<p>I certainly agree with quite a bit of this content. I think intelligence plays more of a role than luck, but also dedication, both to a particular domain of study (math or English) and to the entire exam. The first time I took the exam (junior year) I studied mostly for the reading and writing sections, which I did outstandingly well on (800 reading 770 writing) but I absolutely bombed the math portion (600) (Still “good” for whatever it’s worth) I attribute this to my lack of attention to mathematics review. I think true competency arises more from constantly studying material, than actually <em>learning</em> the material. Anyone can learn the material necessary to score a 2400, the thing is most people just do not dedicate the time necessary to do so. I think luck plays a remarkably small role, and above all else are dedication and the desire to perform well on the exam. Hence, I retook the exam, studied math, and scored a 740 on the math. I worked hard.</p>