<p>I'm considering taking the SAT multiple times (I'm a junior) so I can focus on one subject each time (since they take the best composite score). Is this a good idea? </p>
<p>Right now, I'm thinking about taking the January test to see how I do on it after reading just the blue book. For later tests, I'm going to read more books (RR, PR, etc etc).</p>
<p>Also, I'm prepared to take it as many times as I need to. I read that it doesn't matter how many times you take it. is this true? I wouldn't mind taking it five or six times.</p>
<p>Ravi,</p>
<p>At some point you lose your sanity ;) but the main worry is that you'll appear testing obsessive. The unspoken rule is 3 times, but there isn't any definite guideline. You could do a fourth...5 or more would probably make you look nutty.</p>
<p>The overwhelming majority of schools superscore, but extremely erratic performance could look weird, and I've read about people trying to focus on 1 of the 3 sections on the SAT. The time per section is the real constraint, fatigue has a minimal effect for some. Who knows?</p>
<p>If you do really erratically, ETS will be likely to investigate your scores anyway, so you don't want to get 200-200-800 CR-M-W and then 800-200-200 CR-M-W or whatever. 200 points per section or 300 overall (that's what I was told by the CB by phone and read elsewhere) can trigger a score investigation. It can take time and they can cancel scores if they feel like it (even if they don't find evidence, your scores could get axed anyways if they think you cheated).</p>
<p>Do lots of prep instead, the Barrons is way harder than the real deal w/ good explanations, Kaplan and PR are easier (and the strategies suck IMO). The Official Book has the real tests, but poor explanations. The tests in that book, however, aren't "SAT-like" questions, the CB made them, and they're the most accurate.</p>
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focus on one subject each time . . . . Is this a good idea?
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<p>That sounds like a bad idea. The temptation to cheat by working on a section outside that section's time limit will be strong, and cheating that way could invalidate your whole test. </p>
<p>Moreover, I think students do their best when they are simply "on" during all sections of the test. That's what was suggested by the thread </p>
<p><a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/sat-preparation/373227-what-does-superscoring-do-you.html%5B/url%5D">http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/sat-preparation/373227-what-does-superscoring-do-you.html</a> </p>
<p>in which students reported that they never needed "superscoring," because they did best in all their test sections on the same sitting. </p>
<p>It's much wiser and safer to prepare well for the whole test and to do the whole test honestly and completely each time you take it. Once you have that in mind, I'll note that the general issue of retaking tests is the subject of a FAQ. </p>
<p><a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/349391-retake-how-many-times-take-sat-act.html#post4198038%5B/url%5D">http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/349391-retake-how-many-times-take-sat-act.html#post4198038</a></p>
<p>Alright, thanks for the input. I'll avoid focusing on just one subject. I think I'll get a couple more books to read over before the january test. </p>
<p>appreciate the links too :)</p>