# Is it bad to take the ACT more than 3 times?

**URL:** <https://experthub.prepscholar.com/t/is-it-bad-to-take-the-act-more-than-3-times/7506>\
**Category:** Answers\
**Tags:** act-retake, act-scores, act, act-prep\
**Created:** [January 22, 2016, 7:08am UTC](https://experthub.prepscholar.com/t/is-it-bad-to-take-the-act-more-than-3-times/7506 "2016-01-22T07:08:12Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![sam\_prepscholar](https://experthub.prepscholar.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/41988e/32.png) [@sam\_prepscholar](https://experthub.prepscholar.com/u/sam_prepscholar)\
**Post date:** [January 22, 2016, 7:08am UTC](https://experthub.prepscholar.com/t/is-it-bad-to-take-the-act-more-than-3-times/7506/1 "2016-01-22T07:08:12Z")

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I've taken the ACT 3 times, and I've gotten the same composite score (28) every. single. time. It only goes up to a 29 even with superscoring, and I really would like to score above a 30. Will I look bad to colleges if I take the test a fourth time?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![sam\_prepscholar](https://experthub.prepscholar.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/41988e/32.png) [@sam\_prepscholar](https://experthub.prepscholar.com/u/sam_prepscholar)\
**Post date:** [January 22, 2016, 7:31am UTC](https://experthub.prepscholar.com/t/is-it-bad-to-take-the-act-more-than-3-times/7506/2 "2016-01-22T07:31:34Z")

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**I wouldn't recommend taking the ACT a fourth time, mainly because of the consistency of your past three scores.** Since your scores haven't improved over the course of the last few test administrations, it seems unlikely that you'll be able to raise them on your fourth try.

**I would only advise you to take the test a fourth time if you're in the process of switching to an entirely new prep program** and you have evidence that it's working better than your previous study methods. If you can improve your score to above a 30 on a consistent basis (at least three practice tests in a row), then it's reasonable to try taking the ACT a fourth time.

The main issue with retaking the test more than three times is not that colleges will judge you - it's that excessive testing can be a huge waste of your time and financial resources. **Don't retake the test unless you feel completely confident that you can improve your scores.**

[Source](https://blog.prepscholar.com/should-you-retake-the-sat-or-act-3-step-process)