Planning when to take the SAT starts with knowing the dates. Here's the complete schedule for 2026 and 2027 straight from College Board, plus registration deadlines so you don't miss your window.
Spring 2026 SAT Test Dates
These are the remaining test dates for the current school year.
- March 14, 2026 — Register by Feb 27 (late: March 3)
- May 2, 2026 — Register by April 17 (late: April 21)
- June 6, 2026 — Register by May 22 (late: May 26)
All deadlines expire at 11:59 p.m. ET. Late registration is available worldwide but additional fees apply. If you need to borrow a device from College Board you'll need to register and request it at least 30 days before test day.
Fall 2026 Test Dates
These are confirmed dates for the 2026-27 school year. Registration deadlines haven't been published yet but they typically fall 4-5 weeks before the test date.
- August 22, 2026
- September 12, 2026
- October 3, 2026
- November 7, 2026
- December 5, 2026
Spring 2027 Test Dates
- March 6, 2027
- May 1, 2027
- June 5, 2027
Which Test Date Should You Pick?
This depends on your grade and your timeline. Here's the general approach most students take.
Juniors (Class of 2027): March is the earliest option but May and June are more ideal. They give you time to do some real test prep first so that when you sit for those tests you have a legitimate shot at scoring well enough to be done before summer. If you score where you need to be, great, you're finished. If not, you still have the fall dates to retake.
Planning to retake: If you take the SAT in the spring of junior year and want to improve, the August or October dates in the fall of senior year give you the summer to prep. August is great if you're motivated to study over the summer. October is the last date that works for most early application deadlines.
Sophomores getting a head start: Some students take the SAT in the spring of sophomore year to get a baseline. There's no downside to this. You can take the SAT as many times as you want and most colleges will superscore (take the highest section scores across all attempts).
Don't Wait Until the Last Minute to Register
Popular test centers fill up fast especially in major cities. If you have a specific location in mind register as early as possible. Waiting until the late registration window means you might end up at a center that's further away and you'll pay an extra fee on top of the $68 registration cost.
How to Use This Time
Knowing your test date is step one. Knowing when to start prepping is step two. As a rule of thumb start focused practice at least 6-8 weeks before your test date. That gives you enough time to see meaningful improvement without burning out.
If you're targeting the March 14 test, now is the time to start. Even 15-20 minutes a day of focused practice makes a real difference over 2-3 weeks.
Not sure where you stand? Take the free Challenge Quiz to get a baseline score across all four SAT Math domains. It takes about 15 minutes and you'll know exactly what to focus on.