One of the main pre-selection criteria US college officials use to pinpoint the most promising candidates is the SAT score (it stands for “Scholastic Assessment Test”). The test checks for the student’s proficiency in math, writing, and speaking. Depending on how well the student performs, they can earn a score of up to 1600.
But the question remains: how long are SAT scores valid? Can you undergo the SAT assessment once and then bank on the score staying valid for the foreseeable future? Technically speaking, the answer is YES! However, there is always a “but”, as things in the academic world are rarely as simple as they seem. Stay with us as we delve deeper and explain everything you need to know about your SAT score’s validity.
Generally speaking, SAT scores are valid forever (but there’s a catch)
On paper, your SAT score, once obtained, stays with you forever (or at least until you improve it at some point in the future). Still, you need to keep in mind that every school is free to make its own rules and policies. In other words, they can opt to not accept your older SAT score if they so choose, so the long answer to “How long are SAT scores valid?” is actually college-specific. Therefore, the recommended course of action is to double-check with your college of choice, either by visiting the official website or getting in touch with one of their representatives.
Do different colleges look at SAT validity differently?
Do know that whatever you scored on your SAT test will remain in the official school archives and can therefore be retrieved at any time. At the very least, this is the case at the time of writing this article in 2024 – it does not guarantee that things will be the same in the future. On top of that, the practical landscape often differs from what is written on paper.
What we are observing in practice is that certain colleges in the US outright refuse to accept SAT scores that are older than 5 years. The reasoning behind it is that older SAT scores may be less indicative of the candidate’s actual academic proficiency, and therefore have less weight in the pre-selection decision-making process.
Now that we’ve established that colleges have a certain degree of autonomy in terms of how they treat the candidates’ SAT scores, there’s another question that looms on the horizon; given that the SAT exam structure effectively changed in 2024, making a leap into the digitized form, what’s going to happen to the old scores? The truth is, no one really knows for sure.
You have to keep in mind that the following is in a constant state of flux:
- Syllabus
- Exam pattern
- Scores
With this in mind, certain colleges are exercising their autonomy to not accept SAT scores beyond a certain period. In this case, they may ask the student to retake the exam before their application can be processed.
SAT throughout the time
Did you know that, prior to 2005, the total SAT score you could get topped at 1600 but was raised to 2400 afterward? To make things a tad bit more confusing, they lowered it back down to 1600 eventually. It’s not just the score itself, there were various segments of the test that also got changed, particularly in the essay and the arithmetic section. Nowadays**, the essay section is completely optional**, but who knows, maybe at some point down the road, it just might be changed once again.
The de facto rule is: that SAT scores generally tend to be valid for at least 5 years
So if your SAT score is not older than 5 years at the time of applying for college, you have nothing to worry about. In case the opposite applies, it comes down to each college’s individual autonomous candidate selection policy. But it gets even more complicated than that – certain colleges have expressed a preference for the SAT score not to be much older than 1-2 years.
Will your older SAT score look bad on paper?
Officially, no. But then again, certain colleges are highly selective, and these have expressed a strong preference for fresh SAT scores, ideally not older than a year or two, as discussed above. They are unlikely to outright reject a student’s application just based on the date they took their SAT exam, but certain candidates may find themselves at a disadvantage because of it.
Certain colleges believe that a candidate’s academic skills may become either sharper or duller over time, so it’s important to have a somewhat recent measurement. In other words, the more recent the SAT score, the more accurate of a predictor it tends to be as far as the candidate’s academic readiness goes.
Factors beyond the SAT
Remember that your SAT score is just one piece of the overall puzzle that affects your rate of college acceptance. To increase your chances, you also need to focus on other aspects of your college application, including your:
- Extracurricular activities
- Essays
- Recommendation letters
- etc.
Let’s suppose that all of the above look good in your application. In cases like these, even the somewhat stricter colleges may be inclined to overlook your slightly older SAT score.
How to access your old SAT score
If you need to access your SAT score, you can do so at any time, as it’s safely archived. To accomplish this, you have several options at your disposal.
Via mail
- Visit the official College Board website
- Find the archived score report form and download it
- Fill out the form (you will also need to have your registration number at hand)
- Pay the processing fee
Note: If you don’t have your registration number, you won’t be able to order your SAT score report this way.
Via phone
Visit the official College Board website and look for the customer support phone number (it’s region-specific). Call the number and share your:
- Name
- Address
- Test date
- Registration number (optional)
- Name and residential number valid at the time you took your SAT test
- Credit card number and expiration date
- College and scholarship program codes
Note: The processing fee is $15.
Should you aim to keep your SAT score recent?
Based on everything stated thus far, the optimal strategy is indeed to keep your SAT score as fresh as possible, especially if you’re aiming for some of the higher-end colleges.
An increasing number of colleges are taking the stance that applicants need to demonstrate their up-to-date abilities. Therefore, presenting a recent SAT score will strengthen your overall application.
Don’t forget to also keep your GPA up as well as take on some extracurricular activities to bolster it even further.
A strategic approach to maximizing your SAT score validity
Now that you’ve realized the importance of keeping your SAT score fresh, here are the main takeaways on what you can do to make sure it stays relevant for your college application:
- Try to take the SAT at your earliest convenience. Although technically you can take your SAT as a senior, this is generally not recommended as it puts you under unnecessary pressure and may lock you out of the opportunity to re-take it later to improve your SAT score.
- If you’re not satisfied with your SAT score, don’t be afraid of re-taking it! The system is designed in such a way that your highest score counts, so there is literally nothing to lose. However, it’s important that you study for SAT test analyze your weak spots, and work on them before re-taking the SAT test so that you won’t repeat the same mistakes. Consider working with high school tutoring services such as the ones provided by Novel Prep. The benefit is that you get to work with a SAT exam tutor as part of one on one tutoring which leaves ample time to work on the exact gaps in your knowledge, and our tutors will help you overcome them. In addition, we offer specialized specialized SAT test prep courses to get you on your way to academic success. This includes a SAT exam practice test and other forms of assistance.
- The US colleges are free to make their own placement rules and requirements, so don’t count on your older SAT to pull you through. A 3-year-old SAT score may be perfectly fine for certain colleges, and out-of-date for others. Therefore, you should approach the matter on a case-per-case basis and always double-check with the college you’re applying to.
- Keep yourself in the loop with the latest SAT policy updates by following the official College board website. The website also lists the score reporting options available to you.
Other things to consider with regard to your SAT score
- Certain colleges have test-optional policies, meaning that having undergone SAT or ACT testing is not even part of their official requirements. This way, your college application will look amazing based on other factors such as your GPA, extracurricular activities, and essays, even if your SAT score is a bit lackluster.
- Your SAT score, while important, is not the end-all-be-all when it comes to college applications. Colleges tend to have a holistic view of the applicant’s overall academic accomplishments, including their letter of recommendation, essays, extracurricular involvement, GPA, and other factors. Your focus should be on making your overall college application as presentable as possible. Hint: taking an AP credit course and a dual credit course can boost your GPA score.
- A strategic SAT retake could be a good move if you believe your score can be improved significantly, all while keeping it fresh. Keep in mind, however, that it’s going to cost some of your time and energy, so do a basic cost/benefit analysis to determine whether doing so is worth it in your case.
- In case of multiple SAT re-takes, the college board gives you the option to send in your best one. This allows you to put your best foot forward.
Conclusion
Technically, your SAT score does not expire at all, but each college has the autonomy to come up with its own admission criteria.
For instance, a college may require your SAT score to be not older than 5 years, with certain colleges going even further and requesting a SAT score received in the last 1-2 years. On the flipside, certain colleges do not require an SAT score at all as they look at other factors.
Therefore, always double-check the exact requirements with your college of choice. If need be, consider re-taking your SAT score to keep it fresh.
If all of this sounds too confusing or you’d like additional help, consider taking advantage of Novel Prep’s SAT test prep services. We’ll tell you the exact steps you need to take, all while making sure you absolutely ace your exam to become the ideal candidate colleges are looking for.
FAQs
Can I re-take my SAT test? If so, how many times?
There is no upper limit on re-takes, so you could re-attempt your SAT test indefinitely, as long as there are official upcoming dates available. Statistically speaking, most students end up taking it twice, and even the College board advises you to do so.
Can your SAT score qualify you for a scholarship?
SAT-based scholarships are generally given out to those who don’t have the financial means to support themselves through college. To qualify, your SAT score will need to be at least 1300 or higher.
Do SAT scores ever expire?
On paper, no. In practice, however, colleges are free to make their own admission policies. What we’re observing is that your SAT score should be good in most cases as long as it’s not more than 5 years old (although the most high-end colleges may have stricter requirements).
Is there an age restriction that needs to be taken into account?
No. You are free to take your SAT test whenever you want. Typically, most high school students will be between 16 and 19 years of age when taking it.
What is the SAT score range?
Your total SAT score will be anywhere between 400 and 1600 (the higher, the better).
Can I choose which SAT scores to send when applying for college?
Generally yes, although there are some exceptions (some colleges will want to see your entire score history).
When is the earliest I can see my score online after taking the SAT test?
For the most part, your score will be accessible online 2-4 weeks after taking the test.
