Retaking the SAT

It is rather rare where you find someone who nails their perfect score the very first time on the SAT. Mostly, students end up worrying about whether they should retake the SAT, and it is probably a good idea to go ahead and give yourself a second chance.

You might even be surprised to know that the College Board recommends students take the SAT twice. They have stuck to their opinion of High School juniors appearing for their first SAT in the spring and then a retest in the fall of senior year. They also have suggested a third trial for an unsatisfied student, which they could ideally appear for in the fall of senior year. Whatever may be the popular opinion, the decision eventually is taken by you and the mentor. Still, before you decide, you might want to ask yourself a few important questions.

Questions to help you decide

Below are a few peripheral questions that we think can help any confused SAT aspirant while deciding on a retest.

• Was the target that you set for yourself earlier achieved?
• Does your current score satisfy your pre-planned goals?
• Does the score qualify you for the schools you are applying to?
• Do you have sufficient time left to retake the SAT?

Retaking the SAT comes with its perks

Diving back into the test prep process again can be stressful, but ultimately there are benefits to retaking the test. Contrary to popular belief, there’s a bigger probability that your SAT score will improve on the second or third try at the test. Like any other test, the more time you find to practice and revise the necessary concepts, simply help you improve on every pain area and let you outperform yourself.

What you need to think about is how much of a point increment are you ultimately looking for? Is the score improvement you are looking for a 10 point improvement or a 100 point improvement? The larger the difference between your current score and expected, the greater will be the efforts needed for achieving them.

Now that you know what the SAT is like, there is no looking back. The experience of taking a competitive exam grows on you, even when you decide to give it another shot. By now, you are familiar with the fact that no matter how much you practice with questions, both rare and common, the performance during the exam is unique due to the way our nervous minds work. Trying to make terms with the fact that the SAT can be handled with method and practice could help to get rid of the nervousness. Also, your time managing skills might have sharpened by now; you know what it feels like when you are not managing your time in a perfect way for each question.

What is the limit for retaking the SAT?

Honestly, there is no limit whatsoever on the number of times you can do a retest, but there are many factors you should consider, such as target scores, college requirements, etc.

Although, it’s recommended to take the test no more than 2-3 times because, in that case, you will have at least one chance during every trial during your high school, junior and senior years.

Time is something you will definitely need for practice and study between these test trials. The safest plan to follow is to go for the SAT tests three times by the fall of your senior year. By following this strategy, you will secure sufficient scores for colleges to compare during the application process.

As a matter of fact, if you take the SAT test more than that and still do not result in significant improvement, then the schools might develop unwanted impressions about your potential.

Increasing your scholarship chances

If paying for expensive colleges has been a constant worry, then retaking the SAT for better scores is justified. You never really know when and how good SAT scores can help when choosing colleges with exorbitant fee structures.

The National Merit Scholarship is an example of such a scholarship where millions of dollars are allocated every year to relieve thousands of students and their study plans. The only way to be a part of such esteemed scholarships is to have a great SAT score. We hear examples of many students from varying backgrounds who aimed for great scores and achieved what they dreamt about. If they can, then why can’t you?

Over the years, At SAT Tutoring has been helping students set goals and achieve them through diligent time management skills and meticulous practice. Subject matter experts at Miles use proven teaching methods to evaluate your academic potential and devise plans tailored to each student’s needs.