Is the SAT still relevant?

The move to high school is a time full of transitions for your child. Among these changes is often the pressing question of college planning.  One of the top concerns on parent minds when college planning and talks begin, is the SATs.  

When do we take them? How do we take them?  How many times should we take them?  What do we need to do to be prepared?  What book should we purchase?  

And…of course, are the SATs even relevant anymore?

So many layers of questions come up and it’s daunting sometimes to even begin.  This means the SATs become the “big scary monster” of high school for some kids.  

But it doesn’t have to be that way.  Let me break down some of the advice I give students about this test.  I’ll start by answering the last question first.  

Are the SATs still relevant? The simple answer is- Yes.  Let me tell you why.

If you were to ask me if I think the SAT is a good marker for academic knowledge or indicator of future success my answer would be no.  There has been talk over the years, especially since COVID, on phasing out the SAT for college admissions.  In response, many schools have made score reporting optional for their admissions process.  

I think this decision benefits the students and reduces at least some of the stress surrounding the application process.  What many schools are not telling students right away is that, although it is not needed for admissions, you will still need it as an eligibility marker for many scholarships, particularly the state scholarships. 

Now, this varies by location, as each state has its own set of requirements.  But, this means that you can get accepted into college without your scores, but may need to meet a certain threshold to receive your state scholarship. 

Looking at this from another angle, if you perform well on your SAT test and choose to report your scores, this can only help your application.  

What if you don’t test well?  You can choose to not report scores during admissions decisions, and then after acceptance submit scores to the financial aid department.  This is typically done if you have not scored high enough for it to benefit your application, but have scored enough to meet scholarship minimum thresholds.

You may be thinking 

| What does all of this mean for SAT Prep?

My recommendation is always to do your best to prepare, but not to spend all of your time on it.  

If your student prepares well, they have a good chance of meeting any minimums, or even scoring high enough to boost admissions chances.  Proper preparation also serves as a course review for their high school math classes.

Now, let’s tackle a few of those other questions.

When do you take the SAT

I recommend making your first attempt in 10th grade or early 11th grade.  This gives you a marker on current performance, so you can see how much growth you may need for scholarship qualifications, but allows plenty of time for retakes and studying.  It’s also important to get used to the environmen of the test, since this test is timed and taken in a specific way and different than the regular classroom tests your student may be used to.

Getting used to the environment and setup early can mean reduced anxiety when you take it later and need those scores to really matter.

You can find the upcoming test dates for the SAT here: https://satsuite.collegeboard.org/sat/registration/dates-deadlines

This same website is also where you register for your chosen test date, so be sure to save it for future reference!

How do you take the SAT

So, you know how I mentioned above that there’s a very special setup for the SAT?  Here are a few of those aspects.  First of all, your child will be taking the SAT first thing on a Saturday morning.  Yes, a Saturday! Unlike the PSAT, the SAT must be registered by you on your own, not by school, and is not taken as part of a regular school day.  Although the test is given at schools as the main testing locations, you may not even be taking it at your own school, depending on what is available on your chosen date. 

I remember when I took the SAT myself (many years ago, but the procedure is very similar still to this day), I was nervous arriving at my testing center because it was a school in my city that I had never seen, visited, or even passed while driving.  That unfamiliarity added to the strangeness of the day, and looking back I wonder if that hindered my performance.

Timeliness is very important here, because you cannot enter your testing center after the test has begun, so you need to arrive at the location before 8 AM with your admission ticket.  If you’re late, you will be asked to register again for a new date and will not get a refund for the date you missed. 

The test is timed, and there are only 2 breaks, one is 10 minutes and 1 is five minutes.  They do allow for some food and drink during this time, but I suggest only water and if necessary, a granola bar.  It’s best to eat a filling meal before the test to be sure there isn’t much hunger during the test. 

Students are typically dismissed around noon, but don’t expect to receive a text update from them on timings, as they aren’t allowed to turn their devices on at all until dismissed from testing.

How many times should we take the SAT

There is no recommended number of times to take the SAT.  Some people will take it only once and find those scores sufficient.  Some people will take it multiple times in search of their dream score.  I recommend knowing what minimum score is needed, and taking it until you achieve that for each section.  If score is okay on first try, I do still recommend taking it at least once more, because that first time testing is so unfamiliar, it’s likely a second try will reach a higher score anyways. 

There are other benefits to taking the test more than once.  Most schools allow for reporting of a “composite” score.  What this means is they take the highest section score from each of your testing tries and mix and match to give you your highest achieved total.  In theory, you could focus on math on attempt and on language a separate attempt and then splice those scores together.  In reality, students should give their full best effort to the entire test each time.

Another important aspect of repeat testing, is that each test date College Board is using a different version of their test.  Some testing dates will have overall harder material than others, resulting in more low scores by students on average.  Some dates will have more easy or moderate testing material resulting in higher average student scores.  Taking it multiple times helps even out the affect this may have on your student’s own scores.

What should we do to prepare and what books should we purchase?

Now that you have more information on the process and the necessity of the test, it’s time to look at the actual studying and preparation.  There are TONS of materials out there to prepare with, choosing what to use is another daunting task.  There are free online forums, paid programs, group classes, individualized training, workbooks, pdfs, etc.  

Where to begin???

Unfortunately, this answer is not quite as simple as the other questions if you want the best answer.  The best approach is to start with the materials your individual student needs.  

I recommend completing one of the official college board full length tests as an assessment of current progress.  Then, from there you can look at what sections where the biggest struggle and what topics where hardest for your student.  This answer informs what type of preparation is the best starting point.  

I also recommend having a mix of preparation forms.  A group preparation program is highly recommended for students at some point in their prep journey, as the structured environment, consistency of practice, and mixed problem sets are very helpful at bringing scores up to the next level.

If you’d like help creating your child’s SAT prep plan, choosing materials, or registering for 1-on-1 prep tutoring, please reach out for one of our free consultations. Click here to request a consult

We also have group SAT classes, you can check our homepage for the start date of our next 7 week program. Click here to go to our homepage


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