You’re tired of writing the SATs. In fact, you’re beginning to wonder if you’ve lost your chances of gaining admission into the university. That’s why you’re here, posing the question, how many times can you take the SAT in a year?
You’re probably wondering about other questions too, like, do colleges care how many times you take the SAT, and is it bad to take the SAT multiple times?
Taking the SAT multiple times is a choice, but the question is, does it affect your chances of gaining admission into the university? Let’s find out!
Table of Contents
About the SATs
SAT is an acronym for Scholastic Assessment Test. It is a standardized exam used for college admissions in the United States.
It is designed to assess a student’s readiness for college, evaluating skills in reading, writing, and mathematics, and scored on a scale of 400 to 1600.
A good SAT score for ivy league schools ranges between 1480 and 1600. But for regular colleges, you could still stand a chance of gaining admission with an SAT score of 1400.
Note that not all universities in the US require SATs in their admission processes, as schools are now adopting test-optional policies, including some ivy league colleges like Columbia.
Also read: 15 Cheapest Universities in The UK for International Students
How Many Times Can You Take the SAT?
According to the SAT College Board, there is no limit to the number of times a student can write the SAT.
The board recommends that students take the SAT twice to provide an advantage known as superscoring. Superscoring involves a combined-results system, employed by some schools to determine an applicant’s SAT score.
Taking the SAT more than once also gives you the opportunity to send your best score to your selected university. The more you write the SAT, the more experienced you are; therefore, a second trial is more likely to give you a higher score.
On average, most students take the SATs at least twice—once in their junior year and once in their senior year.
So rather than worrying and asking, “how many times can you take the SAT,” focus your efforts on doing better when next you sit for the exam so you won’t be put through the rigour of rewriting several times.
Also read: 10 Cheapest Universities in Finland for International Students
How Many Times Can You Take the SAT in a Year?
Another common question among students is, how many times can you take the SAT in a year? Some people tend to believe that once you write the SAT in a year, you have to wait until the following year before attempting again. But that’s not the case.
For each year, there are at least seven (7) SAT test dates. This means you can take the test as many as 7 times in a year without restriction!
While this may seem a bit overboard, it actually doesn’t affect your chances of gaining admission. If you’re not satisfied with your score, you can try again and again and again until you get that score required by your selected school.
Do Colleges Care How Many Times You Take the SAT?
No, most colleges do not pay attention to the number of times an applicant writes the SAT. What they’re interested in is your best SAT score—whether you got that score on your first attempt or on your 9th attempt really doesn’t affect your application.
Some schools, like Yale, Stanford, the University of California, etc., may, however, ask applicants to send in all their SAT scores. Don’t panic—most times, this just means that they want to assess how you’ve improved over time and the effort you put into doing better.
Experts advise that students should take the SATs a maximum of six (6) times. Remember, this is just advice and not a fixed rule—you may choose to take the exam more than 6 times.
Also read: 15 Cheapest Schools in Canada for International Students
What to Know Before Retaking the SAT
In the previous sections, we provided answers to the question, how many times can you take the SAT? According to our discussion, there is no limit to the number of times a student can take the SAT, and colleges typically don’t care about that.
In this section, we’ll discuss how to maximize your next SAT attempt. Remember that each retake costs as much as the original SAT fee. So it’s best to maximize your next attempt to avoid the stress, money and resources spent on each attempt.
So here are some major tips to note before retaking the SAT:
- Assess your previous score; get to know where you did well and where you flopped. This will help you understand what areas to read more intently before taking your next exam.
- Take tips from other students you know who passed the exam on their first or second attempt.
- Join a study group—studying in groups motivates and pushes you to go beyond your comfort zone. If you’re studying alone, for instance, you may do a lazy one-hour study and go back to bed. But within a group, you and your buddies can set a few hours to read and hold yourselves accountable for it.
- Engage in intellectual conversations with your peers. Rather than discussing TikTok trends, use that time to discuss what you’ve read with your colleagues. This strengthens your knowledge and makes you see what loopholes may exist.
- Finally, consider taking some mock SATs, as this does well in preparing students for the main exam.
Also read: How to Write a Supplemental Essay | Full Guide
Frequently Asked Questions
When Should I Take the SAT For the First Time?
Most students take the SAT for the first time in their junior year. The SAT College Board recommends this time. However, there is no restriction—you may choose to take the exam for the first time in your senior year.
Can You Take the SAT Twice in One Month?
Yes, you can take the SAT twice in a month if test dates are available. It is advisable, however, to give at least one month’s interval before your next attempt, as this will give you ample time to prepare, thereby increasing your chances of getting a higher score.
Is It Bad to Take the SAT Multiple Times?
No, it’s not bad to take the SAT multiple times—students can take the SAT as many times as they want to.
Can You Take the SAT After High School?
Yes! You can take the SAT after high school. Yes! You can take the SAT after high school.
Also read: How to Write SSP Essay | Full Guide
Conclusion: An Answer to the Ultimate Question—How Many Times Can You Take the SAT in a Year?
Before reading this article, you were one of those asking, is it bad to take the SAT multiple times? But as you’ve seen from our discussion on the topic, it’s not bad at all.
Many students take the SATs between 2 and 6 times, until they attain the required score. So when next anyone asks you, “how many times can you take the SAT?” tell them, as many times as you want!
There are no restrictions. Even if you’re asking, “how many times can you take the SAT in a year?” the answer remains the same—as many times as the test dates permit. Only remember to prepare better and give it your best shot.
Stay connected to this blog for more informative updates and all education-related information.
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References
- www.satsuite.collegeboard.org/help-center – How Many Times Can a Student Take the SAT, and When Should They Take it?
- www.coursera.org/articles – How Many Times Can You Take the SAT?
- www.bestcolleges.com – Can You Retake the SAT — and Should You?
