SAT and ACT Test Dates

Every official test date through summer 2027 — sortable, with deadlines and score release windows. So you can plan around real life, not theoretical timelines.

Choosing the right test date is an important decision when it comes to test prep planning.

A well-chosen date gives your scholar enough runway to prepare seriously, lands their score in time for the colleges they care about, and leaves room for a retake if the first sitting doesn’t go as planned. A poorly chosen date does the opposite — and we see the consequences every fall, when families realize the August SAT they assumed they had time for has come and gone.

This piece lays out every SAT and ACT date through summer 2027, organized the way families actually think about them: by what stage of the college application journey your scholar is in. All dates and deadlines are drawn from the official calendars published by the College Board (SAT) and ACT, Inc. (ACT).

For seniors applying in fall 2026 (Class of 2027)

If your scholar is applying to college this fall, the August 22 SAT is the most important date on this list. Full stop.

It is the last realistic SAT before Early Action and Early Decision deadlines, which begin on November 1 at most selective colleges. Anything after August requires score-rush services and tight timing.

The summer window (last-chance dates):

SAT — Saturday, June 6, 2026. Late registration closed May 26. Scores release approximately June 19.
ACT — Saturday, June 13, 2026. Late registration closed May 27. Scores release approximately June 23.
ACT — Saturday, July 11, 2026. Registration deadline June 5; late registration through June 24. Note: this date is not offered in New York. Scores release approximately July 21.

The critical date:

SAT — Saturday, August 22, 2026. Registration deadline approximately August 7; late registration through approximately August 11. Scores release approximately September 4.

Possible but tight (for Early Action / Early Decision applicants):

SAT — Saturday, September 12, 2026. Likely registration deadline late August.
ACT — Saturday, September 19, 2026. Registration deadline August 14; late registration through September 1.

Workable for Regular Decision (typical January 1–15 deadlines):

SAT — Saturday, October 3, 2026
ACT — Saturday, October 17, 2026. Registration deadline September 11.
SAT — Saturday, November 7, 2026
SAT — Saturday, December 5, 2026
ACT — Saturday, December 12, 2026. Registration deadline November 6.

A practical note: many colleges accept December scores for Regular Decision applications, but the margin is thin. If your scholar’s first attempt is in November or December and a retake is needed, you may run out of runway. Whenever possible, build the plan so the first sitting is no later than October.

For juniors building their testing profile (Class of 2028)

For current juniors, the testing landscape is wider open — and the right strategy looks very different.

The goal for a junior is rarely “get a usable score on the first try.” It’s “establish a baseline, identify gaps, and improve methodically across two or three sittings.” Most successful applicants test twice; many test three times.

The summer to fall window (first official sittings):

The summer 2026 dates listed above are open to juniors as well, though many families wait until fall. The September SAT and ACT, October SAT and ACT, and November SAT are all reasonable first-attempt dates.

Spring 2027 testing window (improvement sittings):

ACT — Saturday, February 27, 2027. Registration deadline January 22; late registration through February 9.
SAT — Saturday, March 6, 2027. Likely registration deadline mid-February.
ACT — Saturday, April 10, 2027. Registration deadline March 5.
SAT — Saturday, May 1, 2027. Likely registration deadline mid-April.

Summer 2027 (final sittings before senior year):

SAT — Saturday, June 5, 2027
ACT — Saturday, June 12, 2027
ACT — Saturday, July 10, 2027. Not offered in New York.

The pattern most families settle into: first official sitting in fall of junior year, diagnostic-driven preparation across the winter, second sitting in spring, and a third sitting in summer if the spring score wasn’t where they wanted it.

Test fees and what to expect

The standard SAT fee is $68. The ACT base fee is $65, with optional add-ons of $4 for the Science section and $25 for the Writing section. Late registration on either test currently runs $38.

Both tests include four free score reports sent to colleges of your choice. Additional reports cost $15 each for the SAT and $19 each for the ACT.

Fee waivers are available for eligible students through both organizations. Talk to your scholar’s school counselor — these waivers cover not only the test fees but also additional score reports and, in some cases, college application fees.

Score releases and the retake decision

The window between sitting a test and deciding whether to retake matters more than most families realize. Both organizations release multiple-choice scores within roughly two weeks of the test date — but planning around exact release dates is risky, especially for senior-year tests.

Rule of thumb: Assume scores arrive within fifteen days of the test, and assume you’ll need at least eight weeks between sittings for meaningful improvement. Working backward from your application deadline, this is what determines whether a given test date is genuinely usable or merely theoretical.

How to actually choose a date

When families ask us how to pick, we ask three questions back.

First, what is your scholar’s application timeline? A senior applying Early Action to a college with a November 1 deadline needs scores by mid-October. A junior building a profile has a year of options. The answer changes everything.

Second, what does the rest of the calendar look like? The October SAT date that seems perfect on paper might fall the day after Homecoming. The June ACT might conflict with finals. Real life happens around test dates, not theoretically.

Third, where is your scholar starting? A scholar three months from their target score needs a different date than a scholar who needs to grow eighty points. The honest answer to this question is usually the most useful one.

The Scholar Blueprint diagnostic answers the third question in 15 minutes. Once you know where your scholar is starting and which test plays to their strengths, the right test date becomes obvious.

Take the NoteSight Scholar Blueprint — find your scholar’s baseline and choose the right test date with confidence. 15 minutes. No credit card required. Then a clear plan from where you are to where you want to be. Start the Scholar Blueprint →