How many times can a student take the SAT, and when should they take it?

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.

Another reason to take the SAT a second time is that many schools use a process called "superscoring." Superscoring is when a college combines a student's highest Math section score with their highest Evidence-Based Reading and Writing section score, even if those scores are from different test dates, to come up with the student's total SAT score.

If your child only takes the SAT once, it’s best to take it in the spring of their junior year.

For more information to help you decide when your child should take the SAT, visit the College Board Blog.