SAT Exam Dates

Introduction to SAT Exam Dates

Scholastic Assessment Test or SAT is one of the most popular entrance exams for undergraduate students. Any student wishing to join any premier international college or university must pass this exam. Most leading study destinations like the US, UK, Australia, Canada, and even India accept SAT scores.

The admission panel of some of the best universities, like Princeton and Harvard, considers SAT scores the only benchmark for admission. SAT is widely considered the most important factor by many other Ivy League members. SAT exams assess the student’s English-speaking capabilities before they move to any English-speaking country. SAT also assesses how well you can solve mathematical problems.

This is why SAT is considered an important aspect of the admission process in all the leading institutes around the world.

Overview of the SAT Exam Structure

SAT follows a standardized test format and is divided into three broad areas –

• Evidence-based reading
• Writing
• Mathematics

These sections are scored on a scale of 200-800 and for a maximum score of 1600. Go through this table to clearly understand the SAT structure.

SAT Exam Date Availability

Regular Test Dates

Frequency of Regular Test Dates

SAT exams are administered seven times throughout the year. This test is usually conducted in March, May, June, August, October, and December. Usually, the College Board administers the tests on Saturdays. However, if you miss any Saturday for religious or any other reason, you can always enrol for an alternate day on Sunday.

Here is a detailed list of the test dates as confirmed by the College Board for the 2023-24 session –

You should note that the dates for the online score release are projections and have not yet been confirmed by the College Board.

Test Centres and Availability

The College Board administers the SAT exams in 260 countries across the world, including India. The College Board releases the list of the test centres on their website. You can find the nearest test centre easily by logging on to https://satsuite.collegeboard.org/sat/test-center-search.

The website will allow you to choose the test country and region. You can also choose the test date and location and click on "Find a Test Centre." The website will redirect you to the nearest test centre. However, the test date availability is also something you should consider.

You may not always find the SAT exam date available in your nearest centre. This is the reason, you should always register for SAT exams as fast as possible to get the date availability. In case you don't find any convenient date, try other dates.

Additional Test Dates

Administration Dates

Here is a list of the SAT administration dates –

School Day Testing Dates

There are two school-day testing dates that you can aim for in the coming months.

• Fall 2023 SAT School Day

The Fall SAT will be administered offline on October 11 and October 26. You can log on to the College Board website to get the details of the administration dates and deadlines.

• Spring 2024 Testing Window

The spring SAT school day will be administered in online mode in the Spring of 2024. The testing window for all three assessment dates will be between March 4 to April 26. You can find further details on the College Board website.

Planning for SAT Exam Dates

Factors to Consider

There are several factors that you need to consider while planning for SAT exam dates, like –

Application Deadlines

Here is a list of the application deadlines for this academic year –

If you want to take the SAT exam digitally, you will need to borrow a device from the College Board. You need to register from this device at least 30 days before the test day.

Preparation Time

You should also consider the preparation time before finalising a date. You should have a clear idea about how much time you may need to prepare. Usually, studying for a month is enough for SAT. However, we recommend you spend at least 10-20 hours per week for two to three months before the test.

Score Reporting Time

The College Board releases the test scores in batches. For example, the board may release the score for half of the batch in the morning, and the remaining batch gets their results in the night. The College Board also emails you the online scorecard so students do not miss it.

It is important to consider the score reporting time while planning for the SAT exam date. This is because the SAT scores remain available online for about 2 weeks after the test. Colleges take approximately 1-2 weeks to get the SAT scores. So, you should consider when you want to start the session before choosing the SAT date. For example, many of you prefer to enrol in Fall, while some prefer Spring.

So, you should consider the score reporting time before finalising the date.

Tips for Choosing the Right Exam Date

You should remember these four tips before choosing the right SAT exam date –

• Know about the college application deadlines

Most exam deadlines fall around January 1 for regular students. Students who opt for early decisions mostly get dates around November 1 or 15. The scores get sent to the schools one day before it gets published online. Usually, the whole process gets wrapped up within three to five weeks. Although all schools don’t analyse the scores, some schools take about a couple of weeks to report the scores. So, you may have to wait for almost six weeks before the SAT scores get processed.

Hence, choose an SAT date at least five to six weeks before your college applications are due. If the school you have shortlisted hasn't yet processed the scores, your SAT application can get disqualified.

• SAT Scholarships

School-based SAT scholarships have the same deadlines as college applications. If you don’t know when the SAT scores are due, contact your schools at the earliest. You must ensure that your scores will arrive earlier or along with the college application. You can plan your date accordingly.

• Number of times you want to take the SAT

Many of you take the SAT multiple times, as you are unsure of getting the desired scores the first time. Ideally, experts advise taking the SAT twice, if possible thrice. Depending on your goals, you can appear for the test –

• In the Fall of the Junior year
• In the Spring of the Junior year
• In the late summer of your senior year

So, booking back-to-back dates in the Fall can backfire instead. You won’t get enough time to work on your past mistakes, and you won’t be able to score higher on the next test.

How much time do you have for SAT?

You should also consider the exact time you have to study for SAT. Experts suggest anything between three to six months for SAT preparation. Moreover, you should also see that you don’t burn yourself out while planning your study sessions.

Ensure that you have enough time in hand for studying. You can follow this guide to improve the SAT score baseline –

1. For 1-30 point improvement, study for 10 hours
2. For 31-70 point improvement, study for 20 hours
3. 71-130 point improvement, study for 40 hours
4. 131-200 point improvement, study for 80 hours
5. 201-330 point improvement, study for 150 hours

So, before choosing the exam date, ensure you have sufficient hours to prepare for the SAT.