Flickr user Karen Apricot
“When should I take the ACT or SAT” is a common question high schoolers have. Taking the ACT or SAT is a must for any college-bound student, but when should you register for the test?
ACT & SAT Calendar
The ACT is offered seven times a year on the second Saturday of February, April, June, July, September, October and December.
The SAT is also offered seven times a year on the first Saturday of March, May, June, August, October, November, and December.
Find Your Test Date and Register Early
Once you’ve decided which date suits you best, you should ideally register as early as possible and at least 5 weeks before your chosen test date.
Seats at ACT/SAT test centers fill up quickly. If you wait too long, you may find that the seats at your preferred test are all filled up. You will either have to choose another date or another center that could be quite a distance away.
Another advantage of registering early is that once you have the date set, you know you can no longer procrastinate. You are more likely to get down to committing to a study schedule to prepare for the test.
Late Registration
If for some reason you miss the regular registration deadlines, the late registration deadlines are about 3 weeks before the test date. You will have to visit the respective sites to check the deadline for each test date.
Registration for both tests can be done online through their websites. You will need to pay the full registration fee, unless you qualify for the waived fee.
Check out how your ACT/SAT scores affect your acceptance odds with College Raptor’s free match tool!
