SAT Test Dates 2027-2028: Anticipated Schedule

Last reviewed: August 7, 2026. College Board currently labels every 2027-28 date as anticipated. We will update this page the day the official calendar and registration deadlines are confirmed.

If you searched for 2027-28 SAT dates, you are planning further ahead than most families ever do, and that is exactly the position you want to be in. The dates below come straight from College Board's dates-and-deadlines page, where they are posted as anticipated future administrations.¹

When Are the 2027-28 SAT Test Dates?

College Board's anticipated 2027-28 calendar keeps the same shape as the current year: five fall dates and three spring dates, all Saturdays, all on the digital SAT.¹

Fall 2027 (anticipated):

August 28, 2027
September 18, 2027
October 2, 2027
November 6, 2027
December 4, 2027

Spring 2028 (anticipated):

March 4, 2028
May 6, 2028
June 3, 2028

Registration deadlines for these dates have not been published. In the current 2026-27 cycle, regular registration closes about two weeks before each test and the change-or-cancel deadline lands a few days after that, so expect the same rhythm for 2027-28 once deadlines post.¹

What "Anticipated" Actually Means

College Board publishes its future-year dates well over a year in advance, then confirms the official calendar closer to the school year. Anticipated dates are planning anchors, not bookings. Three practical rules follow from that:

Build your study calendar around these Saturdays now. The overall pattern (August through December, then March through June) is stable year to year, so even if a single date shifts a week, your plan survives.
Do not book anything unchangeable, like a flight for a specific test weekend, until the date is confirmed and you are registered.
Check the official College Board dates page one time in spring 2027, when the calendar firms up and registration for fall opens.¹

Did You Know

The dates on the current 2026-27 calendar were posted as anticipated first, months before students could register. Families who planned around them simply confirmed their plan later, while everyone else started from zero the week registration opened.

Find Your Class Year First

The most common planning mistake with a two-year calendar is reading the wrong row. Match your graduation year before you pick dates.

High school class of 2028 (seniors in fall 2027). The fall 2027 dates are your last chances before college deadlines. August 28, September 18, and October 2 all return scores comfortably before November 1 early application deadlines. If you are still testing in November, you have run out of early-round room. Ideally you take your first SAT in spring 2027 on the current calendar, which makes fall 2027 a retake, not a debut. Our guide on when to take the SAT junior year covers that sequencing.

High school class of 2029 (juniors in 2027-28). Your natural first attempt is March 4, May 6, or June 3, 2028, after you have finished more of Algebra 2 and had a full year of reading-heavy coursework. The fall 2027 dates are early for you unless you are chasing a summer program score. Take the PSAT in October 2027, use the score report to target weaknesses, then sit the real test in spring.

Class of 2030 and younger. Nothing on this page requires action from you yet. Bookmark it, and spend your energy on coursework and reading. Strong grades in hard classes move admissions more than an early SAT plan does.

Important

The November 6, 2027 SAT lands after the November 1 early deadlines used by many colleges. Scores also take roughly two to three weeks to arrive after test day.² If you are applying Early Decision or Early Action in fall 2027, treat October 2 as your last realistic date and September 18 as the safer one.

How to Plan a Full Year Before Registration Opens

You cannot register for 2027-28 dates yet, but the highest-value work happens before registration anyway.

Work backward from your application deadlines. List the earliest deadline you might use, subtract three weeks for score delivery, and the latest workable test date falls out automatically. For a November 1, 2027 deadline, that math points to October 2 at the latest. Our college application deadlines guide maps the deadline structure most colleges use.

Plan two attempts with space between them. A first attempt establishes a real baseline under real conditions, and a second attempt several months later is where preparation pays off. For the class of 2029, that looks like spring 2028 plus a fall 2028 retake. For the class of 2028, it means using the current 2026-27 spring dates now so that fall 2027 is your second look.

Decide SAT versus ACT before you burn a date. If you have never compared the two formats, spend one weekend on a timed practice section of each. The SAT versus ACT breakdown shows how to read the results. ACT has posted its own projected 2027-28 calendar, which we track on our ACT test dates 2027-2028 page.

Know your target score before junior spring. A target turns vague prep into a checklist. Our guide to what counts as a good SAT score explains how to set one from real admissions data rather than a rumor.

When Will Registration Open for 2027-28?

College Board opens registration for a school year's dates in stages, with fall dates typically becoming available in late spring of the prior school year.³ In the current cycle, students could register for fall 2026 dates by late spring 2026. Expect the same for fall 2027: registration opening around late spring 2027, with each date closing about two weeks before test day.¹

Two things are worth doing the week registration opens rather than later:

Register for popular fall dates early. Test centers have fixed seat counts, and students in areas with few centers can end up assigned to distant sites when they wait.
If you need testing accommodations, start that request through your school well before you register. Approval takes time and does not transfer automatically from other tests.

Expert Tip

Put all eight anticipated dates in your family calendar today with one extra reminder in April 2027 that says "confirm SAT dates and register." That single reminder replaces a year of low-grade worry, and it means you act during the quiet week when seats are wide open instead of the crowded month when everyone else notices deadlines.

The September Date Is the Sleeper Pick

The 2027-28 calendar includes a September 18 administration, sitting between the traditional late-August and early-October dates. For seniors it is the most forgiving early-cycle option: summer prep is still fresh, scores arrive in plenty of time for November 1 deadlines, and if the result disappoints, October 2 is an immediate retake window on the same calendar.¹

For juniors targeting selective summer programs, a September score also arrives before most program applications open, which the spring dates cannot offer.

What This Page Will Update

Anticipated calendars occasionally shift, and deadlines do not exist yet. When College Board confirms the 2027-28 calendar, this page will be updated with the official dates, every registration and change deadline, and score release dates for each administration. The structure of your plan should not need to change, only the fine print.

Until then, the current-cycle schedule is live and fully confirmed on our SAT test dates 2026-2027 page, which is where the class of 2027 and class of 2028 should be working from today.

FAQ

What are the SAT test dates for 2027-2028?

College Board's anticipated 2027-28 dates are August 28, September 18, October 2, November 6, and December 4, 2027, then March 4, May 6, and June 3, 2028. All are Saturdays, and all use the digital SAT. College Board labels them anticipated, meaning the calendar is planned but not yet final.¹

Are the 2027-28 SAT dates official?

Not yet. They are published by College Board itself, so they are the best available information, but they carry an anticipated label until the official calendar is confirmed. Historically the overall pattern holds, so they are safe for planning and unsafe for unchangeable commitments like travel.

When can I register for a 2027-28 SAT date?

Registration deadlines for 2027-28 have not been published. Based on the current cycle, expect registration for fall 2027 dates to open around late spring 2027, with regular registration closing about two weeks before each test date.¹

What is the last SAT date for November 1, 2027 early deadlines?

October 2, 2027. Scores generally arrive two to three weeks after test day, so the October date returns scores in mid-October, ahead of November 1 Early Decision and Early Action deadlines.² The November 6 date lands after those deadlines and only works for regular decision timelines.

Should the class of 2029 test in fall 2027 or spring 2028?

Spring 2028 for most students. By March of junior year you have covered more of the math and reading the test draws on, and you still have summer and fall 2028 for a retake before senior-year deadlines. Fall 2027 makes sense mainly if you need a score for a summer program application.

Is there a September SAT in 2027-28?

Yes. September 18, 2027 is on the anticipated calendar, giving the fall five administrations. It is a strong option for seniors who prepped over the summer and want a score locked in well before early application deadlines, with October 2 available as a quick retake.