Should you retake the SAT?
Certification: Test Prep SAT - Scholastic Aptitude Test
The short answer, yes. Given the nature of the SAT it is very likely that you will get an increase in score if taken again. At least that is what the statistics of the College Board say. About 55% of students retaking the exam have seen an increase; however, if you received a pretty high score the first time around, and you think it will suffice, you shouldn’t take it again. Statistics also show that the higher the test score is, the more likely it is that it will drop. At the same time, the lower your first scores are, the higher the chance they will rise if retaken.
In depth-look at the exam questions.
This is not a school test. The old “study this, memorize that” does not apply here. In this exam, the problems themselves are quite easy. You will not find advanced algebra or advanced geometry in the exam, no tricky problems, nothing that will require that big of an idea, or spark, to solve. The reason this exam is so hard, is that the question themselves are not that clear and intuitive. Edward Carroll, someone who takes these tests for a living, gave for example that the questions often ask “what’s X+1?” where X is taken from a prior equation. The kids do the math by the book, and when they find X as 2, they circle that option on the exam sheet, rather than the correct one, 3. A quick look over the practice questions on their main site will prove the same result. The reading portion is probably the hardest, as it stretches the patience and attention of the reader over long hard passages, and then asks a surprising question. For example a passage depicts a man returning home at a late hour, and then proceeds to relay the events of the night as objectively and detached as possible, and then asks you how the author would likely describe the character’s behavior in that passage. Thankfully, all practice questions are also accompanied by an in-depth explanation on how to solve it, what to look for, and why each of the other options are not correct. So basically, it’s the type of test in which practice makes perfect. Having already had the experience of taking it once, taking it a second time will be easier.
The myth that the exam is harder each year.
Is only a myth, devoid of truth. IF we are to believe Mr. Edward, the College Board manages to do at least one thing very well, and that is to keep the difficulty of the exam, no matter the numerous changes it goes through, consistent. The main concern over the exam is that it is hard to finish. The exam also measures how well you allocate your time for each question, and that is the main way the examinees are taxed. Experience of prior failures in regards to time-allocating will be invaluable. And again, they even have fully-timed practice tests on their site, it’s really worth checking out.
Practice, practice, practice.
This really is the best way to improve your chances. If you really want a better score, then don’t just want it, get it. Practice makes perfect, especially for the SAT, and again, check out their practice questions and tests on their main site. I cannot stress their utility enough. If you practice, or feel up for it, you should retake it.
Stress, stress, stress.
Taking the exam is stressful, I know. Sometimes, and especially if you were stressed the first time, it is worth asking yourself if going through it again is really worth it. However remember, stress can be managed. There are great articles on how to get rid of stress, and having already dealt with it once, you should be able to fair better this time around. Sometimes, that extra 50 points is worth a week or two of stress and practice. Also, those 50 points may make the difference in regards to your future. Is stress really the issue here?
Result, results, results.
Receiving the results is the hardest part of taking the exam. If you retook it, then you are either in the lucky 55% that got an increase, the unlucky 35% that got a reduction, or the 10% that… didn’t really change their score. And then you have to ask yourself. Should I take it again? Should I cancel my score again, and go for an even bigger one? Or should I stay with this one? Well, it all depends on what that score means to you. Case 1: the score is bigger than what you were expecting. Case 2: the score is the one you were expecting. Case 3: the score is lower than the one you were expecting.
After that there are two more cases, which you should pay attention to. Case 1: It is sufficient. Case 2: It is not sufficient. In case 1 you should keep it. In case 2, you should take it again. Even if it is the one you were expecting, if you need to make it bigger, take it again. You may surprise yourself.
Conclusion
Taking exams is hard work. It is also stressful, and canceling our scores sometimes feels like throwing all that hard work out the window. But we shouldn’t think of it that way. If we think that this run was just a preparation for the next one, a step needed to take in order to reach higher, then canceling the scores wouldn’t feel like canceling our hard work, but rather continuing it, building upon it. Retaking the SAT again shows great commitment, and some great belief in yourself, and, sometimes, taking a risk for a bigger prize might prove more beneficial in the long run than settling for a sub-par one. And, if you do manage to breach expectations, you receive all the bragging rights.