SAT Test Dates 2026-27: Deadlines and How to Choose

The remaining SAT Weekend test dates for the 2026-27 school year are November 7 and December 5, 2026, and March 6, May 1 and June 5, 2027. The next registration deadline is October 23, 2026, for the November test, and the same dates and deadlines apply to students in the US and in every other country.

This guide lists every official date, deadline and score release date published by College Board, explains how the deadlines actually work (including the late window and the separate accommodations deadlines), and shows how to choose a date that fits your child’s school calendar and college plans. Dates and fees occasionally change, so always confirm them on the College Board SAT dates and deadlines page before you register.

What are the SAT test dates for 2026-27?

College Board offers eight SAT Weekend dates in the 2026-27 school year. Three of them (August 22, September 12 and October 3, 2026) have already taken place. Here are the five that remain, with the deadlines and the date students can expect to see their scores:

• November 7, 2026: register by October 23; late registration, changes and regular cancellation by October 27; scores released to students November 20.
• December 5, 2026: register by November 20; late registration and changes by November 24; scores released December 18.
• March 6, 2027: register by February 19; late registration and changes by February 23; scores released March 19.
• May 1, 2027: register by April 16; late registration and changes by April 20; scores released May 14.
• June 5, 2027: register by May 21; late registration and changes by May 25; scores released June 21.

Notice the gap: there is no SAT Weekend test in January or February 2027. After December 5, the next chance is March 6. For a senior who is counting on a winter retake, that gap matters.

College Board has also published anticipated dates for 2027-28: August 28, September 18, October 9, November 6 and December 4, 2027, and March 4, May 6 and June 3, 2028. These are listed as anticipated, so treat them as a planning guide for current grade 10 students rather than a final schedule.

Some schools also run SAT School Day, which the school or district books, not the family. For 2026-27 the windows are October 1 to 30, 2026 and March 1 to April 30, 2027; ask the school for the exact date.

How do SAT registration deadlines work?

Each SAT Weekend date has two deadlines, and they behave differently.

• Regular registration deadline: usually a Friday about two weeks before the test. Registering by this date costs the standard fee.
• Late registration deadline: usually the following Tuesday. Registering in this window is allowed everywhere, but College Board charges an extra late fee. The same deadline is also the last day to change your test centre or cancel at the lower cancellation fee.

All SAT Weekend deadlines expire at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time in the US. For families in India, the Middle East, Southeast Asia or Australia, that moment falls on the following morning or afternoon in local time. Do not treat that as extra time; payment or photo problems are hard to fix at the last minute.

Two other deadlines are easy to miss because they come earlier than the registration deadline:

• Borrowing a device: students who need to borrow a testing device from College Board must register and request it at least 30 days before test day.
• Testing accommodations: students with a documented disability who need accommodations (for example extended time) must request them through College Board’s Services for Students with Disabilities, and approval must come before registration. College Board notes that the approval process can take up to seven weeks. The published deadlines for the request and all documentation to be received are October 16, 2026 for the December 5 test, January 15, 2027 for March 6, March 12, 2027 for May 1, and April 16, 2027 for June 5. A school IEP or 504 plan does not carry over automatically.

If your child cannot test on a Saturday for religious reasons, College Board offers Sunday testing on request, with a signed letter from a religious leader. Sunday testing is not available in India or Pakistan, so families there should plan around Saturday dates.

When do SAT scores come out for each date?

College Board states that most scores from weekend tests are released two to four weeks after test day. For 2026-27, the published student release dates are about 13 days after each test: November 20 for the November test, December 18 for December, March 19 for March and May 14 for May. The June 5 test is slightly slower, with scores released June 21.

Score release timing matters for two decisions.

• Whether to retake: if your child sits the November test, scores arrive on November 20, which is the same day as the regular registration deadline for December. You can see the result and still register for December on time, or use the late window up to November 24.
• Whether scores reach colleges in time: once a score is released, the college still has to receive and process it. College Board says processing times vary by college. If a college has a firm application deadline, check on that college’s own admissions site whether a given test date is accepted.

Sending scores is also time-sensitive. Each registration includes four free score reports if they are ordered within nine days after the test date. After that, each additional report costs $15. Because that window closes before scores are released, students choose those four colleges without seeing their score. Whether that makes sense depends on how your child’s target colleges treat multiple scores, which we cover in our guide to what a good SAT score is in 2026, including superscoring and Score Choice.

Which SAT date should my child take?

There is no single best date. The right choice depends on the student’s grade, school calendar, college deadlines and how ready they are. A useful principle is to plan for two attempts and choose the first date so that a second one is still possible before any deadline that matters.

Grade 12 students applying this year. If your child has not yet taken the SAT, November 7 and December 5 are the main options left before most application deadlines. Many early application deadlines fall in November, and colleges differ in whether they accept November or December scores for early rounds, so check each college’s own admissions page. Students who already have a score and want one more attempt usually aim for November, which leaves December as a last resort. For regular-decision applications, some colleges may still consider a later score, but that is a college-by-college policy, not a rule.

Grade 11 students. This is the year most students take their first SAT. A common pattern is a first attempt in spring of grade 11 (March, May or June 2027) and a second in late summer or autumn of grade 12, using the anticipated August, September or October 2027 dates. Well-prepared students might start with December 2026 or March 2027. Starting in grade 11 leaves room for a retake without the pressure of application deadlines.

Grade 10 students and younger. Most do not need an official SAT date this year. The PSAT-related assessments or a full timed Bluebook practice test usually give enough information. If a strong grade 10 student wants a real attempt, June 2027 is a sensible choice because it comes after most school exams are finished, but it should be treated as a trial, not a final score. Our grade-by-grade guide to starting SAT prep explains what each year should look like.

Here is a quick worked example. Suppose your child is in grade 11 and wants a score ready by October 2027, with one retake. Working backwards: if the target is the anticipated October 9, 2027 date as a final attempt, the first attempt should be no later than June 5, 2027 so the student can review the score report (released June 21) and use the summer to fix weak areas. A June registration must be in by May 21, 2027. That means serious preparation should begin by around February or March 2027, which also leaves the March or May date as an earlier option if practice tests go well.

How do school exams affect the choice of SAT date?

For international families, the school calendar is often a bigger constraint than college deadlines. The SAT rewards students who arrive rested and focused, so avoid stacking it on top of major school assessments.

• IB students: IB final exams for most schools run in May of the final year. Grade 12 IB students often finish the SAT in autumn, and grade 11 IB students often find March or June easier than May.
• A-Level and IGCSE students: the main exam season runs through May and June. March, or the autumn dates, usually work better than May or June.
• CBSE and ICSE students: board exams fall in the late-winter and spring months, and pre-boards and practicals come earlier. Grade 12 board students generally do better with an autumn SAT, while grade 11 students may find March tough if school exams cluster then.
• AP students: AP exams take place in May. A student carrying several AP courses may prefer March or June to May 1.

Check your child’s actual school calendar, not just these general patterns.

How much does SAT registration cost?

According to College Board’s fees pages (listing fees through June 2027):

• Registration: $68.
• International fee: an additional $43 for students testing outside the US, for a total of $111.
• Late registration: an additional $38.
• Changing your test centre: $34. Changing the test date is not a simple change; you cancel and register again for the new date.
• Cancelling: $34 by the change deadline, or $44 after that, up to the Thursday before test day at 11:59 p.m. ET.
• Score reports: four free if ordered within nine days of the test; $15 for each additional report.

Some students are eligible for a fee waiver, which also covers late registration, cancellations and unlimited score reports; check eligibility on College Board’s site. Fees can change, so confirm the current amounts before paying. The bigger cost of a missed deadline is often losing the chance of a retake before applications close.

How do you register for the SAT, step by step?

1. Create or sign in to a College Board account. Use an email address the student checks regularly.
2. Have a photo and payment ready. College Board asks for both before you start. The photo must meet College Board’s photo requirements, so read them first; a rejected photo can cause problems on test day.
3. Choose a date and a test centre. Register well before the regular deadline so you have more choice of test centres, especially if your city has only a few.
4. Note every deadline in a shared family calendar: registration, late registration, the free score report window (nine days after test day) and the score release date.
5. Prepare the testing device. The SAT is taken in the Bluebook app. Exam setup opens one to five days before the test: open Bluebook on the testing device, sign in and complete exam setup, then print or email the admission ticket.
6. Read the test-day rules for ID and what to bring on College Board’s site the week before.

What date-planning mistakes should parents avoid?

• Booking the last possible date first. If December 5 is your child’s only attempt before applications, there is no fallback for illness, a technical problem or simply a bad day.
• Forgetting the January-February gap. A student who plans to “retake in winter” may find the next option is March.
• Missing the accommodations deadline. It falls about seven weeks before the test, well ahead of the registration deadline.
• Choosing a date that sits on top of school exams. A rushed SAT during board or IB revision rarely reflects what the student can do.
• Registering before the student is ready. A date motivates, but a date that is too close leads to a rushed attempt. A full timed practice test from our SAT mock test page or in Bluebook is the best way to judge readiness before committing.

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