Re-taking the SAT, # of times - pros and cons?

[SKL]

My kids weren't happy with their SAT scores.  The scores were significantly lower than the practice SAT that they had taken before the prep bootcamp ...  not sure why.  Anyhoo, we all agree that they should re-take the SAT.

Well-intending people are pushing for them to take it over and over even without additional prep.  I thought there was a down-side to taking it multiple times, but it's been a long time since I read about that.  I was thinking they could do some prep over the summer and re-take the SAT in August.

Many Boardies are in the know about these things.  What are the pros and cons to taking the SAT more than twice?  How do the results of multiple takes get reported to universities?

What about the ACT?

[OH_Homeschooler]

Obvious drawbacks are the cost of the test and the time it takes. 

I'm not sure how it plays into college admissions, but I remember in an informal prep course for the GRE I took in college, the instructor stated they hated the "retake" mentality. They suggested putting all your efforts into taking the test once, and be done with it. I suppose thinking you can retake the test causes you to not put your best effort in.

I imagine if you have an off day or know you can earn a better score, then absolutely retake the test. Or if you just realize you could have been better prepared, then by all means enroll in a course or buy a book and really prepare for the retake. But don't anticipate another retake after that. 

I'm sure the same applies for the ACT. Anecdote-that was the main test I took to get into college. I took it twice. On the first try, I scored really well on 3 of the 4 sections, and only okay on the 4th. One the retake, I scored really well on the 4th section but my scores dropped in some of the other 3. Unfortunately you could only submit your score from one test. I think I went up one point overall with the retake-not really worth it for me. 

[Halftime Hope]

You might ask this question on the high school board. The mamas there are in. the. know.  (I'm too far out from my kids doing the SAT, but for my not-so-great tester, retaking was fantastic. It gave her a chance to bring up her scores commensurate with her academic ability.)

[Miss Tick]

Retakes are pretty standard. Watch out for burnout (in addition to pp's mention of cost and time). Some schools "super score", apparently, where they take the best scores from each of the parts. I don't see an advantage to taking it multiple times without prep. Perhaps they want to work through a prep book? Our favorite prep resource was the Black Book.

[sassenach]

My kids who retook ended up with nearly identical scores, even when they felt better or worse about one test or another. 

[SKL]

FTR their first SAT sitting was required of all the 11th graders at their high school.  One of my kids was still recovering from a concussion.  I got a letter the following week informing us that she could have had extra time on the test due to the concussion ....

I would have rather waited until we felt ready, but it wasn't an option.

[Heartstrings]

Colleges expect retakes.  Some will only look at the highest score, some superscore taking the highest score in each section from multiple tests.  I’m not aware of any that discourage or penalize retakes. 
I don’t think retaking without additional prepping is a good use of time though.  I’m not sure why prepping would be bad, that’s a new one.  I think your plan to have them prep then retake in Aug is a good one.    

Edited April 27, 2023 by Heartstrings

[freesia]

Mine take it 2-3 times. All improved about 100 points from 2-3. ( but did well the first time so less room to improve) My dd was the one who took it 3 times. Her third time did not improve from the second. I think 3 times is plenty. I would only do more if they needed a specific score for a better merit aid scholarship.

[freesia]

Oh and the SAT black book was our favorite prep. Work through a few problems a day and immediately check the answer and read the solution if you get it wrong. 

[Annie G]

The question and answer service is an inexpensive way for a kid to see what they missed and whether it’s something they can prep for if they want to improve their score. I’m assuming your kids didn’t take the test on one of few dates they offer the service, so that service won’t help you, though it is something for those with younger kids to consider. 
Retaking it without prep seems like a missed opportunity, though. If they’re going to retake it, maybe they would be willing to  spend a few hours prepping. I’d probably suggest taking some full length practice tests under actual time constraints, and after each one go through every question missed and determine whether it was a dumb mistake, a question worded in a way that confused them, a topic they didn’t know, or whatever.  For instance, were there sections they didn’t finish due to time? If so, perhaps taking practice tests will help improve speed. 
 

Such a stressful time for students and parents, but boy won’t you be happy once they’re done?! All three of you are probably discouraged that the boot camp didn’t help.
 

 

[Heartstrings]

8 minutes ago, freesia said:

Oh and the SAT black book was our favorite prep. Work through a few problems a day and immediately check the answer and read the solution if you get it wrong. 

I second the BlackBook.  Kahn academy has a good prep program for the SAT, it was better than the paid one we did.  

[Jaybee]

I don't know all the pros and cons to how many times you take it. I can't remember for the older kids--I think some retook and some didn't. But the last ds (who tested) took it the first time with little prep. Then he got on Khan Academy, which works with College Board and your SAT. Khan's prep sources your SAT scores and the prep is geared to your weaknesses. It was free, and it helped ds prepare in an efficient and well-directed way. He was motivated to do it though, which will affect the outcome. His second score was considerably better than his first. For him, it was much more effective than a class or other type prep would have been. Several practice tests were provided, I believe; at least, he got them from somewhere.

 

[Heartstrings]

A quick thought, have you had them do the ACT?    Some kids will do much better on one than the other so I always have my kids do both.  

[Ann.without.an.e]

It depends on their goals and if they are at a tipping point for a tougher to get into school. DD took the ACT and got a 34 and someone encouraged her to prep, take it again, and try for a 35 since there is a tiny percent of people who can get into that 35-36 range, making her stand out. She studied the ACT Black Book, took it again, got a 35. I really think it made a difference for her personally and met her goals. Which schools are they interested in? Are their scores sufficient enough for those schools? If they are to take it again, definitely prep some first.

[catz]

Meh - I think the testing landscape is really changing.   I do think repeated exposures is helpful for some students for this kind of test.  Like my oldest kid took it once a year through high school and scored high enough to apply anywhere with his scores.  He did do a little prep his last go around but I'm not sure how much of difference that made at the end of the day.  I think it was the exposure/practice that got him comfortable enough to show his stuff.

My 2nd kid due to covid didn't get that exposure.  So she did a little prep, took it, did fine.  Declared she was done.  And I rolled with it.  My kids student profiles otherwise look very similar on paper.  My older is more STEM interested.  If anything kid #2 did better with merit and admissions applying test optional.  

I will say doing a practice test here did serve as a good proxy.  None of the prep methods are rocket science.  For my kids it was a lot about familiarity, working through some test anxiety, understanding the time limits and having some strategies.

Test scores might make you stand out if you are interested in some very specific scholarships or admission opportunities.  BUT I actually think in the new landscape, it may be better if something else about your application stands out.  It really depends on goals, your kids peer group and community, etc.  I wouldn't require repeated testing with a kid who balks.  If their test score doesn't seem to accurately reflect ability, applying test optionanal is one way to apply to college.  There are some kids with less amazing academics that are good at testing, that might help their applications if they are that kind of student if they have a high score.    

Before spending a lot of time and energy on it, I'd ask what the goals are and how you are college shopping.  Do you need huge merit money for opportunities?  Or do you have an affordable and achievable list of options on the table already?  Just asking rhetorically, thinking about the bigger picture is a good idea.  For the average kid, I do think taking it twice is nice if they are willing and game and will do a little prep.  

I have a college senior and a high school senior FTR.  If you have juniors, I'd have them jump in and take the next possible sitting and make sure you have an option that will work maybe late summer for a retake.  

[Terabith]

Both I and my oldest scored dramatically higher on ACT than SAT. I am told most people do better on one or the other.  So definitely try both.  

[whitestavern]

2 hours ago, Heartstrings said:

A quick thought, have you had them do the ACT?    Some kids will do much better on one than the other so I always have my kids do both.  

Yes my kids got like 1200 on their SATs but 31 and 32 on their ACTs. 

[ScoutTN]

2 hours ago, Heartstrings said:

A quick thought, have you had them do the ACT?    Some kids will do much better on one than the other so I always have my kids do both.  

This. The ACT is the default test here. Dd did better on the SAT. 

Edited April 27, 2023 by ScoutTN

[cintinative]

So my oldest took the ACT twice. The second time his composite only went up one point because one subscore was lower than the first time around even though others had increased. I gave him the option to retake. Based on practice tests, he could possibly bring up his composite one more point with a retake  (basically by bringing up the subscore).  

I believe the advice I got on the high school board was to ask my son if he was willing to study more. If the answer is no, call it done.   I asked my son if he was willing to do more studying, and he wasn't, so that was the end of that.  😃

In our case, the score is good enough to get in where we need to. 

ETA: not sure if anyone answered your last questions. You don't have to send the scores anywhere.  We chose not to send our 2nd set of scores so I could see how they turned out.  I will have to pay to send them to the colleges when that time comes.  I believe when I send the scores I can choose to send one set of scores or both. 

Edited April 27, 2023 by cintinative

[cintinative]

I remember hearing Adam Andrews and his son speak on the way it harmed their relationship when Adam (dad) pushed his son to retake and retake and retake the SAT.  His son's later scores ended up being worse than his former ones because he was just angry and apathetic. So I think it is good to remind ourselves of that too. At some point we have to say we have played the game long enough and it's time to celebrate being done.  

[mlktwins]

4 hours ago, Heartstrings said:

I second the BlackBook.  Kahn academy has a good prep program for the SAT, it was better than the paid one we did.  

I 3rd the BlackBook and 2nd the Khan Academy 🙂

[mlktwins]

I had my boys take the SAT cold in August before their junior year. No prep except to take one College Board practice test on paper to get a feel for timing. Both of mine did ok on their first test, but not close to where they (and I) wanted them to be as we were not planning to do test optional for college apps.

Mine took it 2 more times.

DS1 went up 200 points between test 1 and 2 (Blackbook and Khan) and didn't get any higher on test 3.

DS2 went up 140 points from test 1 to test 2 (Blackbook and Khan) and 20 points from test 2 to test 3. That 20 points put him over kind of a big threshold where he wanted to be so worth it for him to take it again. 

At the end of junior year, I wanted them to try the ACT, but they weren't having it. I wonder if that would have been a better test for them. If I had it to do over, I would have had them try the ACT also early junior year (also cold) to see which was the better fit and pursue the better test for them for any future tests.

[Corraleno]

DS took the ACT three times; the first time he took it cold with no prep, then he used PrepScholar for about 6 weeks before the 2nd try, then continued with PrepScholar over the summer and took it for the 3rd and final time. He raised his score from 28 to 33, including perfect 36s in English and Reading, and I think he got a 33 in Science and 28 in math. (The low math score was not PrepScholar's fault — ADHD + dyslexia means he never came close to finishing the math section, although he got a high % of the ones that he did do correct.) The 5-point increase bumped up his academic scholarship by $16K, so the $400 we spent on PrepScholar was well worth it. 

[gardenmom5]

This is what I remember from a dog and pony college road show.  I dont' remember the exact wording.  Taking it a 2 or even 3 times is fine.  taking it half a dozen times (which some people push), the admissions crew will give you second thoughts.  in the experience of the admissions staff, taking the SAT half a dozen times (or even more) doesn't generally lead to a significantly higher score.

the moral is - if they're going to retake, study first.  do some practice tests first, study some more and when they feel ready, go do the real test.

I had one who retook ONE major exam - once.  The jump in score was so large (not-studying vs studying) they were investigated by the agency administering the exam out of concern there was cheating.

 

[Katy]

The general guideline is that the score will increase by about 100 points per year without studying & prepping.  I break them apart because studying = learning actual academics, prepping = learning test strategies.  I wouldn't pay for a retest unless significant studying & a year passed.

[SKL]

So I talked to Kid1 about this.  I gave her 2 choices:

1) Test cold in June, and if you are satisfied with your score, that's it.  Otherwise move on to #2.

2) Prep over the summer and take the August SAT.

Kid1 chose the 1st option.

I will discuss it with Kid2 next, but I think she'll agree.

It's been 40+ years, but I took the ACT once at the end of 10th and once halfway through 11th.  My score increased a lot despite no studying/prepping.  It reflected the fact that I had a semester of Algebra II and some more English Composition under my belt.  For my kids, I hope that testing right after 11th ends will benefit from having just finished Algebra II and AP English 11.  If not, then we'll have a good excuse to practice math over the summer.

(I also wonder if being required to sit for the SAT with all their classmates was problematic.  It'll be interesting to see whether things go better at a different testing site.)

I just got my kids' practice ACT scores back today.  (They took it several months ago, but I didn't know I was supposed to physically go and get the paper results at the library.)  They both found the ACT harder than the SAT, gave up, and were certain they bombed it.  Turns out they did each bomb different parts of it.  I think we'll skip the ACT if they do OK on the repeat SATs.