As your senior year draws near and you prepare to take the SAT, you have many SAT test dates to choose from. Choosing the right date can feel overwhelming—you have to find the right test center, complete the registration process, and make sense of SAT costs, all while hoping to avoid any accidental change fees.

Piqosity is here to help! Here, we provide the upcoming SAT test dates, as well as a guide to choosing the best date for you. We will also provide insight into how you might improve your SAT score, and help you bolster your applications to the colleges of your choice.

Upcoming SAT Test Dates

Here are the upcoming SAT test dates (taken directly from the SAT website). As you will notice, some dates have already passed. However, you will still be able to see upcoming available SAT test dates, as well as the accompanying dates for registration deadlines.

sat test dates

In addition, you may want to look at the projected future SAT test dates; while these dates may change, it is worthwhile to keep them in mind for possible SAT retake days:

sat test dates

Taking the ACT as well? Learn which ACT test dates are coming up!

Choosing the Best SAT Date for You

There are a number of things to consider when choosing the best SAT date for you. But first, ask yourself: Should you take both the SAT and ACT?

Step One: ACT vs. SAT

Taking both of these college application tests can really show off:

  • You academic prowess,
  • Your desire to succeed, and
  • How seriously you are taking your upcoming college career.

Taking both tests is not always in the cards for everyone. In some cases, taking two tests is not advisable, as you may not have the time to adequately prepare for two unique tests. You might also not be able to commit to two testing dates, depending on your schedule of extracurriculars, volunteer work, or a job outside of school.

If you do not have the time to prepare for two tests, you’re probably wondering, “Well, then— should I take the ACT or SAT? To answer this question, you need to understand the differences between the tests, and see how those align with your preferences as an individual learner and test-taker.

For example, the SAT Reading section contains more historical texts than the ACT. It also includes data analysis questions, where the ACT only includes these in its science section. SAT Writing and Language is shorter than on the ACT. SAT Math favors simpler concepts, and doesn’t advance much further than Algebra 2, but it does delve more deeply into each concept.

There are much higher level level differences than these, of course, and we highly recommend sifting through our lengthy article exploring “What’s the difference between the ACT and SAT?” Doing this will help you decide which is the best for you to take, and which will play best to your strengths and weaknesses. However, remember this important point: if possible, it is probably best for you to take both the SAT and the ACT.

Step Two: Choose Your SAT Testing Location

To find an SAT test center, you will need to fill out a form on the SAT website. The form looks like this:

sat test dates

Pick your desired test date, and select the state in which you reside. Immediately, you will be able to view dozens of options of SAT test centers.  This list can get lengthy—just look at the results for Texas:

sat test date

The locations are listed alphabetically by name, so if you already know where you would like to take your test, you can simply scroll. However, if you would like to know what your options are in your hometown, we suggest using the “Find” feature (CTRL+F on a PC, Command+F on a Mac), and typing in the name of your town. If you wanted to find locations in Houston, for example, it would look like this:

Now, you see that there are about thirty test centers with a Houston address, and you can use the arrows to browse. Some of the SAT test centers within Houston are:

  • Booker T Washington High School
  • Eastwood Academy Charter High School
  • Jersey Village High School
  • Raul Yzaguirre School for Success
  • Ross Shaw Sterling Aviation High School
  • Sam Houston Math, Science, and Tech Center

Remember to consider things like traffic, distance, and familiarity with the venue before choosing your test center. Also, not every test center will provide the SAT on each date, so if you have a specific test center in mind, you may need to change SAT test dates.

Step Three: Consider SAT Costs & Fee Waivers

By now, you probably know that the cost of the SAT is $55. However, there are other SAT costs that may apply to you. For example, if you need to change your SAT test center, you will be charged a $25 fee. A full registration cancellation is another $25. A late registration is $30, and cancelling that late registration is another $35. So, it’s important—and cost-effective—to know exactly what you need and avoid errors during the SAT registration process.

There are fee waivers available for some students who meet certain requirements. If you do meet these requirements, you can take the SAT for free. There are other benefits, too, like the ability to send free, unlimited score reports to the colleges of your choice. Certain colleges will even waive your application fees. Find out more in our exploration of SAT costs & fee waivers.

The Bottom Line

After reviewing scores  of SAT test dates, hopefully you have the perfect one in mind. Before registering for the SAT, remember to consider:

  • If you want to take the SAT, ACT, or both
  • If you have enough preparation time in accordance with your decision
  • Where you would like to take the SAT test
  • SAT costs & fee waiver options.

Once you know these things, it’s time to register for the SAT. And, after your registration is complete, it will be time to prepare for your upcoming test.

Prepare for the SAT with Piqosity

What’s the best way to prepare for the SAT? Piqosity offers a range of affordable, competitively priced test material packages.

You can register for FREE (no credit card information required) for our Community package, which gives you access to a free diagnostic test that assesses your individual strengths and weaknesses. Then, you can use this information to target your weak areas by taking tutorial lessons and working through adaptive practice questions. You’ll even get to see a score report prediction, and be able to have fun while studying using our gamified practice.

If you decide you want more, we offer several tiers of competitively priced test prep packages, bursting with helpful test prep resources, including up to 10 full-length SAT practice tests. With these, you will be able to take a full SAT (ten times over!) on your own time within the comfort of your own study space. This practice builds testing endurance and increases your familiarity and comfort with the format of the SAT.

Take advantage of all that Piqosity has to offer. Sign up for online SAT test prep today!

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