The December 2026 SAT is on Saturday, December 5, 2026, the last weekend SAT of the year. Register by Friday, November 20, or by Tuesday, November 24 with a late fee. Both deadlines close at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time. You get your scores on Friday, December 18, 2026.
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That answers "when is the December SAT." We took every date from College Board's SAT dates and deadlines page and score release dates page on October 13, 2026. Our SAT test dates hub has all 2026-27 dates in one table. To prepare, start with the Digital SAT question bank, which groups questions by test month.
When is the December SAT?
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Start 1-day free trial →Saturday, December 5, 2026. College Board's December 5 SAT page lists a 7:45 a.m. local start.
College Board calls it the "Last Test Before College Deadlines" and adds, "December 5 could be your last chance to take the SAT before college deadlines hit." The next weekend SAT, March 6, 2027, comes 91 days later.
The dates apply to all students, in the U.S. and abroad. Sunday testing is only for students who cannot test on Saturday for religious reasons, and College Board's international testing policies say India and Pakistan do not offer it.
Studying for December 5? Our November and December 2026 SAT Math prediction lists the skills and formulas to review first, and our SAT predictions hub explains how we pick them.
December 2026 SAT dates at a glance
| Step | Date | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Ask to borrow a device | By Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026 | College Board: "at least 30 days before test day" |
| Regular registration deadline | Friday, Nov. 20, 2026, 11:59 p.m. ET | College Board dates page |
| November SAT scores come out | Friday, Nov. 20, 2026 | College Board score release page |
| Late registration, changes and regular cancel | Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2026, 11:59 p.m. ET | College Board dates page |
| Last day to cancel (late cancel fee) | Thursday, Dec. 3, 2026, 11:59 p.m. ET | College Board: "Thursday 11:59 p.m. ET before test day" |
| Test day | Saturday, Dec. 5, 2026, 7:45 a.m. local | College Board December 5 page |
| Last day to pick 4 free score sends | Monday, Dec. 14, 2026 | College Board: "by 9 days after the test date" |
| Student scores released | Friday, Dec. 18, 2026 | College Board score release page |
| Scores in the K-12 school portal | Monday, Dec. 21, 2026 | College Board score release page |
We counted the dates in rows that quote a rule from that College Board rule.
What is the deadline to register for the December SAT?
Friday, November 20, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. ET. Late registration runs until Tuesday, November 24.
The SAT test fees page lists a $68 registration fee and a $38 late fee, so a late U.S. registration costs $106. Outside the U.S., add an international fee of $43. College Board lists these fees "through June 2027." Our SAT cost guide has the full list.
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Two groups need to act before November 20:
- If you need to borrow a device from College Board, register and request it by November 5, which is 30 days before the test.
- If you plan to use a fee waiver, College Board's fee waiver page asks you to request it "at least 1–2 weeks before the registration deadline." For December, that means early November.
Our page on the last day to register for the SAT explains every deadline rule.
Can you take the November and December SAT back to back?
Yes. Each date has its own registration. The catch is timing: November 7 scores come out on November 20, the same day December's regular deadline closes. You can handle that two ways.
- Register for December before you see your November score, at the regular fee. If November goes well, cancel December. College Board's canceling page charges $34 by the change deadline (November 24) and $44 after it.
- Wait for your November score, then register late by November 24. You pay the $38 late fee, and you decide with your score in hand.
Either way, you get about four weeks between tests. Our November 2026 SAT guide lists every date for the first test.
When do December SAT scores come out?
Students get December 5 scores on Friday, December 18, 2026. Schools get them in the K-12 portal on Monday, December 21.
College Board's blog post on score release says: "Some scores are released as early as 6 a.m. and all scores are generally available by 8 p.m. on release day." It gives no time zone. Our guide to what time SAT scores are released covers the details.
The same post says College Board forwards scores to the colleges you pick "within 10-12 days after the scores are out." Your first 4 score reports are free if you order them by 9 days after the test, which is December 14.
Is the December SAT too late for college applications?
That depends on each college's deadline and score policy.
Scores come out December 18, and College Board forwards them within 10 to 12 days, so a college would see them around the end of December. If a deadline falls before that, ask the admissions office whether it accepts a December score.
December still works for later deadlines, and it is the last weekend test before spring. Juniors can also look at spring dates in our 2027 SAT test dates guide.
How should you prepare for the December 5 SAT?
From October 13, you have 53 days, about seven and a half weeks.
- Get a week-by-week plan from the free SAT study plan generator, based on your test date and weekly hours.
- Find your starting point. A free account includes one full-length adaptive SAT section. Our newest adaptive tests use the module sizes on College Board's SAT structure page: 27 Reading and Writing questions in 32 minutes, or 22 Math questions in 35 minutes, per module.
- Work last December's questions in the December 2025 Reading and Writing question bank and the December 2025 Math question bank. Each bank splits into sections by test domain, so you can target your weakest one.
- Add our newest banks: October 2026 Reading and Writing and October 2026 Math.
- Turn practice results into a score estimate with the Digital SAT score calculator.
The week before December 5, sign in to Bluebook to finish exam setup and get your admission ticket, as College Board's December page instructs.
How we built this page
Every date, deadline, fee and quote comes from College Board pages fetched on October 13, 2026: the dates and deadlines page, the December 5 page, the score release dates page, the test fees and international fees pages, the canceling page, the fee waiver page, the SAT structure page and College Board's blog post on score release. We worked out weekdays and day counts from those dates. Facts about The Test Advantage's question banks and adaptive tests come from our database, read the same day. Verified 2026-10-13.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the December SAT?
The December 2026 SAT is on Saturday, December 5, 2026, starting at 7:45 a.m. local time. College Board calls it the last test before college deadlines. The next weekend SAT after it is March 6, 2027.
What is the deadline to register for the December SAT?
The regular deadline is Friday, November 20, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time. Late registration closes Tuesday, November 24, 2026, and adds a 38-dollar late fee to the 68-dollar registration fee.
Can you take the November and December SAT back to back?
Yes. Each date has its own registration. November scores come out on November 20, the same day December's regular deadline closes, so you can register late by November 24 after you see your November score.
When do December SAT scores come out?
College Board releases December 5 scores to students on Friday, December 18, 2026, and to schools on December 21. Some scores appear as early as 6 a.m. and all are generally available by 8 p.m. on release day.
Is the December SAT too late for college applications?
It depends on each college. Scores come out December 18, and College Board forwards them within 10 to 12 days, so a college may see them around the end of December. Ask each college whether it accepts December scores.
Related Concepts
Sources and Citation Targets
- College Board: SAT Suite Test Dates and Deadlines
- College Board: SAT Suite Score Release Dates
- College Board: December 5 SAT
- College Board: Policies for International Testing
- College Board: SAT Test Fees
- College Board: SAT International Fees
- College Board: SAT Fee Waivers
- College Board: Canceling a Registration