Should I retake my SATAnswered
Hi, I am currently a junior in high school and I took my SAT and got a 1030. Standardized testing is not really my thing. I studied really hard for it, I even took full, timed 5 practice test leading up to the test. I am afraid that if I take it again I will get basically the same score. I live in a state that basically has this thing where if you get top 10% of your class you get automatic admission to any public college in my state, as of March I am top 15% (they haven't updated it yet) I confident that I can get in the top 10% next school year but should I retake it just to be safe or should I not worry too much??
Please help ahh thanks
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3 answers
Hello. I do think you should retake it, but only if you think you might be able to do better. And in order for that to happen, you'll need to study hard. Start studying as soon as possible, or after your finals end. I would recommend getting a book like Princeton Review's and Kaplan's SAT Prep books that will help with strategy and content. After that, do plenty of SAT practice tests (timed and all). 5 practice tests is not enough, I'm afraid. Try to go for 10. And for another 1 or 2, study the test with the answers in front of you and solve it using that for math. For the reading part, you'll work backwards by coming up with reasons as to why that was the answer. It won't be timed and you'll be "cheating" so don't count that grade. BUT, it'll help you understand how to think during the SAT if you look at the answers while doing it. Oh, and do try to study 3 hours a week at least, because if you want to retake it soon, you'll have to study intensively for a higher grade.
Hi @study.withsamy,
This is a good question. There are a lot of factors that would contribute to a decision on whether or not to retake the SAT. A couple of things to consider are what your demographics are (Ex. 1500 is less competitive for upper-mid class Asian males but more rare for other demographics), what schools you will be applying to, and the amount of time you have to increase your score.
Personally, I think that, if you have enough time, you should study and retake the test. A slightly higher score never hurt anyone, and you may even be able to superscore the test on your applications (Ex. Report 800 Math Score from March Test and 750 Eng from April Test). You can also look at the PrepScholar article on setting a target SAT Score at the link below to help you make your decision
In closing, retaking is always a great option with numerous benefits, but I implore you to consider the three factors that I mentioned and what you think is best for your circumstances.
Also, remember to keep things in perspective and keep your mind objective. A good way to do that is just trust that, in the end, everything will turn out okay because you are capable enough to make the right decisions to get where you need to go in life, even if this one proves to be a temporary setback.
Hope this helps!
PrepScholar Article on Target SAT Score: https://blog.prepscholar.com/what-is-a-good-sat-score-a-bad-sat-score-an-excellent-sat-score
PrepScholar Article on Whether or Not to Retake SAT: https://blog.prepscholar.com/should-you-retake-the-sat-or-act-3-step-process
Hi, as a freshman with some experience with the SAT (I took my PSAT and got a 1200 and my SAT two weeks ago and got a 1310) I would recommend studying at least an hour a week during the summer using Khan Academy so you can review what you did right and what you did wrong, I used it personally and it helped a lot, once you hit the school year (lays August to Early September), you should study 1 hour a day, and install the study methods such as 25 minutes of studying and a 5 min break in between. If you’re in the top 15%, you should definitely not retake it now since you’re gonna most likely end up in the same percentile, just as I did, so try to prepare better for next year ( your senior year).
TL;DR: Don’t retake it again, you’re gonna get the same percentile, just study for an SAT that you’re gonna take Senior year
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