Are you unsure about when to take the SAT? Have you received mixed messages about how many times to take it? We’re here to cut through the clutter! With seven SAT test dates to choose from, we’ll help you determine the ones that best suit your situation.
After reading this article, you will learn the following:
- How many times to take the SAT
- The top three considerations for choosing your SAT test dates
- Our Recommended SAT test dates and sample timeline
How many times should you take the SAT?
Technically, there is no limit to the number of times you can take the SAT. With that said, I recommend capping your number of attempts for several reasons.
First, taking the SAT is resource-intensive, both from a money and time perspective. The current fees for the SAT with and without the essay are listed here. The time commitment is also substantial. The exam itself takes over 4 hours, and you also need to account for the preparation time.
Second and more importantly, the relationship between your score and the number of times you take the test is not linear. In other words, taking the test again past a certain point will not necessarily result in a higher score (and may even yield a lower score), unless you’ve spent a considerable amount of time studying between exams.
With all of the above in mind, I recommend taking the exam 2-3 times. It’s rare for students to get their best score on the first try. Moreover, many colleges super-score the test, which is where they combine the highest verbal and math scores across your various exams to create a “super score.” Therefore, it’s often beneficial for you to take the test at least twice.
Now that you know how many times to take the exam, let’s review the main considerations for choosing your SAT test dates.
The top three considerations for choosing your SAT test dates
1. Schedule
As mentioned, the SAT is offered seven times per year. This gives you plenty of time to plan ahead. If you’re a senior, you should first and foremost look at your college application deadlines. For US-based schools, the deadlines typically fall around November 1st or 15th for early action/early decision applicants, and around January 1st for regular decision applicants. There are also schools with rolling admissions, which may allow for greater flexibility.
Keep in mind that it takes time for your schools to receive and process your scores, so you should plan to take your last SAT at least a month in advance of your application due date. Now, some schools do allow students to supplement their application with exam scores after the due date, but you’ll want to double check this policy for each school. I’d recommend calling the school to verify, and politely asking the person you’re speaking with if you can reference them should problems arise down the road. The mantra here is to take extra precautions and never assume!
For juniors, look carefully at your schedule for the year. You not only need to consider the test date itself, but also how much time you’ll have to study in the months before the test. Will you be particularly busy with sports one season? Any major tournaments or competitions? How about big exams such as AP exams? Account for any activities that may compete with the SAT for your attention, because they will impact the amount of time you have to prepare for the exam, and thereby affect your ability to reach your goal.
2. Goal Score
When it comes to goal-setting, the first step is to acknowledge your baseline. The best way to do this is to take one of the 8 full-length, practice SAT exam from College Board following the timing guidelines below:
- Reading: 65 minutes
- 10-minute break
- Writing: 35 minutes
- Math No-Calc: 25 minutes
- 5-minute break
- Math Calc: 55 minutes
If possible, have a parent proctor your exam; this will more closely mimic the test-day environment.
After you have a good idea of your starting point, you need to determine your target score. A good goal score is one that is realistic, but will simultaneously challenge you. The following table is created for the average student who is able to devote around 10 hours of focused study time per week.
| Target Score Improvement | Expected Study Time |
| 0-50 points | 1-2 weeks |
| 50-100 points | 1-2 months |
| 100-150 points | 2-3 months |
| 150-200 points | 3-4 months |
| 200+ points | 4-6+ months |
This table offers a generalized guideline meant to help you get started. Your room for improvement depends on a host of factors unique to your situation. Some of my students have greatly outperformed expectations. One in particular improved her score from an 1190 to a 1530 after taking my small-group SAT prep class – that’s a 340-point increase in just 2 months!
Please also note that the table above is for the core SAT exam, which includes the reading, writing/grammar, and math sections of the test. It doesn’t account for the optional essay, which will add substantially to your study time.
3. QAS Dates
Three times per year – currently March, May, and October – the College Board offers the Question-and-Answer Service (QAS). This test-disclosure service gives students access to a blank copy of their full exam. Additionally, they also receive a guide with the correct answers and scoring information as well as a report indicating their responses and the level of difficulty of each question. This is an invaluable service for two important reasons.
First, the SAT is constantly evolving, so the more recent an exam is, the better. The best way to prepare for an upcoming test is to thoroughly analyze one that you took officially. My second reason is more subtle and relates to what happened on the infamous June 2018 exam. I made a video explaining the details, so check that out if you want more specifics.
June 2018 Fiasco
In short, the College Board released an exam that was much easier than their usual standard. To compensate, they created a very unforgiving scale, so students lost proportionally more points for missed questions. This caused a lot of upset, as many students left the test feeling confident, only to be disappointed by their lower-than-expected score after scaling. Remember that June is not currently one of the QAS dates, so no one has access to the actual test questions. Although there is variability on every test, I feel that the College Board takes extra care to make the exams offering the QAS as fair as possible, since they know those will be under the public’s scrutiny.
Now, this event does not mean the June exam is cursed, and choosing exams that offer the QAS need not be a hard and fast rule. It’s only meant to provide another consideration as you create your testing schedule. In fact, as you’ll see below, my recommended schedules often combine QAS and non-QAS SAT test dates.
If your exam date does offer the QAS service, you can sign up for it during registration, or by completing this order form. According to the College Board, you must mail your order and payment no later than five months after your test date in order to qualify.
Next, let’s take a look at some of the suggested SAT test dates for juniors and seniors.
Our Recommended Testing Timeline
Good dates for Juniors: October, December, March, June
All juniors should plan to take the SAT at least once during the year. I’m particularly fond of the March exam, because it offers the QAS and doesn’t conflict with AP exams in May. Your other SAT test dates depend on your schedule. If you are taking Algebra 2 or its equivalent as a junior, then I’d recommend waiting until June. The SAT math is Algebra-intensive, so you’ll want to have the full curriculum under your belt to maximize your chance of success.
Here are a few good sample testing timelines for your consideration:
- December and March of junior year, and August before senior year
- March and June of junior year, and August before senior year
Good dates for Seniors: August, October, November, December
Seniors should strongly consider the August SAT, because it allows you to finish testing before the school year starts, so you can focus on your college essays in the fall. Should you want to retake the test, you’ll also have more options and won’t be rushing to get your scores in at the last minute. The earlier you complete this part of the application, the better!
As you can see, there are many factors that go into choosing your SAT test dates. Taking a close look at your schedule and considering your goals early on will make the process much more manageable.
Looking for more guidance?
Here at Prep with Jen, we take the guess work out of studying for the SAT. Our small-group SAT classes consistently receive rave reviews from students, many of whom see score increases of over 150 points! We also offer private tutoring packages, both in person and online. Interested? Sign up for a free phone consultation, or send us a message today!