SAT Test Dates 2021-2022: Deadlines and More

Note: As of January 2021, the CollegeBoard has announced that it will no longer offer SAT Subject Tests.

When you take the SAT does matter, especially if you are a rising junior or senior.

In fact, identifying an official SAT testing date is the first step in crafting an effective SAT study plan.

This can also be vital in determining how many times you need to take the SAT. Most of our students take the SAT at least twice, which grants them the opportunity to SuperScore and maximize their sectional and composite scores.

Locating those testing dates on the College Board’s website, however, isn’t so intuitive. In this regularly updated post, we specify upcoming SAT test dates, registration deadlines, and more so that you can get a jumpstart on your prep.

In this post, we discuss:

• Standard SAT Testing Dates 2021-2022
• How to Register for the SAT in 2021
• When Should I Take the SAT?
• Next Steps

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Standard SAT Test Dates 2021 – 2022

Standard SAT test dates refer to SATs administered on designated Saturdays throughout the academic year, at specific testing locations. Typically, the CollegeBoard administers 7 SATs each academic year (August – June). In 2020, there were some changes to this traditional testing schedule due to the pandemic.

Historically, students have been able to take SAT Subject Tests on standard SAT test dates. Yet as of January 2021, the CollegeBoard will be discontinuing its SAT Subject Tests.

Here are the standard SAT administrations and registration deadlines for 2021:

SAT Test Date 2021	Registration Deadline
March 13, 2021	February 12, 2021
May 8, 2021	April 8, 2021
June 5, 2021	May 6, 2021
August 28, 2021 – Anticipated	TBD
October 2, 2021 – Anticipated	TBD
November 6, 2021 – Anticipated	TBD
December 4, 2021 – Anticipated	TBD

Note: While unlikely, test centers may face closure due to the ongoing pandemic, even in 2021. We recommend that students regularly check the status of their test center prior to their official exam.

The CollegeBoard has released anticipated SAT test dates for 2022. Here’s what those look like:

Anticipated SAT Test Date 2022	Registration Deadline
March 12, 2022	TBD
May 7, 2022	TBD
June 4, 2022	TBD
August 27, 2022	TBD
October 1, 2022	TBD
November 5, 2022	TBD
December 3, 2022	TBD

Plenty of SAT test-takers sit for the exam at their schools. “SAT School Days,” as they are called, are SAT administrations offered at high schools on weekdays.

Schools and districts get to decide if they want to administer an SAT School Day, so have a conversation with your school counselor to see if you’ll be able to participate in one. You do not need to register for the SAT online to participate in an SAT School Day–students sign up with their counselors.

You will, however, have to set up a College Board account in order to eventually submit your scores to colleges.

Here are the SAT School Day Administration Dates for 2021:

SAT School Day Administration Dates – 2021
March 3, 2021
March 24, 2021
April 13, 2021
April 27, 2021

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How to Register for the SAT

If you are taking a standard SAT administration, you’ll have to register either online or by submitting a mail-in registration form.

We recommend registering online, as this will give you the fastest access to scores and submission processes. However, some students may have to register by mail. Find more details about mail-in registration requirements here.

Here’s how you register for an SAT administration online:

1. Choose your test date.
2. Create a free College Board account and log in to this account.
3. Provide your full legal name and other “identifying information.” This information should match your photo ID.
4. You’ll be asked other questions related to your interests and prospective colleges. These are entirely optional, but may be worth answering if you’re interested in colleges and scholarship organizations finding you.
5. Sign up for the SAT Essay if applicable. The CollegeBoard will be discontinuing the Essay after the June 2021 exam.
6. Choose your test center location.
7. Upload a photo of yourself that meets specific requirements (discussed below).
8. Check out and print your Admission ticket!

Depending upon your circumstances, you might need to enter the following additional registration information:

• If you’re using a fee waiver, enter the identification number on your fee waiver card.
• If you’ve been approved by the College Board to test with accommodations, enter the SSD number on your eligibility letter.
• If you’re home-schooled, enter 970000 when asked for a high school code.

Photo Requirements

The College Board is very strict when it comes to the photo that you’ll have to upload for registration. If your photo doesn’t meet these requirements, you won’t be allowed to test.

Here is what the College Board says is acceptable for your photo, which can be recent or taken at the time of registration:

• You’re easy to recognize.
• You’re the only one in the picture.
• There’s a head-and-shoulders view, with the entire face, both eyes, and hair clearly visible; head coverings worn for religious purposes are allowed.
• You’re in focus.
• There are no dark spots or shadows.
• Black-and-white photos are acceptable.

You won’t be allowed to test if any of the following is the case with your photo:

• One or both of your eyes are not visible or blocked (for example, if you are wearing sunglasses).
• Photos include more than one person.
• Poor photo quality makes you unrecognizable.
• You are wearing a hat or head covering that is not worn for religious purposes.
• Your photo has been digitally altered or tampered with in any other way.

ID Requirements

ID documents that students bring to at testing center must meet all of these requirements:

• Be a valid (unexpired) photo ID that is government-issued or issued by the school that you currently attend. School IDs from the prior school year are valid through December of the current calendar year. (For example, school IDs from 2015-16 can be used through December 31, 2016.)
• Be an original, physical document (not photocopied or electronic).
• Bear your full, legal name exactly as it appears on your Admission Ticket, including the order of the names.
• Bear a recent recognizable photograph that clearly matches both your appearance on test day and the photo on your Admission Ticket.
• Be in good condition, with clearly legible English language text and a clearly visible photograph.

Test Fees

Students will have to pay to register for the SAT. For standard registration, here’s what that looks like:

• Standard SAT without Essay: $52
• Standard SAT with Essay (to be discontinued after June 2021): $68

Students will have to pay extra fees for the following (full list and specifics on the College Board’s website):

• Registering by phone
• Late registration
• Changes to registration
• Waitlist fees
• Score services

Fee waivers are available for many of these! Here’s what the College Board says about fee waivers:

SAT fee waivers are available to low-income 11th and 12th grade students in the U.S. or U.S. territories. U.S. citizens living outside the country may be able to have test fees waived.

You’re eligible for fee waivers if you say “yes” to any of the following:

• You’re enrolled in or eligible to participate in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP).
• Your annual family income falls within the Income Eligibility Guidelines set by the USDA Food and Nutrition Service.
• You’re enrolled in a federal, state, or local program that aids students from low-income families (e.g., Federal TRIO programs such as Upward Bound).
• Your family receives public assistance.
• You live in federally subsidized public housing or a foster home, or are homeless.
• You are a ward of the state or an orphan.

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When Should I Take the SAT?

Our students ask this question a lot, and for good reason. It can be unclear when to begin the college prep journey, especially when it comes to standardized tests.

Most students take the SAT for the first time in their junior year of high school. We further recommend that students sit for the exam for the first time in the fall or winter of their junior year, especially if they have completed Algebra 2 and Trigonometry by this date.

This also allows for second or third testing dates in the spring of junior year and/or fall of senior year, leaving plenty of breathing room for college applications.

Regardless, we encourage students to take the SAT following at least three months of intensive prep. We also recommend at least one more exam after this first official so students can be eligible for SAT SuperScore (and the highest score possible).

We’ve put together some SAT testing schedules to make it easy for students to determine the SAT test date that makes sense given their prep trajectory.

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Next Steps

Now that you know the SAT test dates for 2021 and 2022, it’s time to get ready for your next official SAT.

You can do this on your own, or you can get started by working with one of our expert tutors. In fact, one-on-one SAT prep can be the most effective way to get closer to your dream score in a short amount of time.

Learn more about SAT private tutoring here.

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Kate

Kate is a graduate of Princeton University. Over the last decade, Kate has successfully mentored hundreds of students in all aspects of the college admissions process, including the SAT, ACT, and college application essay.