Should I retest to increase chances of admission?

Hi, all.
I recently scored 86th percentile in an early october flex test, and I’m wondering if I should retest. I did pretty bad on reading, but I’m unsure if I could actually up my score by a lot. (I scored around the same last May, even after studying.)
Any advice is welcome!

Based on what you’ve stated above, I would not retest. As you’ve already taken the test before, and you don’t feel that you’re likely to appreciably raise your score with another round, taking it against doesn’t seem like a good use of your time. Ultimately, you want to find a good fit for you.

Spend your time instead making sure your essays are well-written and compelling, excelling at school, making sure your recommenders have great things to say, etc. Your SSAT scores prove you can handle the academics. That’s all they are designed to do.