As of October 2026. Every number below is sourced; the list is at the end.
As of October 2026, SAT scores arrive 13 days after most test dates, and ACT releases most scores about 2 to 4 weeks after the test. Both publish an exact day for every sitting. Here is the rest of the 2026-27 year.
The SAT dates left this year
| SAT test date | Registration deadline | Scores released |
|---|---|---|
| Nov. 7, 2026 | Oct. 23, 2026 | Nov. 20, 2026 |
| Dec. 5, 2026 | Nov. 20, 2026 | Dec. 18, 2026 |
| March 6, 2027 | Feb. 19, 2027 | March 19, 2027 |
| May 1, 2027 | April 16, 2027 | May 14, 2027 |
| June 5, 2027 | May 21, 2027 | June 21, 2027 |
Scores from the October 3, 2026 SAT come out on October 16, 2026. Late registration stays open four more days past each deadline, for an added fee.
The ACT dates left this year
ACT publishes an initial score release date for each sitting.
| ACT test date | Registration deadline | Initial score release |
|---|---|---|
| Oct. 17, 2026 | Sept. 11, 2026 | Oct. 27, 2026 |
| Dec. 12, 2026 | Nov. 6, 2026 | Dec. 22, 2026 |
| Feb. 27, 2027 | Jan. 22, 2027 | March 16, 2027 |
| April 10, 2027 | March 5, 2027 | April 20, 2027 |
| June 12, 2027 | May 7, 2027 | June 23, 2027 |
| July 10, 2027 | June 4, 2027 | July 20, 2027 |
The October 17 deadlines have all passed. The next one families can still plan around is December 12.
What a release date does not tell you
A release date is the day your student can see the score. It is not the day a college has it. That is the gap the word window covers.
College Board puts it this way: "Most scores from weekend tests are released 2-4 weeks after test day." ACT agrees: "Over 97% of ACT scores are released within about 2-4 weeks after your test date." ACT adds that writing scores can come later, because all parts of a sitting are processed together.
Then the report still has to travel. College Board sends scores "within 5-10 business days of your order being placed." ACT tells families to test "at least two months before your earliest college and scholarship application deadlines."
Early action and November 1
Read the two tables against that deadline.
The October 3 SAT releases scores on October 16. That clears November 1 with time to send. The next SAT, November 7, does not release until November 20.
On the ACT side, the September 19 sitting released on October 6. The October 17 sitting does not release until October 27, four days before November 1 and before any delivery time at all.
So for a November 1 early deadline, the October SAT and the September ACT are the last sittings that leave room.
How to send the scores
For the SAT, pick your recipients at registration. You can change, add or remove free recipients within nine days of the test; after that a score reporting fee applies. A college will not take a printout, so the report has to come from College Board.
For the ACT, scores go automatically to the high school and the colleges chosen at registration. Each report after that costs $20.00 per test date, per report.
Decide college by college whether to send. A test-blind campus will not read the score either way, and the 2026 Public University Test Policy Report says which campuses those are. To see what a given score does to the odds at a specific college, use the score odds calculator.
The move
Pick the test date first, then count backward 6 to 12 weeks and put the prep on the calendar. A December 12 ACT means starting now. Prepare for the whole test every sitting, never one section at a time. Start with one full-length practice SAT and one full-length practice ACT, both free: prepgurus.com/take-the-next-step. Or call 949.229.5359 and we will build the testing calendar with you.
Questions parents ask
When will my child see their SAT score?
SAT scores arrive 13 days after most test dates. A November 7 SAT releases on November 20, and a December 5 SAT releases on December 18.
Is the October ACT too late for a November 1 early deadline?
The October 17 sitting does not release until October 27, four days before November 1 and before any delivery time at all, so for a November 1 early deadline the October SAT and the September ACT are the last sittings that leave room.
How do we get the scores to the colleges?
For the SAT, pick your recipients at registration; you can change, add or remove free recipients within nine days of the test, and after that a score reporting fee applies. ACT scores go automatically to the high school and the colleges chosen at registration, and each report after that costs $20.00 per test date, per report.
Written by Nick Standlea, founder of Test Prep Gurus. Updated October 2026.
Sources
- https://satsuite.collegeboard.org/sat/registration/dates-deadlines
- https://satsuite.collegeboard.org/scores/score-release-dates
- https://satsuite.collegeboard.org/scores/sending-sat-scores/weekend
- https://www.act.org/content/act/en/products-and-services/the-act/registration/test-dates.html
- https://www.act.org/content/act/en/products-and-services/the-act/registration.html
- https://www.act.org/content/act/en/products-and-services/the-act/scores/sending-your-scores.html