SAT: How many times can you take it in a year?

Hi guys, I'm trying to plan out my SAT testing schedule and I'm curious about how many times I can take the SAT during a single school year. I want to give myself enough chances to get a good score.

Hi there! The SAT is offered seven times a year in the United States: in March, May, June, August, October, November, December. You are allowed to take the SAT as many times as you'd like, but it's advisable to avoid taking it more than two or three times, as at a certain point the time and energy you're spending on studying for a retake would likely be more productively spent on some other component of your college applications or personal life.

Most students will take the SAT for the first time in the spring of their junior year, and potentially again in the fall of their senior year. If you see a big jump from your first to second take, you might consider taking the test again, but if you only see a small bump, then a third attempt is unlikely to move the needle much.

Finally, while many colleges are now officially test-optional in the wake of the pandemic, it's still a good idea to be proactive about planning your testing strategy, as there can still be advantages to submitting a test score. If you want to read more about test-optional policies, you can read up on them on CollegeVine's blog: https://blog.collegevine.com/does-test-optional-mean-test-optional/.

Good luck with your testing and application process!