SAT Test Dates and Deadlines for 2018-2019
If you’re a high school student planning to apply to college, odds are you’ll need to schedule a date (or dates) to take the SAT. Your first attempt at the SAT is usually done your junior year and you should plan to wrap up testing before college application season the first semester of your senior year. To help you better plan your test prep, SAT dates and deadlines are available well in advance, with tentative dates set up to three years ahead of time.
For 2018, the SAT season is winding down, but official SAT dates have been released for the first half of 2019. Additionally, College Board has released anticipated dates into 2022. So, if you’re planning your SATs, don’t miss our comprehensive schedule of test dates, deadlines, and score release dates!
What Does the Annual SAT Calendar Look Like?
The SAT is typically offered on the first Saturday of the month in:
- November
- December
- May
- June
Remaining SAT dates vary but generally include a date in the second-half of January, a date that alternates annually between March and April, and a date in early October. The August SAT test date falls at the end of the month.
The SAT calendar also includes dates for:
- General registration: Closes one month before the test date
- Late registration: Closes two weeks before the test date
- Registration changes: Closes 10 days before the test date
- Score release: Occurs three weeks after the test date
| SAT Test Date | Registration Deadline | Late Registration Deadline | Registration Changes Deadline | Anticipated Score Release Date |
| Dec 1, 2018 | Nov 2, 2018 |
Nov 13, 2018 (for mailed registrations)
Nov 20, 2018 (for registrations made online or by phone) |
Nov 20, 2018 | Dec 14, 2018 |
| March 9, 2019 | February 8, 2019 |
February 19, 2019 (for mailed registrations)
February 27, 2019 (for registrations made online or by phone) |
February 27, 2019 | Est. March 22, 2019 |
| May 4, 2019 | April 5, 2019 |
April 16, 2019 (for mailed registrations)
April 24, 2019 (for registrations made online or by phone) |
April 24, 2019 | Est. May 17, 2019 |
| June 1, 2019 | May 3, 2019 |
May 14, 2019 (for mailed registrations)
May 22, 2019 (for registrations made online or by phone) |
May 22, 2019 | Est. June 14, 2019 |
| August 24, 2019 | July 26, 2019 | August 6, 2019 (for mailed registrations)
August 13, 2019 (for registrations made online or by phone) |
August 13, 2019 | Est. September 6, 2019 |
| Oct 5, 2019 | September 6, 2019 | September 17, 2019 (for mailed registrations)
September 24, 2019 (for registrations made online or by phone) |
September 24, 2019 | Est. October 18, 2019 |
| Nov 2, 2019 | October 3, 2019 | October 15, 2019 (for mailed registrations)
October 22, 2019 (for registrations made online or by phone) |
October 22, 2019 | Est. November 15, 2019 |
| Dec 7, 2019 | November 8, 2019 | November 19, 2019 (for mailed registrations)
November 26, 2019 (for registrations made online or by phone) |
November 26, 2019 | Est. December 20, 2019 |
Important Notes About SAT Dates and Registration
SAT test dates and deadlines are applicable to any students in the United States or U.S. territories. Keep in mind that registration materials submitted by mail must be postmarked by the mailing deadline and all phone and online deadlines expire at 11:59 PM EST. If you register late or need to make changes to your registration, you’ll have to pay additional fees.
If you miss a late registration deadline, it’s possible to get on a waitlist. To learn more about doing so, visit the SAT Waitlist.
You should also know that SAT Subject Tests are generally available on every test date with the exception of March test administrations. To learn more about which SAT Subject Tests are offered on each date, see the College Board’s Subject Test Dates.
Sunday SAT test administrations usually occur the day after each Saturday test date for students who cannot test on Saturday due to religious observance.
How Do You Decide When to Take the SAT?
After you’ve seen all of these SAT test dates, you might think: how do I decide when to take the SAT?
Here are a few strategies to decide which SAT test date to register for:
1. Make sure you have enough time to prepare.
It’s not a good idea to take the SAT before you’ve had time to study, so consider how much time you’ll have to prepare before you register. It’s even better to compose a full SAT study plan before registering for an exam, so you can be absolutely positive that you’re doing all of the prep you need before the date.
For instance, you might map out that you want to take a full practice test every two weeks, and you want to take 5 full practice tests before the real SAT. That means that you’ll want to register for a test date at least 10 weeks from now, so you have time to fit that study plan in.
2. Consider the time of year and your schedule.
Before you register for any particular SAT test date, consider your schedule in the weeks before the test. Will you be studying for final exams or AP tests? Is your sister’s wedding the weekend before? Will you be going on summer vacation? Consider all of the things that might keep you busy and take you away from SAT prep, and try not to register for test dates when you’ll be stretched too thin to focus on preparing for the test.
Tip: Consider taking the SAT right after summer vacation or winter break, when you might have more free time to squeeze in more practice problems.
3. Plan to complete the SAT before college applications are due.
Most students begin testing in 11th grade with the goal of taking their final SAT in senior fall at the latest (before college applications are due). CollegeVine recommends taking the SAT three times at most (after three times, your score usually won’t improve much). And remember, you want to leave several months in between test dates to study your weak areas from the last exam, as noted above.
So with all of these guidelines put together, you can compose a complete testing plan. For example, let’s say you plan to take the SAT three times, with three months in between each test. That means that testing will take nine months, and if you want to be done in August of your senior year, you should probably test for the first time in December of junior year.
More Resources
If you’re just starting to plan and prepare for your SATs, you might feel a little overwhelmed by all the options out there. There are plenty of CollegeVine resources to help.
To learn more about what the SAT is, how it’s organized, and what your score actually means, check out our posts that introduce the SAT:
So What is the SAT Anyway? A Newbie’s Guide to the College Board SAT
A Guide to Disability Accommodations for Standardized Testing
The CollegeVine Guide to SAT Scores: All Your Questions Answered
How Does the Curve Work for the SAT?
Do I Have to Self-Report My Test Scores?
If you’re interested in learning more about a specific section on the SAT, you’ll find our section-specific guides a big help:
The Ultimate Guide to the New SAT Reading Test
The Ultimate Guide to the New SAT Writing and Language Test
The Ultimate Guide to the New SAT Math Test
The Ultimate Guide to the New SAT Essay
Five Tips to Boost Your Score on the Reading SAT
Five Tips to Boost Your Math SAT Score
Finally, if you’re getting ready to take (or retake) the SAT and want to brush up on your general content knowledge or strategy, check out the awesome tips in our SAT prep guides:
Tips to Prepare Yourself for Your SAT Test Day
How to Pace Yourself on Every Section of the SAT
Five SAT Strategies You Should Know
10 Tips to Prepare for the SAT
How Many SAT or ACT Practice Tests Should You Take?
Should You Retake Your Standardized Tests?
10 Tips to Improve Your SAT Score
Want to know how your SAT score impacts your chances of acceptance to your dream schools? Our free Chancing Engine will not only help you predict your odds, but also let you know how you stack up against other applicants, and which aspects of your profile to improve. Sign up for your free CollegeVine account today to gain access to our Chancing Engine and get a jumpstart on your college strategy!
