You’ve been studying for long hours for the SAT® and ACT® tests, and by this point, you’re probably looking forward to taking the tests so that you can get going on the rest of your college prep activities. First, you’ll need to select your ideal SAT and ACT test dates. Remember that KD’s recommendation is that students should plan on taking both tests at least twice—AND that they should be finished testing by the end of their junior year.
Use this handy reference guide to plan your testing schedule and learn what to expect on your SAT and ACT test dates in 2024-2025.
Guide for Planning Your 2024-2025 Testing Schedule
SAT Test Dates for 2024-2025
As early as possible, you should figure out which SAT and ACT test dates are right for your needs. This allows you to make any needed adjustments to your test prep schedule. For instance, you may want to schedule some extra practice sessions with a tutor as your test dates approach. When choosing SAT and ACT test dates, be sure to check with your parents or legal guardians, as well. Choose dates that do not conflict with planned family events, and ensure you’ll have transportation.
Here are the national SAT test dates that occur over the school year, ranging from August 2024 to July 2025.

- Aug. 24, 2024 (Registration Deadline: Aug. 9, Late Reg. Deadline: Aug. 13)
- Oct. 5, 2024 (Registration Deadline: Sept. 20, Late Reg. Deadline: Sept. 24)
- Nov. 2, 2024 (Registration Deadline: Oct. 18, Late Reg. Deadline: Oct. 22)
- Dec. 7, 2024 (Registration Deadline: Nov. 22, Late Reg. Deadline: Nov. 26)
- Mar. 8, 2025 (Registration Deadline: Feb. 21, Late Reg. Deadline: Feb. 25)
- May 3, 2025 (Registration Deadline: Apr. 18, Late Reg. Deadline: Apr. 22)
- June 7, 2025 (Registration Deadline: May 22, Late Reg. Deadline: May 27)
The late registration deadlines are also the deadlines for regular cancellation and test date changes.
Plan to test at a later date? College Board has established anticipated dates for the test dates occurring during the 2025-2026. However, you should always double-check the College Board website to verify that any test dates have not been changed. The registration deadlines are not yet available as of the time of publication.
The anticipated SAT test dates for the 2025-2026 school year are as follows:
- August 23, 2025
- October 4, 2025
- November 8, 2025
- December 6, 2025
- March 14, 2026
- May 2, 2026
- June 6, 2026
ACT Test Dates for 2024-2025
One issue to keep in mind when reviewing the available SAT and ACT test dates is that you may not want to take both tests too close to each other. For instance, you might not want to take the SAT test on December 7 and the ACT test on December 14. This might be a little stressful. Instead, try to stagger your test dates so that you’ve got plenty of time to prepare for each test.
For 2024 to 2025, the ACT test dates are as follows:

- Sept. 14, 2024 (Registration Deadline: Aug. 9, Late Reg. Deadline: Aug. 25)
- Oct. 26, 2024 (Registration Deadline: Sept. 20, Late Reg. Deadline: Oct. 7)
- Dec. 14, 2024 (Registration Deadline: Nov. 8, Late Reg. Deadline: Nov. 22)
- Feb. 8, 2025 (Registration Deadline: Jan. 3, Late Reg. Deadline: Jan. 20)
- Apr. 5, 2025 (Registration Deadline: Feb. 28, Late Reg. Deadline: Mar. 16)
- June 14, 2025 (Registration Deadline: May 9, Late Reg. Deadline: May 26)
- July 12, 2025* (Registration Deadline: June 6, Late Reg. Deadline: June 20)
Again, always check the ACT test website to verify test dates.
*If you live in New York, be aware that NY testing centers are not scheduling July exams.
Other ACT deadlines to keep on your radar:
As part of the registration process, the ACT test organization requires you to upload a recent photo of yourself for identification purposes. If you don’t upload your photo by the photo upload deadline, your registration will be canceled. Here are the photo upload deadlines:
- September 1, 2023 (Sept. 9 Test Day)
- October 20, 2023 (Oct. 28 Test Day)
- December 1, 2023 (Dec. 9 Test Day)
- February 2, 2024 (Feb. 10 Test Day)
- April 5, 2024 (Apr. 13 Test Day)
- May 31, 2024 (June 8 Test Day)
- July 5, 2024 (July 13 Test Day)
PSAT Test Dates for 2024-2025
Even if you aren’t quite ready for your SAT and ACT test dates yet, you may be ready to start planning your PSAT test dates. The PSAT test is a good practice exam for the SAT test. If you only plan to take the PSAT test once, you should definitely take the PSAT/NMSQT test during your junior year. This is the National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test, which could qualify you for scholarships through the National Merit Scholarship Program.
In 2024, the PSAT/NMSQT test will be administered from October 1 to 31 during the week, as well as on Saturday, October 12, and Saturday, October 26. Your school will choose the exact test date. Check with the high school counseling department for more information.
If you aren’t a junior yet, you can’t take the PSAT/NMSQT test. However, you could take either the PSAT 8/9 or PSAT 10 tests, depending on whether your school offers these options for your grade level. Again, schools choose the specific testing dates. However, for 2024 to 2025, the tests are being offered during these time periods:
PSAT 8/9 Test
- October 1 – October 31, 2024
- March 3 – April 30, 2024
PSAT 10 Test
- March 3 – April 30, 2025
Your school will choose just one test date for each test during these time periods. If your school administers the PSAT 8/9 test on October 1, it won’t offer a second testing date in the spring. Unlike the SAT and ACT test dates, you’ll only take these tests once each year, so be sure to consult your guidance counselor.
How to Register for the SAT Test
Once you’ve selected your SAT and ACT test dates, you can register online. First, you’ll need to create a College Board account if you don’t already have one. Then, log into your account and click the option to register for a test. Choose your test date and testing center. Be mindful of travel time when selecting a testing center.
Be careful when filling out your personal information, such as your full name and address. It must be accurate. You’ll also need to upload a photo of yourself. When your registration is complete, print your admission ticket and keep it in a safe place to bring to the testing center.
How to Register for the ACT Test
The registration process for the ACT test is similar. Log into your MyACT account (or create one) and follow the online prompts to register. You’ll also be given an option to purchase a test information release (TIR). This is a copy of your answers. If you’re taking the ACT test for the first time, you can use your TIR as a guide to study for the retake.
What to Bring (and What Not to Bring) on Test Day
College Board and ACT, Inc. may change their policies from time to time. And with digital testing, these policies will most certainly change. It’s always a good idea to check their websites to find out what you can and can’t bring.
In general, you should bring the following for fall 2024 SAT/ACT testing.
- Admission ticket (printed)
- Valid photo ID
- Sharpened No. 2 pencils with good erasers
- Approved calculator (The SAT and PSAT tests are now digital, but it’s still a good idea to bring your calculator. Using the tests’ built-in calculator may affect your timing.)
- Watch without an alarm
- Face covering (Some SAT test centers require it; others do not.)
- Beverage and snacks (You can eat outside, but not inside the testing center.)
Here’s what not to bring:
- Textbooks/books/any other reading material/notes/any papers
- Electronic devices other than your calculator and watch (You cannot bring a phone inside the SAT test center. The staff will hold your phone for you during the test. You can bring a phone inside the ACT test center, but it must be turned off and placed out of sight for the duration.)
- Bluetooth devices/cameras/any other devices
- Pens/highlighters/colored pencils
- The SAT test also bans earplugs.
What to Expect on Your SAT Test Day
It’s an exciting day! You’ll finally be able to prove how much progress you’ve made in your SAT test prep. All testing centers open at 7:45 AM. Be early. If you arrive after 8:00 AM, you’ll be denied entry. You’ll be assigned to a seat.
The proctor will read the instructions and tell you when to begin and stop working on each section of the test. You cannot work on a section past the allotted time or go back to it later. You cannot skip ahead to the next section if you finish the current section early.
You’ll have a five-minute break and a 10-minute break, during which you can drink and eat outside the testing center. (Bring your ID and admission ticket with you. Do not turn on your phone.) Expect to be done at about noon.
What to Expect on Your ACT Test Day
Again, be early. Arrive before the testing time indicated on your admission ticket. If you’re late, you won’t be admitted. You’ll have a short break during the exam, during which you can drink and eat outside the test room. Including breaks, the ACT test is 3.5 hours long. If you’re also doing the optional essay, it’ll be a little more than four hours.1
What happens if I miss my SAT or ACT test?
On your SAT test day, you’ll be admitted between 7:45 AM and 8:00 AM. The doors close at 8:00 AM sharp. If you’re late, you won’t be able to access the test center after that time. If you miss your SAT test, you should reschedule it (instead of registering again). Keep in mind that an extra fee may apply. In the case of a misadministration or unique circumstances such as a testing center that is unable to open, you may be eligible to take a Makeup Test. If you know ahead of time that you can’t make your test day, follow these instructions to see if you can receive a full or partial refund.
What happens if you’re late to the ACT test, forget your ID, or miss it due to illness or another emergency? You’ll need to log into your MyACT account and navigate to the “Make Changes to Your Registration” option. Note that you will be charged a test date change fee, as well as the full fee for your new test date. However, your fee for the missed test date will be refunded, provided you select the option to change your registration instead of registering for a new test date.
When are the school day SAT and ACT tests?
School day testing is a little different than national test dates. It enables you to take the tests at school on a weekday. Your school’s testing dates will differ from the national schedule, so you should touch base with your guidance counselor early in the year to find out the specified dates. Do note that not every school offers school day testing.
How can I get a fee waiver for my SAT and ACT tests?
If you believe you may qualify for a fee waiver, you can request one from your school guidance counselor. It’s best to request fee waivers as early as possible. If you qualify for an SAT test fee waiver, you can take the test twice for free. You can take the ACT test up to four times for free, if you qualify. You’ll also get other free things for each test, such as free learning resources (ACT test) and free score reports (both tests).
Review the eligibility requirements and other fee waiver guidelines for the SAT and ACT tests here:
When should I take the SAT and ACT tests for the first time?
Every student is a little different. As a general rule, we recommend that students begin and finish their testing activities in 11th grade. By the 11th grade, students often have been exposed to more advanced concepts (which supports higher scores), yet they still have plenty of time to retake the tests.
If you feel your situation is a little different, you may benefit from personalized guidance. Consider signing up for a free consultation so that we can assess your test readiness and offer some general recommendations. You can also read out post on how to choose when to take the SAT or ACT tests for the first time.
When are SAT and ACT test scores released?
Generally, the SAT test scores are viewable online 13 days after you took the test. The colleges you selected will receive your scores about 10 days after that. If you opted for school day testing for the SAT test, you should be able to see your scores 21 to 28 days after your test date. Colleges will receive your scores 10 days after that.
For the ACT test, scores for the multiple choice questions are usually viewable about two weeks after each national test date. However, in some cases, it may take up to eight weeks. If you did the essay section, you should receive your writing scores and your overall scores about two weeks after you received your multiple choice scores.
ACT test scores can take longer when the organization performs equating activities, which are intended to account for differences in difficulty level between versions of the test. For the 2024-2025 testing season, check ACT’s website for equating information. If you take the test during an equating period, it may take up to eight weeks to receive your scores.
How can I get my SAT and ACT test scores?
To see your SAT and PSAT test scores, you will need to sign into your College Board account and click on the “Student Score Report” link. Once your scores are available, you’ll see them at the top of the page. The more recent scores are listed above your previous scores. Click on any score to see the corresponding detailed score report.
Similarly, you’ll need to log into your MyACT account to see your ACT test scores. You should see a “Scores” link on the top navigational menu.
Need help preparing for tests?
Prepare to excel on all of your SAT and ACT test dates with help from the expert team at KD College Prep. Choose from a flexible range of test prep program options, like our Complete™ Program, which prepares students in grades 9-12 for the SAT, ACT, and PSAT/NMSQT tests. If you’re in the North Texas/DFW area, you can join us for in-person sessions. We’re also pleased to provide online test prep to students throughout the country. Call today for a free consultation!