(UPDATED 7/20/21) School’s almost (if not already) out, and if you just wrapped up your Sophomore or Junior year, you likely still have a college admissions rite of passage ahead of you: taking the SAT or ACT. If you just finished Sophomore year, you’re likely beginning to embark on your standardized test prep journey. And if you just completed your Junior year, you may or may not need a test sitting or two to get your Target Score.
Either way, you might be feeling a bit overwhelmed with the testing logistics you’ve got to juggle, including figuring out when you’re going to take the darn thing so you can start studying accordingly. Fortunately, you’ve got a seasoned test prep master—me!—in your corner to help you wade through the many different testing deadlines and timelines that lie ahead.
As the summer begins, I’ve drawn up a handy list of all SAT and ACT test dates for the upcoming 2021-22 school year so that you can plan ahead, create your Testing Timeline, and stay on top of your college process!
2021-2022 SAT Test Dates (U.S.)
How do I register for the SAT?
Registration can be completed online on the College Board website or by mail. To register by mail, get the Student Registration Booklet for the SAT from your school counselor’s office, fill out the form, and mail it in. To register online (the easier way), you’ll need to:
Create a free College Board account.
Fill in your name and information, which must match your ID.
Complete the questions about yourself to opt into the Student Search Service, if you so choose.
Upload a photo according to these specifications.
Check out with a payment method, like a credit card—unless you have a fee waiver.
2021-2022 ACT Test Dates (U.S.)
+ If you need a non-Saturday test date, read the instructions here.
* No test centers in New York state for the July test date.
ACT registration for the upcoming 2021-22 school year opens mid-July. To be notified when registration opens and nab your preferred test dates and test center, you can sign up on the ACT website to get notified.
When are ACT scores released?
ACT multiple-choice scores in the U.S. start to be released 10 days after the test date, which—for regular Saturday test-takers—means two Tuesdays after your test date. However, not every student will find out their score that early.
If you took the ACT with Writing (the essay component), had special accommodations, or did not take your test on Saturday, etc., it might take longer—up to eight weeks after your test date!—to get your scores back. In fact, even if none of those apply to you, you may still have to wait.
So, if you log into your MyACT account on the “expected score release” date above and don’t see a score yet, just try back every THURSDAY and TUESDAY until you do—which should, at the latest, be eight weeks after your test date.
How do I register for the ACT?
Use this link to register for the ACT. You’ll need:
About 30 minutes.
A computer with internet access.
A payment method, like a credit card, unless you qualify for a fee waiver.
A recent photo / photo ID that meets the ACT’s requirements.
Details of the courses you’re taking in school, like the classes’ exact titles and your grades in them.
2021-2022 SAT Test Dates (International/non-U.S.)
These test dates, registration deadlines and expected score release dates are based on the College Board website and past years’ dates. Visit the College Board’s official International Registration Page for the most updated dates, fees, and additional information.
Also, note that international SAT test dates don’t have a late registration fee, because there is no “late” registration! Instead, there is “early” registration if you register through an international representative, or the plain ol’ regular “registration deadline” if you don’t.
2021-2022 ACT Test Dates (International/non-U.S.)
A note about non-U.S. test dates:
As you’ll see above, the International ACT test is offered during two-day windows, both in the morning AND in the afternoon (depending on the particular test center). Thus, it’s possible that a test center will offer up to FOUR available times on a given weekend: for instance, September 10th morning, September 10th afternoon, September 11th morning AND September 11th afternoon!
A note about non-U.S. ACT score releases:
If you take the ACT outside the U.S., you can actually receive your multiple-choice scores and Composite Score as soon as TWO BUSINESS DAYS after you take the test! Granted, that’s when the ACT first starts releasing scores. Yours might not be in the first batch! So, all together, it can take as few as two business days, all the way up to a maximum wait of eight weeks, to get your scores.
How do I register for the ACT internationally?
Use this link. You’ll need:
About 30 minutes.
A computer with internet access.
Some form of payment, like a credit card.
Details of the courses you’re taking in school, like the classes’ exact titles and your grades/marks in them.
So that’s it! Now that you know WHEN the upcoming SAT and ACT tests will take place during the 2021-22 school year, your next steps are as follows:
Choose between the ACT and the SAT, if you haven’t already. You can do this by getting my FREE “SAT or ACT?” cheat sheet OR by working with me and scheduling an Ace the Test: Game Plan™ where I do all the heavy lifting FOR you.
Plan when to take your first SAT or ACT. You can figure out your Testing Timeline here. And finally,
Figure out how long you need to study for the SAT or ACT. This blog post can help.
And, as always, if you need help during any part of this process, you know where to find me.
