Three SAT IIs in one sitting?

<p>Is it too grueling to take three SAT Subject tests on a single morning? I’m trying to help my son with a little strategy here. He’s planning to take SAT IIs in Chem, Math IIC, and one more – probably US History. Because Chem and US History are content-based, he wants to wait until May to take those – after the AP Chem and US exams. He’s currently taking BC Calculus, so could likely do fine on the Math II C well before next spring. (In retrospect, he probably should have taken that one after completing Pre-Calc last year, but oh well.) Have your kids successfully taken three exams in a single sitting? Or, if logistically possible, is it a better idea to take one exam earlier (in January) to lighten the load in May?</p>

<p>don't do it is my advice!!..yes there are 100 kids reading CC this morning that are savants and can pull this off. I know two NMS's who regret taking three SATIIs in one sitting. Invariably, they did not get the scores on at least one of them that they could have made because seniors and juniors are just too busy to prepare for three exams in one week on their own time. My S is not a savant, and did the practice exams on all his SATIIs before taking them which paid off. Two at one sitting, Two at another. He got the best scores he was personally capable of making and he knew it. They are short and sweet exams but they vary in difficulty and preparation counts. Look at the charts on SATII scores and you will see that a 730 on some exams is a high score and on others is pretty common. Think it all through. US History is actually an exam that is hard to make a high score on without prep. Math II C is something your S could attempt now, but he should do the practice exam to refresh himself on what is actually tested and pacing. Taking Chem along with AP Chem is smart (although a bit redundant..maybe another SATII would be more interesting on his resume.)</p>

<p>Here is what I did last spring/summer: I had my three APs: BC Calc, US History, and Chem. I took the US SATII in May (day after AP exam). I decided to hold back until June for my for my Chem SATII (it has some strange format) and my MathIIC (one year removed from PreCalc, so lots of reviewing). I ended up with a total score of 2390. 3 tests may burn a kid out. 2 is pretty doable. Just remember to take these tests when you feel ready. These should all be 800s because you choose the test (atleast when applying to elite colleges).</p>

<p>Hmm...I don't see what the big deal is. If you can handle the SAT in all of its glory, you can handle three SAT IIs in one day. I think the SAT was actually longer, timewise, than the three SAT IIs, so it wasn't difficult.</p>

<p>If you have a kid (who like my D) isn't going to study for them anyway, just take three in one day. No big deal. My D didn't opened the study guides I bought her until she was eating breakfast the day of the test. She took Literature, Math and Bio. She was taking AP Lit, Calculus and AP bio at the time (took SATIIs in June) All score 700+ just using knowledge from school work.</p>

<p>My kids all went the three in one day route, as did most of their friends. They all survived and did just fine.</p>

<p>(coming from a student) the SAT Is are a lot more grueling than the SAT IIs.</p>

<p>taking 3 isn't that bad.</p>

<p>I took 3 in one sitting, its totally fine if you're prepared. Im guessing your son is a junior, yeah let him take 1 or 2 earlier IF he's prepared, and not to take it earlier just for the sake of making it easier for himself in january. Cause its just 3 hours, and he'll finish before ppl finish SAT I.</p>

<p>The AP exams start a week later this year than they did last year, which means that students who take May SAT Subject Tests in subjects in which they are also taking AP tests (U.S. History, Chemistry, etc.) will actually take the SAT Subject Test BEFORE they take the AP test. (The SAT date is May 5; AP tests start May 7.)</p>

<p>Does this affect your son's strategy?</p>

<p>As someone who is good at test taking, i never would have taken three in a row. I took one each june freshman through junior year. Whatever you do, just prepare for the tests. It's better to take three in a row that you're really prepared for than one now and two later if you haven't studied. At least, that's my opinion.</p>

<p>I took three in one sitting; it wasn't a big deal load-wise. I mean, a single AP exam is more grueling than 3 SAT IIs.</p>

<p>However, if your kid has already taken Pre-Calc, I'd recommend taking Math IIC earlier, just because of curve issues. Everyone taking AP Chem and AP US History and AP this and that plans on taking the SAT IIs in May after the AP exams, which just raises the curve on the raw score conversions - I think May actually is the most difficult month to take SAT IIs in. Math IIC is probably the easiest out of all the ones your son is planning on taking, but it's some food for thought.</p>

<p>Keep in mind these are achievement tests, not test of reason like the SATI. Kids who read widely, are fluent in a language or are mathmatetic whizes and have broad knowledge in a subject can ace SATIIs cold. The students I know with over 1500 SATs who blew their SATIIs were underprepared in factoids and underestimated trivia recall required. Read the review books and get the score you want to be recognized for at admission.</p>

<p>Thanks for all your replies. He is an excellent test-taker, but based on the common wisdom here and my own cautious nature, I'm think I'm going to suggest that my son prepare for (!) and take Math IIC in January. Hopefully, then he'll have one less test to prepare for in May.</p>

<p>^That would be my kids!!! (what Faline said) Just not really believers in studying for standardized tests, and were willing to take the consequences.</p>

<p>D did three at once, S did two then another two. both did good enough for their purposes.</p>

<p>Well it's definitely possible, my brother and myself both did the same thing. We did Math II, Chem and Lit.</p>

<p>
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Have your kids successfully taken three exams in a single sitting? Or, if logistically possible, is it a better idea to take one exam earlier (in January) to lighten the load in May?

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<p>Junior took all three in one day, and did fine. He's a test-taking animal, though, with a photographic memory (except for remembering what his parents and teachers ask him to do -- sigh) and no fear of exams. YMMV.</p>

<p>Besides the endurance issue, a disadvantage of taking multiple SAT Subject Tests in one day is that if you feel that you really did badly on one of them, you can't cancel the score for just that test. You either have to cancel all the scores from that test date or none of them.</p>

<p>For DS1, the timing hasn't really worked out to take all three together. His school recommends that one take Math II at the end of pre-calc (so that one was freshman year), he'll take SAT II - WH in May (when he takes the AP for same) and then he needs to spend time reviewing for SAT II Physics. He took Physics freshman year, and is taking two physics electives now, but won't take AP Phys C til senior year -- and he'll need the SAT II score long before the class is finished. </p>

<p>He hasn't had a chance to crack open a test book and see how much he has retained, so once he does, he'll have a better idea as to when he's going to take the test. He also needs to take the SAT this spring so he can get an idea where he stands (and if he'll want to retake in the fall).</p>

<p>marian makes a very good point. if you've got the time, spread them out.</p>

<p>We ran into a situation where D was too exhausted when she tried to take an SAT II in the midst of APs. That's a real problem as she couldn't just take it the next month since it was then summertime. Came down to whether she would study for it over the summer and try to cram a retake in amidst her official recruiting visits and her fall season. We took a chance and she didn't do the restudying and retake as she didn't need that SAT II for her first choice (but not having it will limit her options if she is deferred or rejected). We will soon know whether she did the correct thing.</p>

<p>We had scheduled everything very carefully, but I had not counted on just quite what a zoo the summer -- with colleges to visit and a really serious athletic season -- and the fall would be. I would caution parents to remember that things that you may not anticipate may happen: illness, injury, unexpected opportunities. Get the basics of what you need done a bit early and try to leave time for any necessary retakes or changes in plans (i.e., a sudden interest in an engineering school that specifies applicant must have a math and a science SAT II).</p>