The overwhelming majority of U.S. colleges and universities remain test-optional or test-blind. Yet participation in the SAT keeps climbing: nearly 1.97 million American students took it in 2024, up from 1.91 million the previous year. And over 54% of them retook the exam, either to chase higher scores or calm anxiety.
The high rate of retakes raises complex issues for higher ed leaders, who understand the interplay between student preparation and institutional equity. If retakes soar, already privileged students with access to test coaching surge ahead of their peers.
This has real consequences for fairness, admissions and student stress. Encouraging smarter preparation strategies can help institutions better support students, reduce expensive repeat testing and foster equity.
What if colleges and universities could help level the playing field by encouraging smarter, not harder, prep?
It’s not about more SAT prep hours
Educational psychology offers compelling guidance for how to support better test prep, and it centers on spacing and testing effects. The “spacing effect” refers to learning over time, which consistently outperforms cramming by helping information transfer to long‑term memory.
Similarly, the “testing effect,” or retrieval practice by recalling information actively, boosts retention far more than rereading.
A recent meta-review of spacing and retrieval research confirms their impact in real‑world educational settings. These strategies are evidence‑based, replicable and cost‑effective. They work across subjects and types of learners, all without increasing study volume.
What does this mean for students? It means they don’t need endless mock tests. They need focused sessions, with targeted review, self-testing and incremental feedback, scheduled intentionally over time.
Boosts results and equity
The research shows that to be effective, test prep programs should pair diagnostics with personalized plans. From day one, students should get clear, actionable schedules.
Short, strategic sessions should include spaced and varied practice on different types of content, along with retrieval practice and regular low-stakes check-ins to show what students are learning and where they need help. This approach cultivates active learning and metacognition, as students become aware of their own thinking patterns.
The results? Greater confidence and less anxiety under timed conditions, in a marked contrast to the endless recycling of ineffective prep that leads to retakes.
With this kind of preparation, students commonly gain 150 to 200 SAT points. And they do so not by doubling their prep time but by deploying efficient, science‑backed strategies. They study smarter, not longer.
Supporting smarter SAT prep strategies
As college and university leaders, you can help drive this impact in three ways:
- Support smarter prep strategies: Encourage students to take a diagnostic before they start studying, and point them toward resources that help them focus on what they actually need to learn: when and how to study, not just what to study.
- Keep an eye on equity: Look at test score data, retake rates, and which student groups have access to and are using test prep resources like courses, tutoring, or study tools. That can help you see where students might be struggling or retaking unnecessarily.
- Shift messaging: In orientation materials and advising, highlight purposeful, science‑based prep over simply more hours.
Fewer retakes, less stress
When test prep aligns with proven learning science, students are more likely to meet score thresholds on their first try. That results in fewer retakes, less stress and lower financial burdens. It also opens doors to students who struggle with traditional preparation, promoting a more equitable admissions process.
What’s more, smart test prep isn’t just about SAT scores. It’s about modeling how learning works and preparing students to pursue success in college and beyond. Learning that is built on spacing, retrieval and feedback can translate into deeper, lifelong benefits.
As leaders shaping admissions pathways, the endorsement of purposeful, science-backed test prep can help more students step confidently onto campus with the skills they need. Smarter prep is an investment in student potential—and in institutional values.
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