College Board releases scores for the 12 September 2026 SAT today, 25 September. If you have just opened your score report, the next question is almost certainly: should I retake, and which date?
The answer turns on a detail many students miss: the 7 November SAT releases scores on 20 November — nearly three weeks after the 1 November Early Decision / Early Action deadline at most US colleges. Pick the wrong date and you can end up with a good score you cannot use.
Three questions to answer in the next 48 hours
- Is this score already enough for your list? Compare it with each college's middle-50% range, not with a generic "good" number.
- Are you applying early, or regular only? Early applicants (1 November) and Regular Decision applicants (often 1 January) face completely different choices.
- How many real study hours do you have each week? October and November are also essay season. A retake without prep time usually just produces the same score again.
Remaining SAT dates and score release
| Test date | Registration deadline | Late registration | Scores released |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Oct 2026 | 18 Sep (passed) | 22 Sep (passed) | 16 Oct |
| 7 Nov 2026 | 23 Oct | 27 Oct | 20 Nov |
| 5 Dec 2026 | 20 Nov | 24 Nov | 18 Dec |
| 6 Mar 2027 | 19 Feb 2027 | 23 Feb 2027 | not yet published |
Deadlines follow US time, so register at least a day early from Vietnam. After 5 December there is no January date on College Board's calendar — the next test is 6 March 2027.
Which date still works for which application
7 November scores arrive on 20 November — after the 1 November early deadline. If you need an SAT score for an early application, the November date almost certainly comes too late.
- Early Decision / Early Action (1 November at most colleges): only your 12 September score and, if you registered, the 3 October score (released 16 October) are realistic. Some colleges accept later scores for early rounds — check each college's admissions page rather than assuming.
- University of California (30 November): UC does not consider SAT or ACT scores in admission decisions, so don't retake for UC.
- Regular Decision (often 1 January): both 7 November (scores 20 November) and 5 December (scores 18 December) arrive in time. Sitting in November leaves December as a backup.
Which score to send: Superscore and Score Choice
Many colleges superscore — they take your best section scores across sittings, so a retake only has to lift one section to raise your total. Where Score Choice is allowed, you decide which sittings to send. Check each college's policy before you retake.
What to do in your situation
| Your situation | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| At or above target | Don't retake. Put the time into your essays. |
| Applying early, close to target | Consider applying with this score, or test-optional where allowed. If you are sitting on 3 October, wait for 16 October before deciding. |
| Regular only, well short of target | Sit on 7 November and keep 5 December as a backup. Both arrive before 1 January. |
| In grade 11 | No rush. Pick a 2027 date (6 March, 1 May or 5 June) and prepare properly. |
Short of target: ten weeks to 5 December
- Week 1: read the score report closely — the skill-level breakdown shows where your points went.
- Weeks 2–7: work on one or two weak areas per week, and log every wrong answer with the reason.
- Weeks 8–9: take two full practice tests in Bluebook under real timing.
- Week 10: light review, go through your error log, sleep properly.
Sources
- SAT Dates and Deadlines — College Board
- Score Release Dates — College Board
- Dates & deadlines — UC Admissions
Test dates, deadlines and release dates are from College Board, checked on 25 September 2026. Recommendations are Clever Academy's.