When are SAT Test Dates in 2024?

Knowing when the SAT is offered—and when you should take the exam—are important steps in the preparation process. If there was a one-size-fits-all answer to when you should take the SAT, this blog would be one straightforward sentence in length. Yet, the decision on when to sit for your first SAT exam (as well as subsequent exams) is context-dependent. Arriving at the correct answer for you involves considering a number of relevant factors. In addition to the SAT test dates for 2024, we’ll also go over:

• When the SAT is offered
• When most students take the SAT for the first time
• How to time your courses—particularly math
• How to study
• How to check the superscoring and score choice policies at your prospective colleges
• How to plan around AP exams
• When to consider taking the SAT early

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Let’s begin by looking at when the SAT is offered.

SAT Test Dates 2024-25

Current SAT test dates and registration deadlines are:

Although dates have not been confirmed for the June, August, October, November, and December exams, College Board is anticipating the following for 2024-25:

How many times a year is the SAT offered?

The SAT is presently offered seven times per year: August, October, November, December, March, May, and June.

When do most students take the SAT for the first time?

The most typical maiden voyage occurs either during the fall or spring of junior year. For most teens, these will be the two most sensible choices. However, some may have legitimate reasons to consider taking the test as sophomores (more on this later). For what it’s worth, the College Board, the organization that creates and administers the SAT, recommends Option B—waiting until the spring of 11th grade to take the test for the first time.

Here are the PSAT/SAT sequences that the overwhelming majority of high school students elect to pursue:

Option A: The fall of 11th grade testing path

• PSAT: Fall of 10th grade
• SAT #1: Fall of 11th grade
• SAT #2: Spring of 11th grade
• SAT #3 (if necessary): Summer or fall of 12th grade

SAT Test Dates 2024-2025 (Continued)

Option B: The spring of 11th grade testing path

• PSAT: Fall of 10th grade and/or fall of 11th grade
• SAT #1: Fall of 11th grade
• SAT #2: Spring of 11th grade
• SAT #3 (if necessary): Summer, fall, or winter of 12th grade

No matter which path you choose, you’ll always have the option to take the SAT a fourth time, if absolutely necessary. If you apply early decision or early action, double-check the policies of the schools you are applying to—most stipulate that the November exam is the last possible one that you can take.

When is the last time that I should take the SAT?

If you’re applying to college early action or early decision, you should plan to complete your SAT testing by October of your senior year. Alternatively, if you’re applying regular decision, you should plan to take the test by December at the latest.

How do I align the SAT with my high school coursework?

This is one of the most important considerations for 11th graders in determining when to first sit for the Digital SAT. Consider that the exam measures your aptitude in four major areas of math. They are:

• Algebra (13-15 questions): Linear equations, systems of linear equations, and functions. This section tests your ability to analyze, solve, and create linear equations and inequalities as well as systems of equations.
• Problem Solving and Data Analysis (5-7 questions): Ratios, proportions, percentages, analysis of graphs, quantitative reasoning, and data interpretation skills. You will likely encounter charts, graphs, and tables in this section.
• Advanced Math (13-15 questions): This section focuses on more advanced math concepts, such as quadratic and higher-order equations, polynomials, and other complex nonlinear equations or functions.
• Geometry and Trigonometry (5-7 questions): You can expect to see area and volume formulas; lines, angles, and triangles; right triangles and trigonometry; and circles in this section.

SAT Test Dates 2024-2025 (Continued)

So, what’s the takeaway from all of this? In essence, students need to at least get close to completing Geometry and Algebra II in order to be fully prepared for both the SAT and ACT. If you are taking Algebra II during junior year, you may want to wait until late spring of that year to begin your standardized testing journey.

How much time do I need to study?

As you consider which SAT test dates are right for you, consider the following. Among seniors retaking the exam, 55% see their scores increase; the average improvement is by 40 points. A mere 4% of re-testers see their reading or math scores jump by 100+ points. However, the numbers are far more encouraging for those who study than those who do not—a study recently released by the College Board found that just 20 hours of targeted practice through Khan Academy (which is completely free) resulted in an average score gain of 115 points. As such, we highly recommend  beginning your study plan at least two to three months before your exam. Ideally, your plan will include several full-length practice tests.

SAT Test Dates 2024-2025 (Continued)

If you are able to carve out sufficient time to study for the test in the summer after your sophomore year, and you are acing practice tests by August, then you may be ready for a fall sitting. If you need more time (Christmas break, spring break, etc.), then waiting until the spring may be more advantageous.

Should I take the SAT and AP exams at the same time?

If you are enrolled in multiple AP classes junior year, then early to mid-May is going to be a hellish time already full of intense prep work and exam-taking. Students in this situation are wise to sit for the SAT for the first time during the fall of junior year. Alternatively, March or April can be optimal times to avoid standardized testing overload when AP tests are administered. This approach typically works out fine for such individuals because those on the AP track have typically covered the vast majority of the math subject matter by early spring.

Should I take the SAT before junior year?

There are several reasons that a student may wish to jettison the traditional timeline and sit for the exam as a freshman, sophomore, or even, in some extremely rare cases, a middle-schooler. These include:

1) Advanced math students who have already covered the requisite geometry and algebra concepts prior to 11th grade. For some, the material covered in the SAT math section may be most fresh in their minds earlier in their high school career.

2) Students who feel that they are 100% ready to tackle the test and know that their junior year is going to be jam-packed with multiple AP courses (and subsequent exams) and a boatload of time-consuming extracurricular activities.

3) Teens aiming to enter a gifted program like the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth (CTY) or the Duke University Talent Identification Program (TIP) which require standardized test scores for students as young as 7th grade. If you wish to apply to a program of this ilk, you will need to take an SAT (or ACT) exam well before the rest of your peers.

Unless you fall into one of these uncommon categories of students, stick to one of the two junior year options discussed previously.

SAT Test Dates 2024-2025 (Continued)

Should I take advantage of superscoring?

Absolutely—superscoring can only benefit you. Luckily, most American colleges “superscore” the SAT. This means that they will take your highest reading and math scores from multiple test administrations. For example, if you take the test and earn a Reading score of 600 and a Math score of 700, and then take the test again and earn a Reading score of 650 and a Math score of 700, the college would combine your 700 in Math (first exam) and 650 in Reading (second exam) for a total score of 1350. This policy grants a major edge to those who take the test multiple times. If your prospective colleges have a superscoring policy, you can rest assured that only your highest scores will be considered.

Some notable institutions that do NOT superscore are: Penn State, UT-Austin, and the University of Wisconsin.

Do the colleges I’m applying to offer Score Choice?

“Score choice” policies allow you to only report the SAT scores that you wish to share with prospective colleges. This eliminates the risk of a single low score. The vast majority of schools have such a policy (Georgetown is the one notable exception).

However, keep in mind that the Score Choice option is not available for any colleges you select on registration day (each time you register, you can send scores to up to four schools for free). In order to utilize Score Choice, you’ll have to wait until your scores are released and then decide which colleges to send them to.

Final Thoughts — SAT Test Dates 2024-25

Knowing when the SAT is offered can help you plan out your testing dates. This is an important step that should take your course schedule, prospective AP exams, study time, and college application plans into account. Good luck and happy studying!

More SAT Resources:

• When Do SAT Scores Come Out?
• Digital SAT Calculator
• Average SAT Score Over Time
• Hardest SAT Math Questions
• SAT to ACT Conversion Chart
• 12 Strategies & Tips to Overcome Test Anxiety
• Guide to the Digital SAT