SAT Test Dates 2026-2027: Full Schedule and Deadlines

Picking your SAT date is the first real decision in your prep, because it sets the deadline everything else works backward from. Register too late and you are cramming; leave too little time between sittings and a retake cannot actually reflect new work. This guide lays out the full 2026-2027 calendar, the deadlines attached to each date, what it costs, and how to choose.

One note before the table. Test dates and deadlines are set by College Board and can shift, so treat everything here as a planning reference and confirm the live schedule on collegeboard.org before you register.

The 2026-2027 SAT test date calendar

These are College Board’s published weekend SAT dates for the 2026-2027 cycle, with the regular registration deadline and the deadline to make changes or cancel for each one. All deadlines expire at 11:59 p.m. ET.

Test date	Registration deadline	Deadline for changes or cancellation
Aug. 22, 2026	Aug. 7, 2026	Aug. 11, 2026
Sept. 12, 2026	Aug. 28, 2026	Sept. 1, 2026
Oct. 3, 2026	Sept. 18, 2026	Sept. 22, 2026
Nov. 7, 2026	Oct. 23, 2026	Oct. 27, 2026
Dec. 5, 2026	Nov. 20, 2026	Nov. 24, 2026
March 6, 2027	Feb. 19, 2027	Feb. 23, 2027
May 1, 2027	Apr. 16, 2027	Apr. 20, 2027
June 5, 2027	May 21, 2027	May 25, 2027

A few things worth noticing in that schedule:

• The weekend SAT is offered seven times across the school year, clustered in the fall (August through December) and the spring (March, May, June). There is no weekend SAT in January, February, or April in this cycle.
• Registration closes roughly three to four weeks before each test. Missing the regular deadline can mean late fees or no seat at all, so put the deadline, not the test date, on your calendar.
• Spring registration opens later. Fall dates are typically available to register for well in advance, while registration for the spring 2027 dates generally opens later in the fall. If you are eyeing March, May, or June, watch College Board for when those open.

Registration deadlines and fees

The SAT registration fee is $68 in the United States for test dates beginning Aug. 23, 2025, which covers the entire 2026-2027 cycle. International testing adds a location fee on top of that. Eligible students can register at no cost through College Board’s fee-waiver program, which also covers some additional benefits.

A few cost details that catch students off guard:

Item	What to know
Base U.S. registration fee	$68 (test dates from Aug. 23, 2025)
Late registration	An additional fee applies after the regular deadline
Changing your date or center	A change fee may apply; the change deadline is in the table above
International testing	A regional fee is added to the base fee
Fee waivers	Available for eligible U.S. students, removing the base fee

Fees change periodically, so confirm the current amounts on College Board’s fees page before you pay. The practical takeaway is simple: register before the regular deadline and you avoid almost all of the extra charges.

When do SAT scores come back?

For the digital SAT, scores are typically released about two to four weeks after the test date, often around 13 days out, and then take a few more days to reach the colleges on your list. College Board publishes a score release date tied to each specific administration, so check its score release schedule for the exact day rather than counting on a fixed number.

This timing matters for two reasons. First, if you are applying early and need a score in hand, count backward from the college’s deadline through the score release window to the registration deadline, and you will see how early you actually need to test. Second, if you are planning a retake, you usually want your first score back before you commit to the next date so your study can target real weaknesses.

How to choose your test date

The right date falls out of three questions:

1. When are your applications due? Work backward from your earliest college deadline. If you want a score before early-action and early-decision deadlines in the fall, the late-summer and early-fall dates (August through October) are your realistic last clean shots, once you account for the score release window.
2. How much prep runway do you have? A meaningful score jump takes two to four months of real study, not a couple of weekends. Pick a first date that leaves you that runway from where you are starting today.
3. Are you planning to retake? Most students test two to three times, and superscoring rewards lifting one section on a later date. Space your sittings far enough apart, usually a couple of months, that the second one can reflect new work rather than the same preparation twice.

A common, sensible pattern for a rising senior: a first attempt in late summer or early fall, your scores back a few weeks later, then a focused retake on the next available date if you are short of your target. For a junior, a spring sitting (March, May, or June) sets an early baseline with plenty of room to improve before senior-year deadlines.

Before you register, know what you are signing up for

Locking in a date is the easy part. Make it count by going in with a plan. Make sure you understand the current digital SAT format so test day holds no surprises, set a concrete goal against what counts as a good SAT score, and be honest with yourself about whether the SAT is hard for your particular strengths. If you have not chosen between exams yet, our SAT vs. ACT breakdown can settle that before you pay a registration fee for the wrong test.

Then build the runway into your calendar. Put the registration deadline down first, the test date second, and your phase-by-phase study plan in the weeks between.

Want help mapping your test dates to your application deadlines and a realistic target? Start the prep itself with 2,300+ free practice questions, and join the early-access list so our SAT instructors can help you build a date-by-date plan.