Plan backward from your earliest application deadline. Early action deadlines now start as early as September 15, and scores take about three to six weeks to go from test day to a college, so your last usable test may be in June or July before senior year. If you want two or three tries before then, with time to prepare for each, start preparing in the fall of junior year. Content matters too: the best time to test is after you've learned most of what's on it, which for math usually means Algebra II.
Where this information comes from
- What's on each test, test dates and retake rules come from the College Board and ACT, checked in October 2026. Dates and policies change, so confirm them before you register.
- Application deadlines come from colleges' own admissions pages. Each college sets its own, so check yours.
- When students take each math course comes from the U.S. Department of Education's 2019 High School Transcript Study.
- Research on retaking comes from a national study of more than 10 million SAT takers (Goodman, Gurantz and Smith, 2020) and from ACT's report on the class of 2026.
- Planning advice that isn't based on research, such as how long to prepare, is labeled as common practice.
What's on the SAT
| Section | Questions | Time | What it covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading and Writing | 54 | 64 minutes | Short passages testing reading comprehension, vocabulary in context, how writing is structured, and grammar and punctuation |
| Math | 44 | 70 minutes | Algebra (13–15 questions), advanced math (13–15), problem-solving and data analysis (5–7), and geometry and trigonometry (5–7) |
Source: College Board. The SAT is taken on a computer, lasts 2 hours and 14 minutes with a 10-minute break, and adapts: the second part of each section is easier or harder depending on how the first went.
"Advanced math" covers nonlinear equations and functions, such as quadratics and exponential functions, much of which is taught in Algebra II. Together with algebra, it makes up more than half of the Math section.
What's on the ACT
| Section | Questions | Time | What it covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | 50 | 35 minutes | Grammar, punctuation, and how writing is organized |
| Math | 45 | 50 minutes | Algebra, functions, geometry (including trigonometric ratios), statistics and probability, and some topics such as complex numbers and logarithms |
| Reading | 36 | 40 minutes | Comprehension of longer passages |
| Science (optional) | 40 | 40 minutes | Reading and interpreting data and experiments |
Source: ACT. Since September 2025, the ACT Composite score is the average of English, math and reading; science is optional and scored separately. Without science, the test takes about 2 hours.
ACT describes its math section as covering skills students "have typically acquired" through the early part of 12th grade, so it reaches a little further than the SAT.
When you'll have learned it
Math is the part that depends on your courses. The most common high school sequence is Algebra I in 9th grade, Geometry in 10th, Algebra II in 11th and Precalculus in 12th. Among 2019 high school graduates, 92% had taken geometry and 85% Algebra II in high school, 40% had taken precalculus and 16% calculus. Many students take Algebra I in middle school and run a year ahead.
- On the most common path, you're partway through Algebra II during the winter and spring of junior year. You'll have seen much of the SAT's math by spring.
- A year ahead, you finish Algebra II at the end of sophomore year, and the content is behind you. There's little reason to wait.
- Reading and writing don't depend on a particular course. They grow with reading and practice. The College Board's own benchmarks for "on track" scores are higher for 11th graders than for 10th graders, reflecting the growth expected in a year of school.
If you're still in Algebra II, you can study the remaining topics as part of your preparation, which is one more reason to give yourself time.
Your deadlines set the schedule
Early deadlines now start in September. Auburn's first early action round closes September 15; UNC-Chapel Hill (for North Carolina residents) and Georgia Tech (first early action round, for Georgia residents) close October 15; and many others fall on November 1 or 15.
Scores also take time to reach colleges:
- SAT: most weekend scores are released two to four weeks after test day. Sending them to colleges takes another 5 to 10 business days, or 1 to 4 with paid rush reporting.
- ACT: more than 97% of scores are released within two to four weeks, but some take up to eight weeks, and scores with the optional writing test take longer.
Plan on about three to six weeks from test day to a college's inbox. Working backward:
- For a September 15 deadline, your last test is in June or early July (the June 5 SAT, or the June 12 or July 10 ACT). The August SAT's scores usually arrive too late.
- For an October 15 deadline, the August SAT is the latest that's likely to arrive in time; the September ACT is tight.
- For a November 1 deadline, a September test is the safest last try. October scores often arrive too late, though some colleges accept them; check each college.
- For regular decision, usually in January, fall tests work.
Some colleges let you self-report scores on your application and send official scores later. Each college lists the last test date it accepts, so check the colleges on your list.
How many chances you have before senior fall
Between January and August of junior year, there are only a handful of national test dates. In 2027:
| Test | January–August 2027 | Fall of senior year |
|---|---|---|
| SAT | March 6, May 1 and June 5, usually plus an August date (August 22 in 2026) | Usually a September and an early-October date |
| ACT | February 27, April 10, June 12 and July 10 | Usually September and October dates |
Sources: College Board and ACT 2026–27 test date schedules, checked October 2026. Fall 2027 dates are not yet announced; the pattern follows past years. Registration closes about two to five weeks before each test date.
That means:
- Starting in March of junior year, there are three SAT dates through June (March, May and June), plus August and September if your deadlines allow. With time to prepare between attempts, two tries is realistic, and three is a stretch.
- If you want to take it three times with time to prepare between attempts, start in the winter of junior year. The December SAT (December 5, 2026) or ACT (December 12, 2026) is a natural first test.
- The ACT offers a late-February date, a week before the first spring SAT, which can help if your schedule is tight.
Work backward: plan your dates and your preparation
Many counselors suggest choosing your test dates in advance, rather than deciding one test at a time, and allowing about two months to prepare for the first attempt. That's common practice, not research, but it reflects how much there is to review and how busy junior year gets. Preparation can mean the free official practice from the College Board and ACT, a prep book, an online course or a tutor.
Working backward for a junior in the 2026–27 school year:
| Your plan | Start preparing | Test dates (SAT) | Test dates (ACT) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Three tries before senior fall | October–November of junior year | December 5, then March 6, then May 1 or June 5 | December 12, then February 27 or April 10, then June 12 or July 10 |
| Two tries before senior fall | January of junior year | March 6, then May 1 or June 5 | February 27 or April 10, then June 12 or July 10 |
| One try, plus a late retake | March–April of junior year | May 1 or June 5, then August or September (only if your deadlines are October or later) | June 12, then July 10 or September |
Common practice, based on the 2026–27 test dates and about two months of preparation before a first test. Shorter refreshers usually suffice before a retake. If your deadlines are October or later, the August and September dates add a backup.
The October PSAT/NMSQT is a useful starting point: its score report shows where you stand before you begin preparing. It's also the only PSAT that counts for National Merit, so juniors should take it whatever else they plan.
Retaking and superscoring
- You can retake. Neither the College Board nor ACT limits how many times you take its test, though each attempt has a fee (fee waivers cover two free SATs for eligible students). The College Board recommends taking the SAT at least twice: in spring of junior year and again in fall of senior year. With September and October deadlines, many students now aim to finish by early summer.
- Retaking usually helps. In ACT's class of 2026, 1 in 3 students took the ACT more than once, and their Composite rose by 1.1 points on average. A study of more than 10 million SAT takers found that about half retake, that retaking meaningfully raises scores, and that it increases four-year college enrollment, especially for lower-income students, who are less likely to retake (Goodman, Gurantz and Smith, 2020).
- Superscoring softens the cost of testing early. Many colleges combine your best section scores across test dates, and the College Board's Score Choice lets you pick which SAT dates to send, though some colleges ask for all of them. Check each college's policy.
SAT or ACT?
Colleges that consider test scores accept either one equally. The tests differ more in style than difficulty: the ACT moves faster and reaches slightly further in math, while the SAT gives more time per question. A free practice test of each, taken early, helps you decide before you start preparing.
Where scores fit
Test scores are one part of an application, and many colleges are test-optional, while a growing number of highly selective colleges require scores again (see Ivy League testing policies). To see what a score means for the colleges you're considering, see what is a good SAT score?
Lens helps you understand which kinds of colleges fit you, using seven research-backed assessments, and shows where your SAT or ACT falls at each one. Start with Lens →
FAQ
When should I take the SAT? Work backward from your earliest application deadline, allowing three to six weeks for scores to arrive. Many students take it first in winter or spring of junior year, after covering most of the math, so there's time for one or two retakes by early summer.
How many times should you take the SAT? Most students take it once or twice, and the College Board recommends at least twice. If you want three tries before the fall of senior year, start in the winter of junior year.
How many times can you take the SAT? As many as you like; the College Board sets no limit.
When is the last SAT for early action or early decision? Count back three to six weeks for scores to arrive. For a September 15 deadline, that's the June SAT; for October 15, the August SAT; for November 1, the September SAT is safest. Some colleges accept later scores or self-reported scores, so check each one.
Can you take the SAT as a sophomore? Yes. There's no grade requirement. It makes most sense if you've finished Algebra II; otherwise the PSAT 10 is good practice.
When do juniors take the PSAT? In October. The PSAT/NMSQT taken in junior year is the one that counts for the National Merit Scholarship Program.
How long should you study for the SAT? Many counselors suggest about two months before a first attempt, with shorter refreshers before retakes. It depends on your starting point and goals.
Related
- What is a good SAT score? It depends on where you're looking
- Do Ivy League schools require the SAT? 2026–27 testing policies
- What college should I go to? What the research says matters most
Sources
- College Board, SAT structure, SAT Math overview, SAT dates and deadlines, 2026 SAT Suite Annual Report (grade-level benchmarks) and how many times can a student take the SAT.
- ACT, enhanced ACT FAQs, description of the math test, 2026–27 test dates and graduating class of 2026 report.
- Auburn, UNC-Chapel Hill and Georgia Tech admissions deadlines; College Board score release and rush reporting; ACT score timing.
- U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2019 High School Transcript Study.
- Goodman, J., Gurantz, O., & Smith, J. (2020). Take two! SAT retaking and college enrollment gaps. American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, 12(2).