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How to Plan Your Studying: SAT and ACT Test Prep Calendar
Published September 1, 2019 | Last Updated April 15th, 2023 at 04:58 pm
A good study plan is crucial for passing the SAT or ACT.
To plan well, it’s good to know the SAT and ACT test dates. And of course, a number of other factors – and study materials – go into creating your perfect SAT/ACT prep calendar.
SAT Test Dates and ACT Test Dates
One positive change regarding the tests is that the test dates are not as spread out as they used to be.
With that in mind, there are still some months with no SAT test dates, so you still need to think very carefully about when you take the test.
The same is true for the ACT. Like the SAT, the ACT is only offered on very specific days and it is not available every month.
Another thing the ACT has in common with the SAT is that it’s administered only on Saturdays, with calendar dates for the test that vary from year-to-year.
And if that’s not enough, one more thing to be mindful of is the registration deadlines for the exams you’ll take.
You can’t just register for the SAT or ACT the day before you’ll take your test. Missed registration dates are another common reason that students aren’t able to test on their ideal day and make their perfect study plan.
Fortunately, there are ways to keep track of all of the relevant dates for taking the SAT and ACT at the right time.
There’s a great online resource for SAT and ACT test dates, complete with upcoming test dates, registration dates, and dates that scores are released.
Here are the remaining SAT dates in 2023 and the test dates in 2024:
| SAT Test Date | Registration Deadline | Late Registration Deadline | SAT Scores Release Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 6, 2023 | April 8, 2023 | April 22, 2023 | May 19, 2023 |
| June 3, 2023 | May 6, 2023 | May 20, 2023 | June 16, 2023 |
| August 26, 2023 | July 28, 2023 | August 15, 2023 | September 18, 2023 |
| October 7, 2023 | September 8, 2023 | September 26, 2023 | October 13, 2023 |
| November 4, 2023 | October 6, 2023 | October 24, 2023 | November 17, 2023 |
| December 2, 2023 | November 3, 2023 | November 21, 2023 | December 15, 2023 |
| March 9, 2024 | February 23, 2024 | February 27, 2024 | March 22, 2024 |
| May 4, 2024 | April 19, 2024 | April 23, 2024 | May 17, 2024 |
| June 1, 2024 | May 17, 2024 | May 21, 2024 | June 21, 2024 |
*The late registration date is one week earlier if you are registering by mail.
Although the College Board has confirmed SAT test dates for 2023-24, it has yet to confirm SAT registration and score release dates. The SAT registration and score release dates in the chart above are estimates based on Compass Education Group’s analysis of the patterns of previous testing years.
Here are the remaining ACT dates in 2023 and the test dates in 2024:
Here are the anticipated test dates, registration deadlines, and score release dates for 2023 and 2024. The test dates are confirmed by ACT, Inc., the others are our projections based on historical data.
| ACT Test Date | Registration Deadline | Late Registration Deadline | Score Release Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| June 10, 2023 | May 5, 2023 | May 19, 2023 | July 4, 2023 |
| July 15, 2023 | June 16, 2023 | June 23, 2023 | August 8, 2023 |
| September 9, 2023 | August 4, 2023 | August 18, 2023 | September 22 - November 1, 2023 |
| October 28, 2023 | September 22, 2023 | October 6, 2023 | November 10 - December 22, 2023 |
| December 9, 2023 | November 3, 2023 | November 10, 2023 | December 22, 2023 - February 2, 2024 |
| February 10, 2024 | January 5, 2024 | January 19, 2024 | February 23 - April 6, 2024 |
| April 13, 2024 | March 8, 2024 | March 22, 2024 | April 26 - June 8, 2024 |
| June 8, 2024 | May 3, 2024 | May 17, 2024 | June 21 - August 2, 2024 |
| July 13, 2024** | June 7, 2024 | June 14, 2024 | July 26 - August 26, 2024 |
**Test date excludes New York and international locations.
Making Your SAT/ACT Prep Calendar
Of course, there’s more to setting the right test date than just knowing the days of registry, testing, and score reporting. You also need to figure out exactly how much time you need to prepare for the test.
The study plans that students put together vary in length and depend at least partly on an individual student’s learning needs and time constraints.
That being said, a typical high school student can usually become fully prepared for the SAT or ACT in about a month. On average, SAT and ACT preppers will need around 6-12 hours of study time per week.
This study can be done on as little as three days a week, or it can be stretched across every weekday. Some students even do their one-month test prep plan by studying one or two hours a day, five to seven days a week.
The key to a good study plan is practice, practice, practice.
So the trick is to find enough prep materials for a month’s worth of mock exams and other practice exercises.
Official SAT practice from the College Board and similar official ACT preparation are a must-have.
There are other good third-party materials as well. Gleaning tips from an ACT test-prep expert in addition to taking suggestions from an SAT test prep-master couldn’t hurt.
Again, the internet is your friend as you try to figure out your study schedule timelines, weekly activities, and materials.
Here’s a good page to see what a typical one-month SAT study schedule looks like. And here’s a good example of a one-month ACT study schedule.
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