Best SAT Prep Courses for Retaking the SAT

Key Infor­ma­tion:

• Retak­ing the SAT can lead to sig­nif­i­cant score improve­ments, with many stu­dents increas­ing their scores by 50 to 200 points or more, open­ing doors to bet­ter col­lege admis­sions and schol­ar­ship opportunities.
• Effec­tive SAT prep cours­es offer tai­lored study plans, prac­tice exams, and expert instruc­tors to address indi­vid­ual weak­ness­es and boost con­fi­dence for the retake.
• Top SAT prep options, like Kaplan, Prince­ton Review, and Khan Acad­e­my, pro­vide diverse fea­tures such as per­son­al­ized learn­ing, flex­i­ble sched­ules, and guar­an­teed score improvements.
• Con­sis­tent prac­tice, time man­age­ment strate­gies, and detailed feed­back from prep cours­es can sig­nif­i­cant­ly enhance per­for­mance, help­ing stu­dents achieve their tar­get scores and aca­d­e­m­ic goals.

Many stu­dents have scored low on their first take, forc­ing them to retake to qual­i­fy for their dream col­leges and uni­ver­si­ties. In fact, about 30% of SAT retak­ers had high­er scores, with some jump­ing up by hun­dreds of points. But to ace your next SAT, you must know how to pre­pare effectively.

What­ev­er your pur­pose for retak­ing the SAT, tar­get­ed SAT prep cours­es can give you the tools to achieve your best pos­si­ble result. These cours­es offer cus­tomized study plans, test-tak­ing strate­gies, and the flex­i­bil­i­ty you need to succeed.

In this guide, we’re div­ing into the best SAT prep cours­es for retak­ing the SAT that can help you achieve your tar­get score. We aim to give you an edge when it comes to col­lege admis­sions and scholarships.

Relat­ed:

• Best SAT Prep Cours­es and Classes
• Improv­ing SAT Scores: Tips for Repeat Test Takers
• Earn­ing Col­lege Cred­it Through AP Exams
• 2025 Emerg­ing Online Degree Programs

Why Retake the SAT?

Score Improvement

Many stu­dents who retake the SAT see improve­ments of between 50 to 200 points, some­times even more. This is espe­cial­ly impor­tant if you’re try­ing to get into a more com­pet­i­tive school or aim­ing for bet­ter schol­ar­ship opportunities.

Scholarship Opportunities

A high­er SAT score can unlock finan­cial aid that you might not have qual­i­fied for with your pre­vi­ous score. Many uni­ver­si­ties offer schol­ar­ships based on SAT per­for­mance, and a high­er score could place you in a bet­ter posi­tion to apply for these. Also, nation­al mer­it schol­ar­ships and oth­er pri­vate grants often con­sid­er SAT scores in their selec­tion process.

College Admission Benefits

Most uni­ver­si­ties have a score range they expect from appli­cants, and by improv­ing your SAT score, you can increase your chances of admis­sion to your dream school. A high­er score could make your appli­ca­tion stand out even if you’re already with­in their range. Some schools may even allow you to apply as test-option­al, but hav­ing a strong score is a plus, espe­cial­ly for selec­tive programs.

Key Features of Effective SAT Prep Courses

When it comes to choos­ing the most effec­tive SAT prep cours­es for high­er scores, you want to make sure the course has some key fea­tures that can real­ly help you improve.

Here are the things you should look for:

Customization

Top SAT test prep pro­grams allow you to tai­lor your study plan to your needs. After all, you’re retak­ing the SAT to improve, which means focus­ing on your weak­er areas. Look for course pro­grams that offer per­son­al­ized learn­ing plans based on your past SAT per­for­mance. This way, you can zero in on areas that need the most atten­tion rather than wast­ing time on things you already know.

Practice Tests

The SAT is a timed, high-pres­sure test, and there’s no bet­ter way to pre­pare than to sim­u­late the expe­ri­ence. Tak­ing full-length prac­tice exams under timed con­di­tions helps you get com­fort­able with the test for­mat and devel­op strate­gies for pac­ing your­self through­out the test. The best SAT prep cours­es for retak­ing the SAT will offer plen­ty of these prac­tice exams to help you get into a rhythm before test day.

Experienced Instructors

You should nev­er under­es­ti­mate the pow­er of hav­ing instruc­tors with a deep­er under­stand­ing of the test and can pro­vide use­ful test-tak­ing strate­gies. Whether it’s know­ing how to approach tough read­ing com­pre­hen­sion ques­tions or which math con­cepts show up the most, these experts can give you insights that will help you tack­le the SAT with confidence.

Flexibility

You have a busy life, and prep cours­es should fit into your sched­ule. Whether you pre­fer self-paced cours­es, live online ses­sions, or even in-per­son class­es, look for a course that offers the flex­i­bil­i­ty to learn on your terms. Being able to study when it works best for you can make a huge dif­fer­ence in your preparation.

Top 10 Best SAT Prep Courses for Retaking the SAT

Now, let’s talk about some of the best SAT prep cours­es for retak­ing the SAT.

Kaplan SAT Prep

Kaplan has been around for years and is known for its top-notch prep, offer­ing both live and self-paced online SAT retake prep class­es. The course includes prac­tice tests and per­son­al­ized feed­back to help you tar­get your weak spots and improve your score for the retake.

Princeton Review SAT Ultimate Course

Prince­ton Review is anoth­er big name in SAT cours­es for retake suc­cess, and their Ulti­mate Course comes with a “High­er Score Guar­an­tee.” This means they’re con­fi­dent you’ll see improve­ment with their mate­ri­als. You get com­pre­hen­sive course mate­ri­als, prac­tice exams, and tar­get­ed study ses­sions to help you crush your SAT retake.

Khan Academy Official SAT Prep

If you’re seek­ing a free option, Khan Acad­e­my has part­nered with the Col­lege Board to pro­vide an offi­cial, no-cost SAT prep pro­gram. With per­son­al­ized prac­tice rec­om­men­da­tions based on your pre­vi­ous scores, you can cus­tomize your prep in an effec­tive and free way.

PrepScholar SAT Prep

Prep­Schol­ar is all about cus­tomized and afford­able SAT prep pro­grams. They focus on cre­at­ing a tai­lored study plan for each stu­dent and pro­vide progress track­ing to help you stay on track. They even offer a mon­ey-back guar­an­tee if you don’t see sig­nif­i­cant improve­ment in your score.

Magoosh SAT Prep

Magoosh offers an afford­able online prep with video lessons and over 1,750 prac­tice ques­tions. They pro­vide email sup­port from SAT experts, so you can get help when­ev­er you need it. This is a great option if you’re look­ing for some­thing flex­i­ble and bud­get-friend­ly as well.

College Board Official SAT Prep

If you want to stick to the offi­cial resources, the Col­lege Board­’s free tools are the way to go. With prac­tice exams, study guides, and dai­ly prac­tice ques­tions, you’ll get the same mate­ri­als used in the actu­al SAT, mak­ing it a great resource for real­is­tic practice.

Varsity Tutors SAT Prep

Var­si­ty Tutors is known for offer­ing among the best SAT tutor­ing ser­vices, offer­ing one-on-one tutor­ing that’s tai­lored to your spe­cif­ic learn­ing style. With access to a library of SAT study mate­ri­als, you’ll have plen­ty of resources to pre­pare for your retake.

ePrep SAT Course

ePrep com­bines video-based learn­ing with timed prac­tice tests to help you improve your test-tak­ing con­fi­dence. This course is per­fect if you want to focus on devel­op­ing your pac­ing skills and improv­ing your over­all per­for­mance on test day.

TutorMe SAT Tutoring

TutorMe offers on-demand, per­son­al­ized SAT study resources for retakes. With flex­i­ble sched­ul­ing, you can get help when­ev­er you need it, mak­ing this a great option for stu­dents with busy schedules.

Testive SAT Prep

Tes­tive pairs you with ded­i­cat­ed coach­es who help keep you moti­vat­ed and account­able through­out your prep. They pro­vide detailed per­for­mance track­ing and per­son­al­ized study plans to ensure that you’re stay­ing on track and improv­ing each time you study.

Tips for Retaking the SAT Successfully

Before you choose from the list of the best SAT prep cours­es for retak­ing the SAT, you must know a few things. Remem­ber that when it comes to learn­ing, there is no one-size-fits-all. To make sure that you’re set­ting your­self up for suc­cess, con­sid­er these impor­tant prac­ti­cal tips:

1. Ana­lyze past per­for­mance. Con­sid­er how well you did on your pre­vi­ous SAT. Pin­point the area/subject where you’ve strug­gled the most. This strat­e­gy helps you and your tutor cre­ate cus­tomized SAT prep plans for your next take.
2. Prac­tice reg­u­lar­ly. Con­sis­ten­cy is key. The more prac­tice you get, the more com­fort­able you’ll be with the test for­mat, and the more your con­fi­dence will grow.
3. Focus on time man­age­ment. SAT prep for improved scores involves a lot of con­trol. Learn to pace your­self dur­ing prac­tice exams. You don’t want to run out of time on the test, so devel­op strate­gies for man­ag­ing your time wisely.
4. Stay con­sis­tent. Stick to a reg­u­lar study sched­ule. Con­sis­ten­cy is cru­cial for retain­ing infor­ma­tion and build­ing your skills over time.

Benefits of SAT Prep Courses for Retakes

Using the best SAT prep cours­es for retak­ing the SAT can pro­vide a range of benefits:

1. Prep cours­es help you work on your weak spots so you can get bet­ter where you need it most.
2. Mock exams and detailed feed­back can boost your con­fi­dence, mak­ing you feel more ready when test day rolls around.
3. Some cours­es even offer score guar­an­tees. Take, for exam­ple, Prep­Schol­ar SAT Prep. They offer a mon­ey-back guar­an­tee should you not see an improve­ment in your score after com­plet­ing their course.

Conclusion

The best SAT prep cours­es for retak­ing the SAT can help you obtain more sat­is­fac­to­ry scores. This can open sev­er­al doors, from access to more selec­tive col­leges and schol­ar­ship oppor­tu­ni­ties to increased chances of finan­cial aid and even eli­gi­bil­i­ty for hon­ors pro­grams. So, don’t hesitate—take advan­tage of these prep cours­es and give your next SAT attempt the best shot possible!

For more infor­ma­tion and detailed resources on choos­ing the best SAT prep cours­es for retak­ing the SAT, vis­it the Bach­e­lor’s Degree Cen­ter, where you can find the ide­al course for your needs. Let’s aim for that high­er score!