Generally, a good plan is to prepare for taking the SAT® exam 2-3 times, and to really study between the attempts to maximize the chances of score improvement in subsequent exams. This page is part of Happi’s full SAT® guide — here’s the full breakdown of when retaking pays off, and when it doesn’t.
Benefits of multiple attempts
Best score
Many colleges allow applicants to choose which scores to send, which enables you to present your best performance from multiple attempts.
Score improvement
Learning from past attempts, studying more, and retaking the exam has a good chance of leading to an improved score.
Experience
In subsequent attempts, you might feel less nervous and be more familiar with the exam and the exam environment, which can lead to better performance.
Superscoring
Many colleges allow superscoring, which means combining your best Math score and your best Reading and Writing score across different attempts.
Risk mitigation
If something goes wrong (e.g. an illness) on one test day, having prepared for multiple attempts ensures that the bad luck on one day doesn’t define your SAT® score.
Downsides of multiple attempts
Time commitment
Preparing for multiple attempts can take a significant amount of time that could be spent on other things. Remember that college admission isn’t based only on your SAT® score.
Cost
Each SAT® exam costs money, and taking it multiple times can become expensive.
Stress
The pressure of striving to improve an already good score, and the constant preparation and testing, can negatively affect overall well-being and academic performance.
Colleges' perception
Some colleges may view excessive attempts unfavorably, perceiving it as a sign of lack of preparation or inconsistency.
Diminishing returns
The chances of a significant score improvement depend on your previous score, the amount of quality studying between attempts, and a bit of luck. Without studying properly in between, multiple attempts tend not to yield significant score improvements.
How to know when to stop
There’s no fixed number that’s right for everyone, but two of the cards above point to the same answer: once you’re not studying meaningfully between attempts, another try is unlikely to move your score, and colleges can start reading a long attempt history as a lack of preparation rather than persistence. If your last attempt matched your practice-test scores and you’ve already put in real study time since, that’s usually a sign you’re close to your ceiling — better to lock in a study plan for whatever attempts you have left than to add another one without a real change in preparation.
Plan smart. Prepare early. Perform better.