ACT and SAT Test Dates (2023-2024)

Every school year, there are 7 national ACT test dates and 7 national SAT test dates that students throughout the United States can sign up for and take. 

It’s important to note that the ACT and SAT test dates listed below are open registration exams which means that anyone can sign up to take them. While many high schools volunteer their campuses as official testing sites on these national test dates, your child’s school might not be listed as a testing site on the dates listed. That’s ok!

You can register your student to test at any location that the ACT and SAT are offered on any of the national test dates listed below.

Everything You Need To Know About The ACT & SAT

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• Looking for information about upcoming ACT & SAT test dates? 
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Preparing To Take The ACT & SAT

Do you even have to take the ACT or SAT anymore?

As with most things in the world of college admissions, it’s impossible to answer this question with a simple yes or no. So much is dependent upon your student’s particular circumstances and goals as well as the admissions policies of the colleges on your list.

We have helped hundreds of students gain admissions to their perfect-fit colleges with over $34 million in scholarships awarded - many of which require test scores for eligibility. As such, we highly recommend taking either the ACT or SAT.

But if you’d like more information so you can make a more informed, here’s an in-depth look at what test-optional admissions policies really mean for students and what may be at stake should you decide to not to test.

Should you take the ACT or SAT?

With very rare, college program-specific requirements notwithstanding, choosing which test to take is an entirely personal decision.

We strongly advise that every student make this decision for themselves based on the criteria we lay forth below.

When it comes to the ins and outs of the college admissions process, there’s not a lot students get to have a say about. Therefore, we highly recommend putting this ball squarely in the students court as it leads to a greater sense of ownership of the process and, therefore, a higher level of motivation.

Your ACT Test Day Questions Answered

Before You Take The ACT

When Should You Take The ACT?

We recommend taking the ACT twice on back-to-back test dates no later than June of your junior year.

For example, if you are a junior this year and want to take the ACT in the spring, we’d recommend signing up for the April ACT as your first test and the next available ACT in June as well. That said, some students are ready to test late in their sophomore year. Others should test in the fall or winter of their junior years.

So, for a more detailed answer to the question at hand, head to our article: When Should You Take The ACT?

How To Sign Up For The ACT

To sign up for the ACT, you’ll need to do the following:

1. Decide which ACT test date you want to take.
2. Decide which test center you’d like to take your ACT using the ACT Test Center Search.
3. Have a digital photo and a form of payment on hand.
4. Create an account on the ACT website and register for your chosen ACT test date.

We highly recommend that parents and students complete these steps together the first time you register for the ACT.

How Much Is The ACT?

At the time of publication, the full ACT without writing cost $63 and the full ACT with writing cost $88.

You can find the full schedule of ACT fees, including late registration, standby testing, and change fees here.

Some students do qualify for fee waivers. You can learn more about those waivers and eligibility requirements here.

ACT Test Registration Dates

There are 2 kinds of ACT registration deadlines: regular registration and late registration.

Generally, the regular registration deadlines fall on the Friday 5 weeks before a given ACT test date and the late registration deadlines are 2 weeks after that, or the Friday 3 weeks before the test date in question.

Should you choose to register late for the ACT, you will be charged an additional $36 late registration fee.

Preparing For The ACT

While you don’t necessarily have to go all out and take an ACT prep course or partake in private ACT tutoring, we do recommend that you avoid testing without at least familiarizing yourself with the test ahead of time.

Here’s why: you’re about to spend time, money, and effort to take the ACT. And these are precious resources.

Also, the ACT has the potential to help you earn money to go to college.

That’s right. A lot of scholarships factor in your ACT score. So don’t throw away a test just to see how you’ll do.

Instead, treat the ACT like it matters because - honestly - it does.

If you prepare even just a little bit by leveraging resources to help you understand the ACT time breakdown, tackle a free practice ACT, or learn 35 different strategies for raising your ACT score - you can improve your confidence on test day…and your test scores.

Olympic gold medalists don’t end up on the podium by going it alone. They have coaches. And you should too.

Get started preparing for your next ACT test date right now with these free ACT prep resources…

On Your ACT Test Date

What To Bring To The ACT

On test day, you will need to bring the following to your testing center:

• Printed ACT Admission Ticket
• Acceptable Form of Photo ID 
• Non-Mechanical Number 2 Pencils
•  ACT Approved Calculator
• Snacks & Water For Breaks

For more information about acceptable and prohibited items on test day, visit ACT.org.

What Time Does The ACT Start?

You need to be at your test center no later than 8:00 am on your ACT test date. We highly recommend getting to your test center no later than 7:40 am.

Test days are stressful enough. Don’t add running late to the list of stressors!

How Long Is The ACT?

Without writing, the ACT is about 3 hours long. With writing, it’s closer to 3.5 hours long.

That said, the business of test day (proctor-read directions, breaks, passing out and collecting of materials, etc.) means that you’ll be dismissed around 12:35 pm if you take the ACT without writing or around 1:35 pm if you take the ACT with writing.

For more information about the ACT time breakdown and detailed information about what is tested in the exam, check out this article: What Is On The ACT?

After You Take The ACT

When Do ACT Scores Come Out?

It takes about a week and a half to get your ACT scores back. They usually begin to be released 2 Tuesdays after your Saturday exam date.

Depending on the number of students who tested and whether any holidays are close behind your exam date, you may not have your scores exactly on that day. It can take a few days for all of the scores to be reported.

Also, ACT does score equating activities after the October and February exam dates which pushes those score reporting dates back by at least 1 week.

Have patience! Your ACT scores are on their way!

How To Check Your ACT Scores

To get your ACT scores, all you have to do is log in to your MyACT account.

You can learn more about the ACT score reporting process and have any questions answered should you have a delay in getting your scores back.

I Got My ACT Scores Back. Now What?

Even though you can take the ACT as many times as you like, you don’t want to test forever. 

We recommend being aware of how your ACT scores stack up beside your admission and scholarship goals and using that information to determine when you will put your number 2 pencil down for good.

This article will help you decide whether or not you should test again or call it good: What Is A Good ACT Score?

Your SAT Test Day Questions Answered

Before You Take The SAT

When Should You Take The SAT?

We recommend taking the SAT twice on back-to-back test dates no later than June of your junior year.

For example, if you are a junior this year and want to take the SAT in the fall, we’d recommend signing up for the August SAT as your first test and the next available SAT in October as well.

That said, some students are ready to test late in their sophomore year. Others should test in the fall or winter of their junior years. So, for a more detailed answer to the question at hand, head to our article: When Should You Take The SAT?

How To Sign Up For The SAT

To sign up for the SAT, you’ll need to do the following:

1. Decide which SAT test date you want to take.
2. Decide which test center you’d like to take your SAT using the SAT Test Center Search.
3. Have a digital photo and a form of payment on hand.
4. Create an account on the College Board website and register for your chosen SAT test date.

We highly recommend that parents and students complete these steps together the first time you register for the SAT.

How Much Does The SAT Cost?

At the time of publication, the cost for taking one SAT test is $60.

You can find the full schedule of SAT fees, including late registration, change fees, and score services here.

Some students do qualify for fee waivers. You can learn more about those SAT waivers and eligibility requirements here.

SAT Registration Dates

There are 2 kinds of SAT registration dates: regular registration and late registration.

Typically, the regular registration deadlines fall on the Friday 4 weeks before a given test date and the late registration deadlines are 2.5 weeks after that, or the Tuesday 1.5 weeks before the SAT test date.

If possible, you’ll want to target regular SAT registration deadlines because you won’t be charged a late registration fee of an additional $30.

Preparing For The SAT

While you don’t necessarily have to go all out and take an SAT prep course or partake in private SAT tutoring, we do recommend that you avoid testing without at least familiarizing yourself with the test ahead of time.

Here’s why: you’re about to spend time, money, and effort to take the SAT. These are precious resources.

Also, the SAT has the potential to help you earn money to go to college.

That’s right. A lot of scholarships factor in your SAT score, so don’t throw away a test just to see how you’ll do.

Instead, treat the SAT like it matters because - honestly - it does.

If you prepare even just a little bit by leveraging resources to help you understand the SAT time breakdown, tackle a free practice SAT, or learn 35 different strategies for raising your SAT score - you can improve your confidence on test day…and your test scores.

Olympic gold medalists don’t end up on the podium by going it alone. They have coaches. And you should too.

Get started preparing for your next SAT test date right now with these free SAT prep resources…

On Your SAT Test Date

What To Bring To The SAT

On test day, you will need to bring the following to your testing center:

• Printed SAT Admission Ticket
• Acceptable Form of Photo ID
• Your pre-approved device with the Bluebook app on it
• SAT Approved Calculator
• Snacks & Water For Breaks

Visit the official SAT website for more information about what you can and cannot bring with you to your SAT exam.

What Time Does The SAT Start?

The SAT exam actually begins between 8:30 and 9:00 in the morning; however, you must be in the building before the doors close at 8:00 am.

We highly recommend aiming to be at your SAT testing center no later than 7:40 so you have a little bit of wiggle room if there are any delays.

The doors will open at 7:45 and close at 8:00. You will not be able to take the SAT if you arrive late.

How Long Is The SAT?

The SAT takes 2.5 hours to complete.

That said, the business of test day (proctor-read directions, breaks, passing out and collecting of materials, etc.) means that you’ll be dismissed between 12:15 and 12:45 pm from your SAT testing center.

For more information about the SAT time breakdown and detailed information about what is tested in the exam, check out this article: What Is On The SAT?

After You Take The SAT

When Do SAT Scores Come Out?

SAT scores begin to be released 13 days after test day on the Friday before the 2 week mark from the Saturday exam.

Depending on the number of students who tested and whether any holidays are close behind your exam date, you may not have your scores exactly on that day. It can take a few days for all of the scores to be reported.

Summer break can impact the roll out of scores too, but have patience! They’re on their way!

How To Check Your SAT Scores

To check your SAT scores, simply log into your College Board account. You should see your Student Score Report home page and be able to click into any individual test date to see your detailed score report.

Alternatively, you can click on “My Score Reports” in the top-of-page navigation bar.

I Got My SAT Scores Back. Now What?

Now that you have your SAT scores, you may be wondering where to go from here.

You can take the SAT as many times as you want but, in reality, you want to test as few times as you have to in order to get the score you need to be competitive for college admissions and scholarships.

So if you’re wondering if your SAT score is good enough that you can stop testing, check out this article for an in-depth look at the issue: What Is A Good SAT Score?

Resources To Help You Prepare for Your Next ACT or SAT

Here’s the challenge with ACT and SAT testing these days…

The process has gotten almost prohibitively confusing because, in addition to the 14 national ACT & SAT test dates, there are also numerous state- and district-provided ACT and SATs throughout the school year.

Mix in the other exams (PSAT, AP, IB, CLT, etc.), the mixed messaging around test-optional testing policies, and the multitude of acronyms that come with the college admissions process at large (FAFSA, CSS, EFC, et al.), and it’s a wonder anyone can figure out which way is up in the complex world of college admissions.

To help you find your way, we’ve published a multitude of free resources, including:

• Printable ACT Tests & ACT Practice Questions
  

• Printable SAT Tests & SAT Practice Questions

• [Free eBook] Insider's Guide to the ACT & SAT | 35 Strategies for Higher Scores

You can also tap into our incredible knowledge and learn how to do your best work on the ACT & SAT.  Here are the 3 ways we help students prepare for the exams…

• Need to prepare fast? Get ready in less than 4 hours with our ACT Quick Prep or SAT Quick Prep courses.
  
• Want a full test prep experience that fits your busy schedule and doesn’t break the bank? Check out our ACT Complete Package or SAT Complete Package courses.
  
• Seeking a personalized approach to test prep? Our expert private tutors can help you achieve the score improvements you’re looking for all from the comfort of your home with our private ACT & SAT tutoring packages. Contact us for more information.

After helping families navigate the complexities of the college admission, financial aid, and testing process for over a decade, we get it. 

We love helping families find clarity. We can help you cut through the confusion and determine the next right steps for you to take on your road to ACT & SAT testing success.

You can give us a call at (760) 814-9655 or send us a message here.