SAT Test Dates 2025

Getting a great SAT score is no accident! First and foremost, you need to know the material that is tested on the exam. Second, you need to be familiar with the format and structure of the SAT. Finally, you need to feel invincible on test day, that nothing will throw you off your game. The best way to take care of all three of these SAT success factors simultaneously is by starting your preparation at the right time and choosing the best date for the exam. You’ll need to match your life activities and unique study availability to the SAT test dates 2025.

In this article, we’ll cover key considerations about matching your life schedule to the 2025 SAT test dates so that your preparation is optimal. You want to choose a test date in your “Goldilocks zone,” where you don’t peak too early or have to scramble at the last minute to complete your prep. It’s a difficult test, so figuring out when to take the SAT so that your timing is “just right” is a desirable goal.

Here are the topics we’ll cover:

• SAT Basics
• The SAT Is Section-Adaptive
• Where and When Can I Take the SAT?
  • Taking the SAT at a Testing Center
  • Taking the Exam During SAT School Day
  • The SAT Digital Platform
• Selecting Your SAT Test Date
  • Application Deadlines: Early Decision, Early Action, and Regular Decision
    • Early Decision (ED)
    • Early Action (EA)
    • Regular Decision (RD)
  • If You Take the SAT on SAT School Day
• Key Takeaways
• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
  • When are the SATs in 2025/What is the 2025 SAT schedule?
  • When is the SAT registration deadline for 2025?
  • What are the late registration deadlines for SAT 2025/SAT late registration deadlines 2025?
  • When is early registration for the SAT in 2025?
• What’s Next?

Let’s start by getting a quick overview of the SAT.

SAT Basics

Overall, the digital SAT has 98 questions, and you are given 2 hours 14 minutes to answer them.

It contains two sections:

• SAT Reading and Writing – You will encounter two modules, each containing 27 questions and taking 32 minutes to complete. You are tested on reading, word usage, grammar, and punctuation.
• SAT Math – You will encounter two modules, each containing 22 questions, and you have 35 minutes to complete each module. About 75% of the math questions are multiple-choice questions with 4 answer choices. The remaining 25% of the math questions are fill-in-the-blank questions. You may use your own calculator, or you may choose to use the online Desmos graphing calculator, which is available on the Bluebook app.

KEY FACT:

The digital SAT has two sections, each containing two modules. The Math section has 44 questions, and the Reading and Writing section has 54 questions.

The SAT Is Section-Adaptive

One of the most significant changes incorporated into the digital SAT is section adaptivity. Likely, you have never heard of section adaptivity, but it is critical that you understand what it means and how it works. It could greatly affect your performance and your score!

In a nutshell, a test that is section-adaptive adjusts the difficulty level of a module based on your performance on the previous module. In other words, the SAT designs the second module of each section based on how well you did in the first module. Let’s illustrate section adaptivity by using the Math section as an example.

In the first Math module, you will encounter a mixture of easy, medium, and hard questions. If you score well (about 60% or better), you will encounter harder (and more score-enhancing) questions on the second Math module. Alternatively, if you didn’t score very well on the first Math module, you will encounter easier questions on the second Math module. Answering these easier questions correctly won’t contribute as much to your Math score.

The same concept applies to the Reading and Writing section. A solid performance on the first module is rewarded with greater scoring potential on the second module. While it’s important to do your best on every module of the SAT, you can see that it is especially important to earn a great score on the first module of each section.

KEY FACT:

Section adaptivity on the SAT means that the difficulty level of the second module of each section is based on your performance on the first module.

Now that we know the structure of the SAT, let’s look at where and when we can take it.

Where and When Can I Take the SAT?

The digital SAT debuted in the U.S. in March 2024. While there are many changes to the exam from the previous paper-and-pencil test, one thing is unchanged: the two testing location options. Let’s look at these two options in more detail, including the dates in 2025 when they are offered.

Taking the SAT at a Testing Center

The first option is to take the SAT at a testing center, which is located at a high school, college, or university. All test dates are on Saturday mornings. Because the SAT is digital, you will need to ensure that you have access to a laptop, tablet, iPad, or school-managed Chromebook. If you don’t have access to any of these, then you may borrow one from the College Board. You can submit your request when you register for the test at the College Board website.

Here is a list of SAT test dates for 2025:

• March 8, 2025
• May 3, 2025
• June 7, 2025
• August 23, 2025
• September 13, 2025
• October 4, 2025
• November 8, 2025
• December 6, 2025

SAT Registration 2025 dates’ deadlines are approximately 2 weeks before the exam date. The exam fee is $68, and fee waivers are available. More details about SAT fee waivers are available on the College Board website.

KEY FACT:

The SAT will be offered at test centers on eight dates in 2025.

Taking the Exam During SAT School Day

A second location option is to participate in SAT School Day, where you take the SAT at your own school during a school day. Many schools in the U.S. choose to offer the SAT on a weekday during normal school hours. For students who cannot take the SAT on a Saturday due to work, religious, or other conflicts, this option allows them to take the SAT when they otherwise might not be able to. SAT School Day allows schools to ensure that a substantial number of their juniors or seniors take the SAT. Not all schools participate in the SAT School Day program, so you should check with your school’s administrators to determine if this is an option.

Schools participating in the SAT School Day program can choose to administer the exam during a limited period. The SAT School Day windows for 2025 are:

• March 3 – April 30, 2025
• October 1 – October 31, 2025

The SAT is taken on a digital platform for SAT School Day, so the same situation applies concerning computer availability. If you do not have access to a laptop, tablet, or iPad, then your school will arrange to provide one for you.

KEY FACT:

Many schools participate in SAT School Day, where students take the SAT at their own school on a weekday.

The SAT Digital Platform

No matter if you take the SAT at a testing center or on SAT School Day, you will take the exam on the SAT’s Bluebook testing platform. If you are using your own computer to take the exam, you must download the Bluebook app ahead of time. It’s highly advisable that you use the Bluebook app during your SAT studying, so it’s likely you’ll already have it installed on your computer. When you log into Bluebook to take the SAT, all other features of your computer will be locked.

TTP PRO TIP:

Be sure you have downloaded the Bluebook testing app to the computer you’ll use on test day.

Next, let’s discuss how to choose your SAT test date.

Selecting Your SAT Test Date

One factor affecting your choice of test date is your testing location. If you want to take the exam at a test center, you have any of the eight test dates in 2025 to choose from. However, if you take the exam on SAT School Day, your school will specify the particular date for all students taking the test at your school.

So, you will have no option to select your testing date if you participate in SAT School Day. However, if you decide to take your SAT at a testing center, you should carefully consider which of the eight available testing dates to choose.

The remaining factor affecting your decision about when to take the SAT is whether you intend to apply to meet early decision (ED) deadlines, early action (EA) deadlines, or regular decision (RD) deadlines. Let’s look at each of these in more detail.

KEY FACT:

Two factors affecting your choice of a test date are your testing location and your intended application date.

Application Deadlines: Early Decision, Early Action, and Regular Decision

Early Decision (ED)

Early Decision (ED) candidates are allowed to apply to only one college or university as ED applicants. If you are accepted as ED at your desired school, your acceptance is binding. That is, you must attend your ED school and withdraw any other applications you may have made to other schools.

Early Decision (ED) application deadlines can be as early as November 1 of your senior year. In that case, you should consider taking the SAT in either May or June of your junior year. If your score is lower than you hoped, you will have the option of doing extra preparation during the summer. Then, you can retake the exam in late August or early September and still easily meet your ED application deadline.

It takes about two weeks after your test date for your SAT scores to be available from ETS. As a result, you could also retake your SAT in the early October administration, but you’re cutting it just a bit close.

You will know if you have been accepted ED by mid-December. If you’re not accepted, be sure to have your applications to other schools ready for submission.

TTP PRO TIP:

If you plan to apply to one school as an ED applicant, you should take the SAT in the spring of your junior year.

Early Action (EA)

Unlike ED programs, Early Action (EA) programs allow you to apply early to several schools, not just one. And, if you are accepted EA, you are not obligated to attend an accepting school. As for timing, you’ll receive your EA offers in the December-January timeframe. You may make your EA decision immediately, or you may delay your decision as late as the national response date of May 1.

Mid-November is generally the EA application deadline. Thus, your SAT test date selection should be similar to that of ED applicants. Optimally, you should take the SAT in the spring of your junior year, in May or June. But note that if you delay taking your initial SAT until the August or September administrations, and if your scores indicate that a retake is necessary, you will still have time to study for the early October test administration while still being able to meet the mid-November EA application deadline.

KEY FACT:

Unlike ED applicants, EA applicants may apply to multiple schools, and they have no binding commitment to attend any of them if they’re accepted.

Regular Decision (RD)

If you choose not to apply to college via ED or EA, then you have a Regular Decision (RD) deadline of approximately January 1. Because of this relatively late application deadline, you have an unlimited number of options for selecting your SAT test date. You could take it any time in the spring of your junior year, or you could take it any time in the fall of your senior year. You have five possible dates to take the test in the fall (August, September, October, November, and December), while still meeting the January 1 application deadline. So, you have lots of options for scheduling your SAT (including a retake) while still meeting your RD application deadline.

TTP PRO TIP:

If you choose Regular Decision, you can take the SAT on any of the eight administration dates and still meet the application deadline.

If You Take the SAT on SAT School Day

We have already mentioned that SAT School Day testing doesn’t allow you to choose your test date. However, the spring administration of SAT School Day, which in 2025 is in the March 3 – April 30 window, fits in with two of the recommended initial test dates previously mentioned for students taking the SAT on a Saturday at a testing center. So, after you receive your scores from your SAT School Day test, if you decide that a retake is necessary, you will have options similar to those already discussed for ED, EA, and RD candidates.

KEY FACT:

Taking the SAT during SAT School Day will allow you retake options similar to those for students who took the exam on a Saturday at a testing center.

Key Takeaways

Planning your SAT test date requires forethought. In this article, we have looked at the important factors to take into account when choosing your SAT date. These include whether you register for the test at a test center on a Saturday or take the SAT during SAT School Day at your own school.

Another important factor in choosing your test date is your application deadline, be it for Early Decision (ED), Early Action (EA), or Regular Decision (RD). It’s important to build in a time cushion to allow you to retake the SAT in case your score needs improvement while still meeting your application deadlines.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

When are the SATs in 2025/What is the 2025 SAT schedule?

Here are the SAT exam dates 2025:

• March 8, 2025
• May 3, 2025
• June 7, 2025
• August 23, 2025
• September 13, 2025
• October 4, 2025
• November 8, 2025
• December 6, 2025

These are the official SAT test dates published by ETS. They include only the SAT weekend test dates. If you take the SAT School Day, your SAT dates will be different; you’ll be provided your school’s SAT dates and deadlines by your school administrators.

When is the SAT registration deadline for 2025?

In 2025, there are eight dates available for taking the SAT on the weekend at a testing center. The chart below indicates each test date and its registration deadline.

What are the late registration deadlines for SAT 2025/SAT late registration deadlines 2025?

Generally, SAT late registration deadlines 2025 are just four days after the regular registration deadline for a particular exam date. For example, the SAT on March 8, 2025 has a registration deadline of February 21, 2025 and a late registration deadline of February 25, 2025. It is wise to refer to the ETS website for a list of test dates and deadlines to ensure you have accurate and timely information.

When is early registration for the SAT in 2025?

Generally, you can register as early as about 6 months prior to the test date for a given SAT exam. ETS recommends that you register no later than about 6 weeks before your desired test date, to assure that you get a seat at your desired testing center.

What’s Next?

Have you determined your SAT test date? The logical next step is to decide how much SAT study time you’ll need.

If you have completed your SAT prep and are preparing for test day, read this article about SAT test day pacing tips.

Good luck!

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