Students, while retaking the ACT can lead to a score increase for many, you should also consider the cost of taking the exams and what multiple scores mean to college admission officers.
The ACT costs $46 and $62.50 with the writing portion. Costs can add up if you repeatedly take the test but keep in mind, the ACT offers fee waivers to low-income family students.
Once you complete the exam and send your score to colleges, many schools may subscore your results. Subscoring is a process in which schools take the best scores from each section if you have taken the exam multiple times. Keep in mind, some schools may not subscore, which may be problematic if your second test score drops. For example, if you received a 25 composite score on the first exam and a 20 on the second, that may raise some questions with the admission officers.
Consider the potential for good and bad outcomes that come from taking the ACT multiple times.
Students may find drawbacks of having to spend more time, money and effort into the process of test preparation but the strong possibility of raising your score will be worth it.