When Should You Re-Test for the ACT?

I have been writing a series of posts related to things you should think about when choosing times to take the ACT.  If you’d like to see the other considerations based on different factors, you can start with this post. Today’s post is a little different because it will only apply to those that have already taken the test.  

So, have you met your score goal?

• If you have met your score goal, do you want to try to score higher?  Some students want to try until there are no more chances to take the test, while others have a set score in mind, and once they achieve that, they are finished.  One can make an argument for both cases, and as long as the student and the parents/guardians agree, that is the decision.

• If you have NOT met your score goal, what are you going to do next to help reach your goal?  It is usually very difficult to increase your score significantly without some form of preparation, whether that be specific ACT prep or general learning in a class. (For example, you have time in a geometry class before you take the next test.) Everyone is different, and sometimes we have to balance out what has already been achieved with what is necessary to go to the next level.

New considerations to add to the decision process is the role of superscoring and section retesting.  We will discuss each of these in more detail in the future, but in short, for superscoring, you first need to see if the schools you are interested in accept superscoring.  According to ACT.org, superscoring is “the average of your best scores from each subject from multiple test attempts. Your superscore is never lower than a single Composite score.”  There are also discussions of future options to retest only certain sections.  For example, if you need a higher score in math, you could retest only the math section, not the complete 4+ hour test.  That means prepping in only math!  If section retest opportunities become available, that is something to consider, but for now it is only in discussion.

Bottom line, with or without superscoring, your highest composite test score stands.  So if you retest and do not do as well as before, your highest score is what is used. But don’t waste your time taking the test if you don’t have the intention of doing better.  The best way you can do this is with adequate preparation.  If you don’t plan to do any prep, meaning you just keep doing the same thing as before, you are more than likely going to get the same result (or worse!).  Pick a test date when you have the time to prep in the areas that need improvement.