SAT, ACT: how many times to test?

[Anonymous]

Fall of Jr year: comp 34 (36R, 36E, 32 Sci, 32 Math)
Fall of Sr year: comp 35 (35R, 36E, 35 Math, 34 Sci)

He was up in the air about re-testing--but then on a whim decided he wanted to try for a single composite sitting of 35 because he had Ivy aspirations. He is at one this year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How many times did your kids test and how did their scores improve?

I think it’s worth it to test early and keep testing. What about you?

Here:
29
31
33
34
36

1120
1440
1520
1560

When was the first test---what grade? Were these all consecutive tests--one after the other?

[Anonymous]

32 - 36R, 36E, 30S, 26M

Humanities, knew the math was unlikely to budge much so didn’t bother.

[Anonymous]

Was advised that in addition to prep the biggest thing to get the score up is to test later.

My junior would probably get around a 1520 or so now—based practice tests/PSAT. He’s going to keep prepping and sit for the March test. Hopefully, he’s mid 1500s by then and can just test once. If not, he still has at least 4 more dates he can try again.

[Anonymous]

One for each in fall of Junior year after only self study:

1470
36

DC wanted to retake the SAT for 1500+, but stopped after getting the 36.

Next kid will need more prep and I’m just hoping to break a 1300.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How many times did your kids test and how did their scores improve?

I think it’s worth it to test early and keep testing. What about you?

Here:
29
31
33
34
36

1120
1440
1520
1560

Did one kid take 9 tests, or is this two more kids?

[Anonymous]

We should do it the way the rest of the world does it. One and done. Take the PSAT. Take the SAT. That’s probably the real indicator of intelligence vs studying repeatedly for the test.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Was advised that in addition to prep the biggest thing to get the score up is to test later.

My junior would probably get around a 1520 or so now—based practice tests/PSAT. He’s going to keep prepping and sit for the March test. Hopefully, he’s mid 1500s by then and can just test once. If not, he still has at least 4 more dates he can try again.

+1. Most score higher the later they test. The number of tests is immaterial.

[Anonymous]

Both my kids had a goal to be 700+ in each section, and both stopped when they achieved that. Kid one did in the first try, kid two on the second.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mine took it 4 times. The second one was a mistake (hadn't studied, winged it, in hindsight should have cancelled the score immediately). The 3rd one was the first digital test, he was disappointed in his math score.
1480 (730m/750v)
1490 (740m/750v)
1520 (750m/770v)
1530 (790m/750v)
super score 1560

This narrative really illustrates why admissions officers consider test scores in the context of the high school. 1480 is objectively a very good score, 99th percentile, and at a rural or urban school where that score is an outlier, the kid might very well stop there. The parent wasn’t pushing it. Studying for the test isn’t like taking a dual enrollment course where the content might be interesting or valuable in and of itself. It was the social environment in the high school that caused this kid to take the test three more times, ultimately raising his score 80 points. So in a very real sense the difference between this kid’s 1560 and the 1480 reported to colleges by a kid from a less competitive high school reflects a difference in their environment, not a difference in their ability.

Thank you doctor.

😂 right?
Colleges wouldn’t know bow many times these kids tested. 1480 is fine, but it is not the same as a 1560.

To most colleges they are virtually the same. They cleared the 700x2 hurdle with no extra points for the 1560.

[Anonymous]

Testing is like athletic performance. You don't want to engage in the really intense training too soon and peak too early. There is a rythm to it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Was advised that in addition to prep the biggest thing to get the score up is to test later.

My junior would probably get around a 1520 or so now—based practice tests/PSAT. He’s going to keep prepping and sit for the March test. Hopefully, he’s mid 1500s by then and can just test once. If not, he still has at least 4 more dates he can try again.

+1. Most score higher the later they test. The number of tests is immaterial.

yeah, my kid took it September and October of 11th grade and got a 32 and a 33. Studied again for 1-2 weeks before taking it the next June and went up to 35.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mine took it 4 times. The second one was a mistake (hadn't studied, winged it, in hindsight should have cancelled the score immediately). The 3rd one was the first digital test, he was disappointed in his math score.
1480 (730m/750v)
1490 (740m/750v)
1520 (750m/770v)
1530 (790m/750v)
super score 1560

This narrative really illustrates why admissions officers consider test scores in the context of the high school. 1480 is objectively a very good score, 99th percentile, and at a rural or urban school where that score is an outlier, the kid might very well stop there. The parent wasn’t pushing it. Studying for the test isn’t like taking a dual enrollment course where the content might be interesting or valuable in and of itself. It was the social environment in the high school that caused this kid to take the test three more times, ultimately raising his score 80 points. So in a very real sense the difference between this kid’s 1560 and the 1480 reported to colleges by a kid from a less competitive high school reflects a difference in their environment, not a difference in their ability.

I'm the OR of this post and I agree. It was my kid pushing himself, knowing he could do better (he'd been getting 780+ on the math section in paper tests, that first digital one was a bit of a shock). That's the kind of school he goes to and the way he has always challenged himself. If he gets and A, he tries for an A+. It's not coming from us as parents; we have a younger kid who is of the mentality that B+ is fine, and we are supportive of that too.

[Anonymous]

DS took it twice junior year and twice senior year. There was such a big difference - 1300 junior year versus 1550 senior year - that I think it was a waste of time taking it junior year. Perhaps some of that was the difference between the written tests junior year and the digital tests senior year though. The curious thing was that his verbal score didn't really change from junior to senior year, but his math score went way up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DS took it twice junior year and twice senior year. There was such a big difference - 1300 junior year versus 1550 senior year - that I think it was a waste of time taking it junior year. Perhaps some of that was the difference between the written tests junior year and the digital tests senior year though. The curious thing was that his verbal score didn't really change from junior to senior year, but his math score went way up.

yeah- but what if they got the 1300 the first time they took it Senior year?

That's risky. Better to see baseline and weak areas--and some test days are harder than others and the 'curve' doesn't fully capture that.

I'd still take one junior year first.