There was a surprise on the list of 2017-2018 new SAT test dates released by the College Board. A late summer test date is now offered for both the SAT and SAT Subject Tests.
This change follows the popularity of the September ACT test date introduced several years ago. It is expected that the August test date will quickly become quite popular because the October SAT/ACT test results were cutting it dangerously close for students applying early action or early decision.
What exactly is changing?
The College Board will eliminate the less-often used January test date once the August test begins.
Skeptics of the College Board argue that the rationale for adding a summer test date was not totally altruistic. Offering test dates for the new SAT in August allows College Board to offer a test ahead of the September ACT. But in either case, it gives students the opportunity to get this stress-inducing element of the college application process out of the way. The August test date will allow seniors the potential to take the test twice in the fall of their senior year.
An August test date does raise some challenges including un-airconditioned schools and staffing test sites in the Mid-Atlantic and New England states where schools are not necessarily back in session yet. Students who attend schools that are still on summer vacation will not have the benefit of their high school counselors as a resource which could make the distribution of fee waivers to low-income students challenging.
The College Board says they are well aware of these issues, but they have almost two years to work out the logistics so that college-bound students have more flexibility in standardized testing.
While this new test date may rain on the last days of your summer vacation, it will give you the opportunity to get one more task checked off of your college application to-do list and focus on the rest of your senior year.
Here is the upcoming SAT test schedule:
2019-2020
- August 24, 2019
- October 5, 2019
- November 2, 2019
- December 7, 2019
- March 14, 2020
- May 2, 2020
- June 6, 2020
2020-2021
- August 29, 2020
- October 3, 2020
- November 7, 2020
- December 5, 2020
- March 13, 2021
- May 8, 2021
- June 5, 2021
2021-2022
- August 28, 2021
- October 2, 2021
- November 6, 2021
- December 4, 2021
- March 12, 2022
- May 7, 2022
- June 4, 2022
2022-2023
- August 27, 2022
- October 1, 2022
- November 5, 2022
- December 3, 2022
- March 11, 2023
- May 6, 2023
- June 3, 2023
Check Collage Raptor Website for more details on the (Upcoming) SAT Test Schedule.
