAT
The process of planning for the SAT can often feel quite difficult and overwhelming. With the demands of school, clubs and extracurricular activities, and a general plan for after high school, students are faced with many important decisions, one of which is how many times to take the SAT, and while this is one of many important decisions, The Princeton Review, one of the top test prep services, can help you think about and advise you how to navigate this process for each student.
This is how The Princeton Review can help students find out how many times they will take the SAT:
1. Multiple practice tests & drills
The Princeton Review SAT prep program includes 10 full-length practice tests that closely match the real digital SAT, plus a comprehensive question bank of well over 100 subtopic questions. This preparation exposes students to the test format so there are few surprises on test day. As a bonus, predicted scores from the practice tests usually fall within 20 points of the actual SAT score and therefore represent a pretty accurate indicator of readiness. Additionally, after each test, students receive a detailed diagnostic report, which identifies areas of weakness, so that their efforts can be directed at improvement.
2. Personalized Test Prep Plans
One of the primary services performed by The Princeton Review to help you figure out how many times you should take the SAT is creating a custom test prep plan. When you work with us to evaluate your strengths and weaknesses, we can help determine whether one test attempt will be sufficient or if a larger number of attempts will apply to your goal.
3. Realistic Expectations and Score Improvement Insights
Recognizing the normal improvements in SAT performance between attempts is largely determining whether you should retake the SAT. The Princeton Review uses its extensive history of SAT test-taking data to inform students of the average score gains associated with retake attempts.
- Score Prediction: The Princeton Review uses test prep programs to often engage tools that estimate how much better you can score with additional studying and retests. If we feel you might see significant improvements, we will help you prepare to retake the SAT multiple times at no additional cost.
- Data-Driven Perspective: Because we work with hundreds of students, The Princeton Review can exhibit historical data for you, helping you to set realistic expectations or to help talk you out of taking the SAT too many times if significant improvements are not likely.
4. Targeted Study Resources for Maximum Impact
If you opt to take the SAT multiple times, the most important factor is making sure you maximise your potential for improvement from test to test. The Princeton Review has some tools and resources where you can be sure that you are making the right use of your time each go-around.
5. Expert Advice from Experienced Tutors
Getting advice from tutors who have personally taken the SAT can be very advantageous for many students. The Princeton Review has tutors who have experience tutoring for the SAT. With a knowledgeable SAT tutor, you will be able to figure out how many times you should attempt to take the SAT if any at all.
- Individual Tutoring: Once the tutoring starts, you will have time to ask questions regarding your test-taking strategies. The tutors will assess whether your current score is competitive for the schools you are applying to or if you should retake the SAT.
- Advice on whether or not to retake: Tutors know how long taking the SAT multiple times will stay on your record and how admission officers view multiple SAT records when evaluating your application. We will be able to either help you plan when to retake, tell you to let go of the SAT entirely, or suggest you return to studying and attempt to improve your score through additional attempts.
6. Test-Taking Strategy and Confidence Building
Taking the SAT several times is not only about getting the academic preparation one needs; it is also about building test-taking confidence. The Princeton Review helps students build strategies for calmness, composure, and focus which are all key points in test-taking after multiple attempts.
- Test-Taking Strategies: The Princeton Review teaches strategies that help improve test performance under pressure whether you test once or multiple times. Learning time management techniques, marking wrong answers, and keeping your composure can help improve your score on subsequent attempt methods.
- Confidence Builders: Taking the SAT multiple times can sometimes feel like fighting an uphill battle. The Princeton Review supports students by emphasizing how to use each test experience to help build confidence and advancement performance.
7. Helping You Decide When to Stop Retaking the SAT
Taking the SAT multiple times can absolutely raise your score, understanding when it’s time to stop is equally important. Retaking the SAT too many times can actually create more stress and potentially negatively impact your college application if you lower your scores.
- How to know when to stop: The Princeton Review provides tips on how to assess whether taking the SAT again is worth it. Based on our experience with students at your level of preparedness and with a certain level of consistency in your scores, we will determine when you might be better served by dedicating time to other aspects of your college application, including all prep and ancillary things.
- When to consider other options: If you are at a point where you likely won’t improve much on your next SAT attempt, The Princeton Review will likely direct you towards additional ways to improve the rest of your application, such as an AP timed exam prep course or working on your extracurricular activities.
8. Holistic College Admissions Guidance
The Princeton Review offers a lot more than just SAT help; we’ve got a whole college admissions program that can help you decide whether or not your school will consider multiple SAT retakes as part of your ongoing application process. Some schools rely on GPA and extracurriculars, while others are increasingly weighing standardized tests.
- Holistically Assessing Your Education Path – Where the SAT fits into your overall college admissions process is important. The Princeton Review will help you evaluate whether your future gains by retaking the SAT outweigh other options so you’re not spending too much time on the test when there is more to your overall application.
Conclusion
Choosing how many times to take the SAT isn’t a simple decision that is the same for everyone. With The Princeton Review, you can get individualized support, professional information, and intentional tactics that will allow you to make an informed decision. Whether to take the SAT once, twice, or multiple times, we can educate you on how to see each attempt as part of a wider process of preparing for college.
If you do not yet know how many times you should take the SAT, maybe you should use all that The Princeton Review offers to make the best decision.