SAT Test Dates: How to Choose One

The 2026-27 SAT cycle holds eight Saturday test dates, running from August 22, 2026 to June 5, 2027. Start with the deadline columns in the table below and find the next date whose regular registration window is still open, because every date closes regular registration about two weeks ahead and then allows four more days in a late window. Your test date sets your registration deadline, your score-reporting timeline, and the room you have left for a retake before college deadlines arrive.

This guide lists the full 2026-27 calendar with regular and late registration deadlines, the published score release date for every test date, the fee table, and how to pick a date around Early Action, Early Decision, and later application rounds. It also gives our attempt and spacing guidance and covers SAT School Day as an alternative to Saturday testing. Every date, fee, and policy below comes from a College Board page linked on the claim. Check those pages before you pay, because College Board resets the calendar and the fees each cycle.

The 2026-27 SAT Calendar

The cycle holds eight Saturday test dates, five in fall 2026 and three in spring 2027. Each date carries a regular registration deadline about two weeks out, a four-day late registration window, and a published score release date about two weeks after test day. All registration deadlines expire at 11:59 p.m. ET.

Work down the table until you reach the first date whose regular deadline is still ahead of you. The first open date is your earliest possible sitting, and every date under it is a retake slot. Use the score date, not the test date, when you count backward from a college deadline.

Read the last column first when you plan. Seven of the eight dates release scores 13 days after test day, and the June 5, 2027 date releases them 16 days after. College Board states most weekend scores are released two to four weeks after test day.

The gap matters more than the test date itself: the December 5, 2026 sitting releases scores on December 18, 2026, two weeks into the month. A date whose score lands after your deadline is not an option, whatever its registration deadline says. The published College Board calendar carries both columns for the whole cycle.

Two requests close earlier than the registration deadline itself. If you need a borrowed testing device, register at least 30 days before test day. Students who observe a Saturday Sabbath are allowed to request Sunday testing on specific alternate dates. Both requests take processing time, so start them well before the regular deadline rather than inside the late window.

SAT Fees, Late Fees, and Fee Waivers

The base fee is flat per sitting, and the extras apply only when you register late or change something after you register. The table below lists the current U.S. fees. International testing carries different amounts, so check the official fees page for your country before you pay. Fee amounts reset each cycle, so treat the table as a snapshot and verify at checkout.

Eligible low-income students qualify for a fee waiver covering two free SAT tests, unlimited score reports to colleges, and waived application fees at participating colleges. Ask your school counselor about eligibility before you pay for a second sitting. You register and pay on the College Board registration page. Our SAT registration guide walks through the sign-up screens step by step.

Choosing a Test Date Around Your Application Deadlines

Plan backward from the earliest deadline on your college list. Take the deadline, find the score release date of the sitting you have in mind, and check whether the score lands first. Then add one more sitting after it as a buffer, in case the first score falls short of your target. The plan holds only when both the score date and the buffer date clear the deadline.

Early Action and Early Decision

Early Action and Early Decision deadlines fall earlier in the fall than later rounds, and every college publishes its own date, so read each one before you register. Measured against a deadline in the first half of November, only the August 22, September 12, and October 3, 2026 dates clear it, with scores on September 4, September 25, and October 16, 2026. The November 7, 2026 date releases scores on November 20, 2026, and the December 5, 2026 date releases scores on December 18, 2026, both after an early November deadline. Treat those last two dates as options for ED II or another later deadline, not for a standard early round.

Juniors aiming at early applications in the next cycle should apply the same rule to next year's calendar. Make the early October administration your last pre-deadline sitting, and use a spring date as your first attempt. Keep the November and December dates in reserve for ED II, rolling admission, or scholarship deadlines landing after the score release date. Confirm each college's early deadline in writing, because an Early Decision agreement commits you to one school.

Regular Decision and Later Rounds

Seniors applying Regular Decision have working options across fall 2026. The October 3, November 7, and December 5, 2026 dates post scores on October 16, November 20, and December 18, 2026, all before a deadline in January. Check each college's published Regular Decision deadline against the score date before registering, and run the same check for ED II, rolling, and scholarship deadlines. A March 6, 2027 sitting posts scores on March 19, 2027, so it fits only deadlines falling after March 19.

For juniors, the March 6, May 1, and June 5, 2027 dates produce a score well before senior-year applications open, and they keep the following fall's dates free for a retake. Those three sittings post scores on March 19, May 14, and June 21, 2027. Their regular registration deadlines fall on February 19, April 16, and May 21, 2027, so set a reminder a week before the one you pick. An early first sitting leaves the most room to read the score report, close the gaps, and book a second attempt without deadline pressure. If you're a National Merit Semifinalist, our PSAT/NMSQT and National Merit guide explains how the SAT confirms your status.

How Many Times to Take the SAT

No College Board rule sets a number of sittings, so treat the following as 10exam guidance rather than official policy. We recommend two sittings for most students and a third only when the score report shows a specific, fixable gap. The fee waiver ceiling is a useful anchor for the same reason: it covers two free SAT tests, so two sittings is the standard planning assumption for students using one. Beyond three attempts, added prep hours tend to be worth more than added test fees.

Our spacing guidance is at least eight weeks between sittings, which is enough time to receive the score report, run four to six weeks of targeted work, and taper for a week before test day. Consecutive fall dates sit three to five weeks apart, which leaves almost no work time once the first score arrives 13 days after test day. On the spring side, March 6 and May 1, 2027 sit eight weeks apart, and March 6 and June 5, 2027 sit thirteen weeks apart, so a March first attempt leaves room for a measured retake. Book the second date only after you have read the first score report.

Check your current level before you book anything. Take a free full-length practice test on our SAT exam page, with no signup, and compare the result against the score range of your target colleges. Our SAT retake and superscoring guide explains how colleges combine section scores across sittings, which changes how much a second attempt is worth. Our SAT study plan lays out how to fill the weeks between two test dates.

SAT School Day as an Alternative to Saturday Testing

Some students sit for the SAT during the school day instead of on a Saturday. Schools and districts opt into SAT School Day, pick their own date inside a College Board window, and set their own fee structure. Students do not register with College Board directly for these sittings. Scores are reported in batches, so release timing depends on when your school submits results rather than on the weekend score calendar.

The fall 2026 window runs from October 1 to October 30, 2026, and the spring 2027 window runs from March 1 to April 30, 2027. Your school picks one school day inside the window, so ask your counselor for the exact date instead of watching the weekend calendar. Ask what the sitting costs at your school as well, since the fee structure is set locally. A School Day score is a full SAT score and goes to colleges the same way a Saturday score does.

A few rules separate School Day testing from Saturday testing. Read each one against your own situation before you count on a School Day sitting as your only attempt. The points below cover availability, fee help, the intended audience, and the score cancellation window.

• Available only at U.S. schools.
• Low-income participants receive fee-waiver-equivalent benefits.
• The program mainly targets junior-year first-time test takers, with many students retesting in the fall of senior year.
• Students are allowed to cancel scores within five days by having their test coordinator submit a cancellation form.

Whichever date you pick, book it against a measured score instead of a guess. Once your date is confirmed, check our SAT test day checklist for what to bring and the full schedule. Our SAT practice tests and drills are free and need no signup, and every question comes with a worked explanation. Sit one full-length test, note the sections costing you the most points, then register for a date leaving you at least eight clear weeks of work. Start on our SAT practice page and register once the practice score tells you the retake gap is realistic.

Sources

• SAT Test Dates and Deadlines
• SAT Score Release Dates
• SAT Suite Assessments Calendar 2026-27
• SAT Test Fees
• SAT Fee Waiver Benefits
• SAT School Day Test Dates
• SAT Suite Registration