When Should You Take the SAT? (2024)

FAQs

When Should You Take the SAT? ›

We recommend taking the SAT for the first time in the spring of your junior year and again in the Fall before college application deadlines. Most students who retake the SAT raise their scores, and some take it more times.

Although you may take the SAT any time starting freshman year, most students take it for the first time in the spring of their junior year and possibly retake it in the fall of their senior year. Learn exactly how to register for the SAT.

The average age range for students taking the SAT is 17 to 19 years old. Most students elect to sit for the exam the first time during their junior year of high school. Although not all students choose to test multiple times, many will then sign up for the exam again before or during their senior year.

While it's beneficial to take the SAT sooner, high school seniors can test as late as December of senior year.

Yes. Students in their sophom*ore year are welcome to take the SAT. However, the test is designed to assess what a student has learned up through their junior year of high school. Because sophom*ores may not have encountered all the necessary coursework by that time, they're less likely to earn a competitive score.

Fact: There's no such thing as “the easiest SAT test date.” While it's true that some versions of the SAT are easier than others, it's false that some test dates are predictably easier than others. For one thing, there's no way of knowing which form of the SAT will be administered on any given test date.

Don't worry - a good SAT Score is still in your future

Even with practice beforehand, the process of sitting in a room, doing the test for four hours straight, with your brain yelling, "THIS IS THE BIG TEST," is quite different from just studying.

Reading and Writing 730-780, Math 760-800 (2021–22)

Harvard University / Typical SAT scores

Should I Retake the ACT with a 34 Score? There's no need to retake the ACT with a score of 34. A 34 makes you eligible and competitive for all colleges and universities, which is the goal! For juniors, remember that most colleges weigh ACT scores and GPA about equally.

We suggest starting to prep for the the SAT^® as early as eighth grade year. It sound early, but if a student plans on taking the SAT^® several times throughout high school, eighth graders can take a relaxed and long-view approach to prepping, and can plan on taking their first SAT^® sophom*ore year.

What is the cut off age for SAT? ›

There is no age limit for the SAT. Anyone can take it at any time. However, colleges may waive the requirement for people over certain ages. More and more universities are also not requiring the test score as part of their application.

Students can take the SAT as many times as they want. We recommend that they take it at least twice—in the spring of their junior year and the fall of their senior year. Most students get a higher score the second time, and most colleges consider a student's highest SAT score when making admission decisions.

Using Older Scores

Official score reports sent to colleges five or more years after a test date may be less valid predictors of college academic performance than more recent scores. This is because in extended periods of intervening time, student knowledge, skills, and abilities can grow and change.

What Colleges Can I Get Into With an SAT Score of 1600? As previously mentioned, all colleges and universities will consider students with an SAT score of 1600 for admission, including the most competitive institutions.

While GPA is gaining more importance in college admissions decisions, as some schools deemphasize test scores, that doesn't mean you should neglect standardized testing. While the SAT and ACT aren't the best indicator of your success in college, they generally remain an important part of the admission process.

In fact, you can take both tests as early as 8th grade. However, we do strongly recommend that you wait until 11th grade. These tests will evaluate advanced concepts that you'll continue to learn throughout 10th grade and 11th grade.

To improve between 50 and 150 points, a student should devote about 20 to 40 hours of study for one to two months leading up to the test. To improve by 150 to 250 points, expect to spend about 60 to 80 hours spread out over three months.

A good SAT score is one that helps you get admitted to a college that you want to go to. The average SAT score is around 1050. Any score above that would be above average. A score of 1350 would put you in the top 10% of test takers and help make your application competitive at more selective schools.

The average SAT score is a 1040, so a 1200 is above average. A 1200 SAT score is between the 71st and 80th percentile of test takers, meaning that you scored above 71-80% of other students. A score of 1200 opens a wide range of college options, assuming you have comparable grades (mostly A's and B's).

There is one more bonus to doing PSAT prep over the summer: If your prep goes well and you see solid improvement on your practice tests, then you can consider taking the SAT in fall of junior year. If you feel ready, taking the SAT while the material is fresh can get you the score you're aiming for.