Let’s say you just turned your SAT booklet in to your exam proctor and….yikes. You’re pretty sure you completely fumbled the test. What are the steps you take to cancel your score?
Before we even walk down that path, though, you should first ask yourself one key preliminary question. Fortunately, I can help you answer that one, too, thanks to this other post that I wrote on this precise topic:
Should I cancel my SAT score?
The crucial first step here is that you make certain that you really do need to cancel your score to begin with! When you cancel a score, your test doesn’t get graded at all, meaning that you (and the colleges you’re applying to) will never know what your score would have been. But that also means you’ll need to take the SAT again to get the score(s) you need….which equals spending more time, effort preparing, and money. So take a few deep breaths and let this earlier blog entry guide you through the process of double-checking you’re not rushing into canceling a perfectly usable score out of false panic.
So give that other post a read. If you then decide your answer is “yes! It is most strategic for me to cancel my SAT score,” then head on back to today’s post and we’ll talk about what happens next.
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….OK, looks like you’re back! That being the case, you must have decided that you really DO need to keep your SAT from getting graded. I’m here to walk you through that process.
What to Know about Canceling Your SAT Score:
It’s worth reiterating: if you successfully submit your request to cancel the score, your test will not be graded. So you will never know what score you would have gotten.
You MUST submit your cancelation request by the deadline. It’s a non-negotiable cut-off point, NOT a rough ballpark!
Your signature is required.
Once you submit your request to cancel your score, you can’t have a change of heart and rescind your request. It’s a one-way street!
Still confident that nipping that score in the bud is the right choice for you? There are basically two times at which you might want to cancel your SAT scores:
When you’re AT the Test Center, or
AFTER you leave the Test Center.
There are different process for each of these scenarios. Here’s how you proceed.
Can I Cancel My SAT Scores at the Testing Center?
Yes. Here’s how:
A) Request a “SAT Request to Cancel Test Scores” form from the exam proctor.
B) Fill out the whole form right then and there, and don’t forget to sign it.
C) Return the completed form to the test proctor BEFORE you leave the test center.
Canceling Your SAT Score AFTER You Leave the Test Center
There are two crucial pieces of info to know about canceling your SAT scores after you leave the test center:
It is not possible to cancel your SAT scores online or by phone. You must go about this the old-fashioned way: by submitting a physical form or written request to the College Board (again, one that you’ve signed).
The non-negotiable deadline to submit that written request is 11:59PM EST on the Thursday after the test. The only exception to this: students with disabilities who have extended time and take the exam in school-based testing. People in that category have until the Monday a full week AFTER the published test date to ixnay their scores.
Make sense? Great. Next up, I’ll break down the process of submitting your written request.
Guide to Canceling Your SAT Score
1) Gather the information you’ll need to fill out the form:
Your name, address, gender, birth date and registration number as they appear on your registration documents
Your test date
Your test center number
Your signature! (Remember: unsigned requests will not be accepted!)
2) Download the SAT Request to Cancel Test Scores form.
You can download that form right right here.
Note: Technically, the College Board says you are allowed to “submit a written request” of your own creation, i.e., a cancelation request letter that is NOT this form and that you write from scratch. However, I STRONGLY recommend you use their pre-made form instead. This is because the College Board provides no additional information about HOW to “write your request.” And you wouldn’t want to risk messing up such an important, time-sensitive task due to a secret technicality that you weren’t even aware of!
3) Fill the form out (AND SIGN IT) and submit it by the deadline: 11:59PM EST Thursday after the SAT test date, or 11:59PM EST Monday a week after the published SAT test date for extended time school-based testing.
Did you catch that? Let me repeat it, because I really don’t want you to sleep on this detail!
SAT score cancellation deadline
The deadline to cancel your SAT score is 11:59PM EST on the Thursday after your SAT test date.
Did you think it was Wednesday instead? You’re not alone! For reasons unknown, a bunch of websites list this deadline as Wednesday. But the College Board lists it as Thursday, and, uh, they kind of have the final say. So let’s just treat this as a timely reminder that not everyone on the internet who purports to be a testing expert actually is one.
If you get extended time school-based testing, the deadline to cancel your SAT score is 11:59PM EST on the Monday a week after your SAT test date. In other words, nine days after the published test date. That’s an important nuance: some schools actually administer tests after their published dates, but the deadline is still nine days after the published date.
Ok then. Now that we’ve established when you need to have your request in by, here’s what you need to know to get it in…
How Do I Submit My Request to Keep My SAT from Being Graded?
There are three possible ways to go about this. Whichever one (or two!) you opt for, make sure the mailing or fax label reads: “ATTENTION: SAT Score Cancellation.”
Fax your form to 610-290-8978
Did you know you don’t need a fax machine to send a fax? Thanks to the miracle of the internet, you can fax right from your phone.
USPS Express mail (U.S. only!):
Send your request by overnight delivery to this address:
SAT Score Cancellation
P.O. Box 6228
Princeton, NJ 08541-6228
FedEx, UPS or other overnight delivery, or mail courier (U.S. or International)
Send your request (again, overnight) to this address:
SAT Score Cancellation
1425 Lower Ferry Road
Ewing, NJ 08618
What to Do if You Miss the Deadline to Cancel Your SAT Score
When you sign up for the SAT, you also have the option of signing up to send your test scores to up to four colleges for free. Most people do this to save $12/school in score reporting fees!
However, if you’re confident that you bombed the test, you have up until 11:59PM EST NINE days after your test—so, 11:59PM EST the Monday a full week after the published test date—to add, change, or delete your score recipients! Just log into your College Board account to do this.
Yes, this means that after you get your scores back—if your scores are hopefully higher than you’d dreaded—you won’t get to send your scores to your colleges for free. Instead, they’ll be $12 per school. But most of the time, that’s an okay price to pay for peace of mind!
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There you have it: the score cancellation process, start to finish. I hope this post helps you feel a bit more relaxed and in control when it comes to whether and how to cancel your SAT score. I know these kinds of choices can be confusing and painful—especially if you don’t have a test prep master in your corner, guiding you and cheering you on! If you DO want an assist from a guru like that, however, here’s more info on how I can help you reach the high score you need.
