<p>So, I looked at my score report, and there is a section that says how past seniors did when they retook the exam with my current scores. For reading (w/ 670), the average student went up 2 points...2 points--how is that even possible? But, for both math and writing, they reported that students went down 5 points (math), and 44 points (!!!!!) in writing. So, basically, I am being told that I will probably receive a score 47 points lower if I retake.</p>
<p>Does anyone have any real experience with this? AND, why would scores decrease--do so many people retake w/o studying more?</p>
<p>i went up 80 in math to 750 and it told me i would go down one point before hand..i went up 70 in CR and it told me id go up 6? and i went up 100 in writing and it told me i would go up like 9 or something liek that</p>
<p>S went up 200 points the second time. Gains were in CR (50 points) and Writing (120 pts) and math (30 points). He used the Princeton Review Study Guide and focused on his lowest score, writing.</p>
<p>the 2 point average, is because it is averaging everyone who took it twice so the sample is huge and the mean is going to average out somewhere between +- 10 of where you were. This does not mean that you will go down, it means people do do that. Just study and you will do better.</p>
<p>My son scored in the 2200's (balanced btwn sections) and then went down 100 points with the next retake. Went up in some areas (perfect essay) and down in others (can't remember the specifics). Even with superscoring for schools that combine different sittings, he will end up with exactly the score total as the first test. Plenty of people go up. I think he just figured he would naturally get higher score and took the testing a little too lightly. Good Luck with your decision.</p>
<p>Only you know whether your last time was a "good day" or a "bad day," and whether you prepared as well as you could last time or not. Do look at what the College Board reports about the range of scores expected on a retake, based on data from many previous test-takers. Then YOU figure out what part of that range you might be in, if you put in some effort and get a good night's sleep before the test, and decide for yourself whether a retake is a good use of your time, or if doing something else would do more to strengthen your college application. </p>
<p>Good luck. </p>
<p>Oh, and for onlookers, don't worry much about retakes. No harm, no foul, as colleges consider your best scores. </p>