I’m swimming through all the content on test taking and trying to get a strategy together for take the tests, and maximizing the ridiculous fees charged for score reports. This is how I understand score reporting works -can someone please confirm:
-For the SAT and ACT, you get 4 ‘free’ score reports that can go to colleges but you have to decide on those colleges before you get the scores (within 9 days of test for SAT and 5 for ACT).
-If you want to “score choice” on what you send, you are supposed to forgo the freebies and just wait until you are done testing, and choose which tests from which sittings go to the schools you are actually applying to. Some schools do not allow score choice and you must send ALL.
Am I ok so far?
So here’s where I’m confused - SAT says with the freebie scores “all tests are sent” - does that mean that if you took the test in October and sent it to a school, they will get all your future tests OR when you take it in October, then again in April, the school you send the free test to in April also gets the October version, automatically? But if you only sent the test in October to said school, and you don’t send again in April they won’t get your April scores. Is that right?
College Board’s default position when you request any SAT test to be sent is to send all tests it has on file for you unless you exercise score choice and prevent one or more past tests from being sent. That sending does not include any future tests and thus, in your example, sending the Oct test would include all taken before Oct but not any taken after Oct.
Your description is accurate except for one part. You cannot exercise score choice for your four free sends for the test to which those free sends apply but you can for any prior tests. In other words, when you designate a college to receive scores in your Oct test registration, you must send that Oct test but you can exercise score choice at the time to prevent sending any prior tests.
Example: assume you have already taken the June SAT and you are taking the Oct SAT. When you designate four colleges in your Oct test registration to receive the Oct test scores when they come out, you must send the Oct test but can choose to prevent the June test from being sent. If you do not choose to prevent the June test from being sent, both the Oct and June tests will be sent when the Oct scores are released. However, no future tests such as December will be sent unless you later order that one sent to any college.
Note the ACT, unlike the SAT, follows a rule that it always sends only the single test you order sent. Thus, if you take the Oct ACT, only that test will be sent to colleges you designate in the test registration. To send any prior test requires a separate order and payment of a fee.
So the best strategy to take advantage of any free scores is to use them for 1) schools which require all tests 2) safety schools for which you are not as concerned with ‘hiding’ scores. Anything else?
NMS is a program applicable only to SAT (and PSAT) and not ACT.
As to to question above about free sends for ACT: like SAT, ACT allows four free sends per test administration as long as you identify the four in your test registration. The difference between SAT and ACT is that for ACT those free sends apply only to the test you are taking, while SAT will send that test plus any prior tests in one send. For either test, the free sends expire if not used before test scores come out.
Thank you @drusba. One more question - does the ACT send scores automatically to my child’s high school or do we have to use one of the free score reports to send the scores to their school?
Does this also apply to Subject Tests? I have free score reports available to me until June 13 because of the June SAT subject test sitting. If I choose to send those subject tests (without seeing them - I know that) will all my previous Subject test scores (from May) and SAT scores (from March) go in that score report? Basically, the question is, when you send a free score report, do all tests go along with them regardless of the fact that the free score report is for Subject test or regular SAT.
@suzyQ7, You are able to select any or all past scores you want to send without any additional charges. The score for the test you are taking is automatically checked and can’t be unchecked as a requirement for the “free” sending. It’s up to you what other tests you want to send but your June test must be sent without knowing your scores, as you know.
You can log on to your account and select send scores button next to your June test date to see how it works without messing anything up because there is a confirmation button to click at the end, much like making a purchase. You can also go back in and change or add schools or scores up until a certain date after the test (June 13th?) so if you change your mind, you can cancel sending scores or add additional schools up to 4 or change schools that you previously selected. It’s easy!