The moment’s arrived! You took your SAT or ACT. You waited patiently. And now, at last, your scores have come in. Whatever your results, you’re likely feeling a mix of emotions: nerves, hopefulness, elation or even devastation.
But, regardless of your particular outcome and feelings at the moment, it is my solemn duty as your college prep fairy godmother (learn more about my test-prep magic here!) to inform you of your next two steps. Here’s how you’ll avoid losing momentum and continue to move forward in your standardized testing and college applications processes:
Assess whether you need to retake the SAT/ACT;
If you do, utilize the ACT’s Test Information Release (TIR) or the SAT’s Question Answer Service (QAS), if they’re available for your testing date.
In this post, I’m going to walk you through both of these action items so that you can accomplish your end goal: getting the scores that open the doors to your dream schools!
Do I Need To Retake the SAT or ACT?
Once you get your score back, immediately compare it to your Target Score AND to all of your mock test results.
If you met or surpassed your Target SAT/ACT Score AND you scored at or beyond your personal best in each of the test sections, you’re DONE!
If you did NOT reach your Target SAT/ACT Scores—and if there’s still time for you to schedule a repeat before you have to submit your college applications—you should retake the ACT/SAT.
What if you’re in the middle? Maybe you met your Target Scores, but when you look at your practice and mock test performances, you realized you normally do WAY better on the Writing or Science section? In this case, if there’s an upcoming test date that’s not too far away, I’d strongly consider retaking the test to see if a second (or third) try can help your SAT or ACT Superscore. You’d go into this next test knowing that you already HAVE a fantastic score, and that any additional points are extra gravy!
If you need to retake the SAT or ACT, your next step is to acquire the QAS (if you took the SAT) or the TIR (if you took the ACT)—IF it’s available for your test date!
Here’s Everything You Need to Know About the SAT’s QAS.
What is the SAT QAS?
The QAS, or Question Answer Service, is a service provided by the College Board that allows you to see which questions you got right and wrong on the SAT, what answer you originally chose, the test questions themselves, AND the correct answer—all for a single fee of $18. Thus, you can actually go over precisely what you missed on Test Day and shape your continued test prep accordingly.
Which SAT test dates offer the QAS?
The May SAT test date makes the QAS available to all students around the globe, whether you took the test on Saturday or Sunday, and whether you had accommodations or not.
Additionally, if you’re a student in the US or Canada or the US Virgin Islands, you took the SAT on a Saturday, and you did NOT need accommodations/extended time, you’ll also be able to order your QAS for the March and October test dates.
Is the SAT’s SAS the same as the QAS?
No. If the QAS is NOT offered for your test day, then something called the Student Answer Service (SAS) will be offered instead. Though the SAS is cheaper ($13.50), I’d say it isn’t even worth it. Seriously. The SAS tells you which questions you missed, but it does NOT tell you what the correct answer is…or what the test question even was. Knowing that I “missed #14” isn’t very helpful if that’s ALL I get to know!
How do I order the QAS?
If the QAS if offered for your test date, then run—don’t walk!—to take advantage of this valuable service! (Well, you don’t actually have to “go” anywhere to order it, but you get the idea.) In fact, there are THREE ways to order it:
Order online by signing into your College Board account and clicking the “Purchase" button in the “My Score Reports” tab.
Call Customer Service at 866-756-7346 (U.S. and Canada) or 212-713-7789 (outside the U.S. and Canada).
Fill out and submit the SAT Answer Verification Student Order Form.
Once you’ve signed in to your College Board account, click the tab labelled “My Score Reports….”
…and click the yellow “Purchase” button.
How much does the QAS cost and when can I purchase it?
The QAS can be purchased for $18, beginning when you register for the SAT and up until five months after your test date.
How long does the QAS take to arrive?
Your test questions should be made available online in your College Board account immediately after you purchase your QAS.
How to Use the ACT’s Test Information Release (TIR)
What is the TIR on the ACT?
The TIR is a service provided by ACT, Inc. that allows you to see which questions you got right and wrong on your exam, what answer you originally chose, the multiple-choice test booklet itself, AND the correct answers—all for a fee of $40! (The fee is only $30 if you purchase your TIR report when you first register for your ACT.) Thus, you can actually review precisely what you missed on Test Day in order to inform your continued test prep.
Which ACT test dates offer the TIR?
If you took the ACT on a National Test Day in April, June or December, you are eligible to purchase your TIR report.
How do I order the ACT’s TIR (Test Information Release)?
Log into your MyACT account. If the TIR is offered for your test date, there will be a button that says “Add TIR.”
Next, follow the prompt to “Add to Cart” and you’re done!
How much does the TIR cost and when can I purchase it?
The TIR can be purchased beginning when you register for the ACT (for $30) up until six months after your test date (for $40).
When will I have access to my TIR materials?
You can expect your TIR materials to show up digitally in your MyACT account a few weeks after you get your test scores back. (No, this one is NOT immediate, unlike the College Board’s QAS.)
How to Use the SAT’s QAS and the ACT’s TIR
Do you have access to your SAT and ACT test questions right now? Awesome! Here’s my biggest tip for using them effectively: rework each question WITHOUT looking at the correct answer first. THEN, check to see if you got it right.
If you answered a given question correctly this second time, that means that you either made a careless error on test day, have learned the material since, or ran out of time. Make a note and move on!
If, on the other hand, you STILL got it wrong on this repeat effort, then THAT’s a topic you need to go over/learn in the first place, or you need a strategy to help you with that type of passage/question. Either way, it’s valuable information…the EXACT information you need to continue your test prep!
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And speaking of continuing your test prep…now that you know WHICH questions you struggle with, you might be wondering how to go about turning those weaknesses into strengths. That’s where I excel: through private, custom-fit tutoring sessions, I’ve helped hundreds of students like you go from disappointing to thrilling scores. Reach out here if that sounds like an advantage you’d like to have in your corner!
