To encourage students to take the SAT, the school provided seniors with the opportunity to take a free test on Oct.16, also known as National Testing Day.

“There were 313 out of more than 400 students who signed up,” Counselor LeeAnne Grommesh said. “But on test day, 317 students showed up. Those who missed the deadline to register signed up over an email that was sent as a second chance to take the test.”

A law was passed by the state to Texas requiring districts to provide an opportunity for students to take the SAT for free.

“The state government wanted this law as an opportunity for everyone to take the test at least once,” Grommesh said. “This way students won’t say that they did not get a chance due to financial issues.”

More than two-thirds of the senior class took the test.

“It was impressive how many students signed up,” Assistant Principal Miguel Garza. “This was the first time we offered it and the majority of the senior class took the test.”

This was senior Sydney Su’s second time taking it.

“I appreciate the school’s offering a free SAT,” Su said. “If it weren’t free, I wouldn’t have taken it again.”

For other students, like Noe Escobedo, this was their first time taking the test.

“If I had taken it last year, then I would have been more prepared,” he said. “I thought I would be more prepared if I waited and studied for a couple of months.”

Escobedo said that he struggled during the test.

“There were some easy parts I studied for, but then there was material I found difficult,” Escobedo said. “I felt confident at first but in the math section, I got nervous.”

Taking the test previously allowed Su to strategize.

“In the math portion, I always do the first part and then skip back to the griddables,” she said. “The first and last part is easier than the middle so that gives me the chance of getting a higher score.”

Escobedo said he attributes his success to time management.

“If any question took longer than 45 seconds, then I would skip it,” he said.

Escobedo said the law is a step in the right direction.

“It is a way to increase and improve scores,” he said. “This will give many people the opportunity to at least test once.”