When should I take the SAT?

Most students take their first SAT in the fall or spring of junior year, leaving fall of senior year open as a retake window before early-decision and early-action deadlines (usually November 1). Testing early gives you time to retake the SAT if your score doesn't reflect your work.

How many times can I take the SAT?

There's no limit on how many times you can sit the SAT. Most students test two or three times. Check each college's score-use policy — many superscore across sittings or accept score choice, which lets you send only your best results.

What happens if I miss the registration deadline?

College Board opens a short late-registration window after the standard deadline for an added fee. After that window closes, registration for that specific test date is no longer available and you'd need to wait for the next one.

2026-27 testing cycle

SAT Test Dates 2026-27

Every official SAT test date and registration deadline for the 2026-27 school year, in one table — plus how to pick the date that's actually right for your student.

Test Date	Registration Deadline
August 29, 2026	August 14, 2026
September 12, 2026	August 28, 2026
October 3, 2026	September 19, 2026
November 7, 2026	October 24, 2026
December 5, 2026	November 20, 2026
March 13, 2027	February 26, 2027
May 1, 2027	April 16, 2027
June 5, 2027	May 21, 2027

Always confirm before you register

College Board sets and can change this calendar. Treat the dates above as a planning reference, not a guarantee, and confirm the current SAT dates and deadlines directly on College Board's official registration page before you register.

How to choose your SAT date

Work backward from your earliest application deadline. If you're applying early decision or early action, those deadlines usually land around November 1 — so a spring or summer test date the year before gives colleges your scores in time, with room for a retake if needed.

Leave a real retake window. Most students improve their score on a second attempt once they know the format and have targeted their weak areas. Picking a date that leaves at least one more official test before your deadline takes the pressure off any single sitting.

Match the date to your school calendar. A test date right after a school break, an AP exam, or a big extracurricular commitment usually means less effective prep time — a date a few weeks out, with a clear runway to study, tends to produce a better score than the earliest date available.

How registration deadlines work

Each SAT date has a standard registration deadline — the last day to register at the regular price. After that, College Board typically opens a short late-registration window for an additional fee, followed by the deadline for changes like switching your test center. Once the late window closes, registration for that date is no longer possible.

Because dates, fees, and windows can change year to year, treat everything on this page as a starting point and verify the specifics on College Board's site before you commit to a date.

Questions

SAT test dates, answered

When should I take the SAT?: Most students take their first SAT in the fall or spring of junior year, leaving fall of senior year open as a retake window before early-decision and early-action deadlines (usually November 1). Testing early gives you time to retake the SAT if your score doesn't reflect your work.
How many times can I take the SAT?: There's no limit on how many times you can sit the SAT. Most students test two or three times. Check each college's score-use policy — many superscore across sittings or accept score choice, which lets you send only your best results.
What happens if I miss the registration deadline?: College Board opens a short late-registration window after the standard deadline for an added fee. After that window closes, registration for that specific test date is no longer available and you'd need to wait for the next one.

Taking the ACT instead? See ACT test dates.

Pick your date. We'll build the plan to hit it.

Claros turns a target SAT date into a day-by-day study plan — practice calibrated to your skill gaps, a countdown, and a real sense of whether you're on track before test day arrives.

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