As a senior that enjoyed the flexibility of retaking up to the highest score that I received on my retakes for the past three years, I was worried, along with other students, when I heard that Oakton would be implementing a new retake policy starting from the 2019-2020 academic year. Instead of students being able to receive their highest raw score on retakes, they are now only allowed to retake up until a score of 90%. So, for example, if a student receives a 97% raw score on their math retake, they will get a score of 90%. I was cautious of this policy, but appreciated that Oakton still allowed for retakes as I enjoyed the idea of having it as a cushion in case I didn’t perform well on the original test. 

As the first quarter comes to an end, and I, along with other students, reflect on my grades, I have realized that the new retake policy hadn’t impacted me. I did not opt to retake any of my tests this quarter, and thus, my grades are not an evaluation on what impact the new retake policy had on them. However, the new retake policy did increase my stress levels when I took tests this past quarter. I felt more pressure to do well on my tests as I knew that even if I retook them, I may not receive as high of a score, and would not attain the grade I wanted to end with in first quarter.

Morgan Pham (12) says that she doesn’t mind the new retake policy. She says that as a senior, she doesn’t feel the need to perfect her grade. Thus, she wouldn’t mind if she received a 90% compared to a 95% when she retakes a test. 

Divya Dasari (12), on the other hand, says that she is not in favor of the new retake policy as she wasn’t able to attain an A due to only receiving a 90% on her retake. Because she is taking Multivariable Calculus, a dual-enrollment course, it is crucial for her to do well in the class; her grade in this class gets transferred to the college that she attends next year. 

Reva Nair (11), a junior that is balancing 5 APs along with her extracurriculars, is not in favor of the new retake policy as she feels that receiving a 90% on her test despite getting a higher raw score does not reflect her understanding of the material that was taught in class.

Although many of the opinions on the retake policy depend on what grade the students are in, most students are neutral or are against it.