SAT Exam 2025: Registration, Test Dates & Centres, Fees, Eligibility, Results & Score

SAT exam is conducted eight times in a year, in India and globally. The SAT exam is conducted in the following months annually:

1. March
2. May
3. June
4. August
5. September
6. October
7. November
8. December

SAT exam is conducted on Saturdays of the above-given months. Sunday testings are unavailable in India. Applicants can check out the latest dates on - SAT Exam Dates. 

College Board has added one more SAT testing date in the month of September from 2025. Thus, applicants can choose to apply for one more SAT exam date if they wish to in September.

No, SAT exams are proctored at designated test centres by College Board. Even after SAT has gone Digital, the applicants still have to appear for the exam at a test centre only and do not have the option of taking it from home at present. Thus, those planning to take SAT exam upon registration will have to choose a nearby SAT exam centre in order to appear for the exam. 

As such there are no limits to take the SAT exam, or prescribed by College Board as such. The applicants can take SAT exam as many times as they wish to. Usually, as per College Board, the applicants take SAT exam once or twice before app;ying for admissions, the reason being that colleges pick the highest score from either of the two attempts. Since SAT is conducted seven times a year, applicants can choose their preferred dates for taking the SAT once or for the second time as well. 

Yes, you can sit for the SAT after 12th. Don’t worry about a year getting wasted or so, you can shortlist the universities beforehand and save time of additional research. There are no specific age criteria laid down by The College Board for appearing for your SAT exam. However, since SAT is for admission to undergraduate programs candidates are advised to appear for their SAT while in they are either in the last months of their study in class XI and XII or after they pass out from the school. Usually students appear for SAT when they have made a decision to apply for foreign universities for undegrad course. Thus, yes, a student can sit for the SAT exam after class XII.

There is no limit to take the SAT exam. Applicants can take SAT as many times as they like. The colleges see only those scores which applicants wish to share with them. There is a provision of superscoring also on SAT, thus, improved scores can be submitted. In case the colleges require, applicants will have to share all their SAT scores with them. The score sharing policies may vary per university and their requirements. 

The purpose of SAT exam to check the student's readiness for college level education by testing them on theirhigh school knowledge. Based on the student's performance in SAT exam, the colleges are able to compare the performance and admit students based on their scores on SAT exam. Thus, this is the sole purpose of SAT exam to test the students. 

As in the case of the SAT, there are no restrictions set by the College Board, students can take the SAT exam as many times as they want. SAT is administered now eight times a year in India from 2025. The test is usually conducted in March, May, June, August, September, October, November and December.

However, it is recommended that applicants appear for SAT twice - in Spring and one before Fall. This is because the highest SAT scores among the two will be considered by universities for admission. Since in a lot of cases, SAT scores improve in the second time, it is recommended to take the SAT exam twice. 

No, SAT does not require class 12th marks as part of SAT exam eligibility fulfillment or for the registration purpose. SAT exam only requires applicants to be undergraduates and those aiming to apply for the same in universities abroad. Thus, applicants can appear for SAT exam even if they are not class 12th passouts. 

Indian students can appear for SAT in US states as well, they will be eligible if they or their parents hold citizenship of the US. In case of citizenship, Indian students will be eligible to give SAT as domestic students as well. The students must ensure where and when are they appearing for the SAT exam irrespective of their recent high school qualifications.  

While in India, being an Indian citizen but also holding a US citizenship, applicants will be permitted to appear for SAT exam in either India or in the USA irrespective of where they are residing at the moment. But if the applicants holding a US citizenship will be eligible for a SAT exam fee waiver plus they will also get the benefit of being a domestic student. 

It completely depends on the applicant where and how they wish to take the exam depending upon their circumstances and citizenship as well. Otherwise they are eligible to appear for SAT exam within their own country of residence. 

No, on the digital SAT, everyone gets a different question. Based on answers to questions, the difficulty or ease of the upcoming questions is adjusted. Thus, the question tested for one test taker will be different for the other test taker. Similar or patterned questions may be asked but not the same content questions.  

Everyone got the same questions on SAT exam when the exam was a pencil-paper based test. 

Yes, those taking the Digital SAT exam can use the in-built calculator on the Bluebook App for all Math questions on both the sections of SAT Math. Applicants can also carry a physical calculator in case they feel the need. This feature is only available for Digital SAT format, the previously tested SAT exam (on pen-paper) had one Math module where calculator use was applicable and not for the other one. But on Digital SAT Math section, calculator is allowed for all questions tested on that section. Thus, this is an added advantage for students.

In the earlier version candidates lose marks for every wrong answer, whereas, as per the latest SAT digital exam pattern, there is no negative marking. So, you should try to answer as many questions as you can. There will be no penalty for marking wrong answers or for guessing answers. Thus, the new SAT exam pattern has this benefit of no negative marking or penalising students for not attempting a question. This policy was not there before also and hence, College Board continues to take its policies further by not making any major changes in the already existing rules. 

Check when you are going to take the SAT test. The SAT syllabus is vast hence it cannot be covered in a couple of hours. If you have a good amount of time say six months then you need to give fewer hours daily, on the other hand, if you have less amount of time for SAT test then you need to study more hours. Go through the SAT syllabus and understand how much it will take you to cover each and every topic and prepare a study plan accordingly. Thus, this completely depends on the applicant and how he/she wishes to cover the SAT exam syllabus.

There are two sections on the SAT exam and they include:

• SAT Section 1: Reading & Writing
• SAT Section 2: Maths

Each section has a dedicated set of topics that are tested. The SAT's Section 1 includes 54 questions and Section 2 includes 44 questions. Each section is further divided into two modules and are timed differently. Applicants can check out the SAT syllabus to understand in detail about what is on the SAT. 

There is no comparison between the difficulty level of SAT syllabus and ACT syllabus. Both are standardised tests which test undergraduate students on their previous knowledge of high school across various subjects. There are a lot of differences between ACT and SAT but they both solve the same purpose for abroad university admissions at the undergraduate level. SAT syllabus is majorly focussed on testing the applicants based on their logical skills while ACT syllabus tests the applicants' verbal ability and logical reasoning. SAT syllabus includes reading plus writing and Maths whereas, ACT syllabus includes English, Maths and Science also which can be slightly more challenging than SAT syllabus. 

Applicants who register for SAT exam for a weekend date will get their admission ticket from the Bluebook App. The applicants can download the Bluebook App after they register for SAT and begin exploring it. Applicants who wish to take an SAT mock can log in on the Bluebook App through the College Board account credentials and take a full-length SAT practice test. Applicants can also explore the testing tools available on Bluebook like:

• Testing Timer
• Calculator
• Reference Sheet
• Annotate Tool
• Mark for Review
• Option Eliminator
• Question Menu
• Zoom Option
• Line Reader

It is a must to download the Bluebook App for practising and also for taking the SAT exam on a personal device. In case, applicants have requested a device from their school for testing, can request the technical team to help the applicant set the app for testing.

Want to cancel your SAT exam and don't plan to take it? Candidates should note that no matter how early you cancel your SATs, you will not be entitled to a full refund. Candidates who have registered for the SAT exam and are required to cancel the same would be eligible for a $10 refund if the candidate cancels the test 5 days in advance. So plan accordingly to avoid any additional charges. 

There is no option to reschedule a SAT exam date. In case applicants want to reschedule or postpone or even prepone, they will have to cancel the exam date and register again. The applicants after cancelling the original SAT appointment can then reschedule for the new SAT exam date based on preference. Applicants will have to pay the full fee upon new SAT registration.

Applicants should avoid rescheduling to avoid loss of money and must choose their dates in the first go itself. 

Getting a 100% scholarship based on SAT cannot be possible at all times. However, applicants who have shown exemplary academic performance and have scored anywhere between 1200-1600 on Digital SAT can be eligible for a scholarship. The percentage of scholarship based on SAT scores will vary country to country and university to university as well. 

Indian students applying for universities abroad are not eligible for SAT fee waiver. However, US citizen students studying in 11th and 12th grades, in or out of US territories are eligible for a SAT Fee Waiver. 

SAT Subject Test fee waivers are available only for US citizen students studying in grades 9-12. SAT Subject Tests are not conducted for in India anymore, hence they are not applicable for Indian applicants. 

Note: Indian students who are applying for Indian universities are eligible to apply for SAT exam fee waiver based on their family incomes.

The cost of taking SAT exam in India is calculated as - registration fee which is USD 68 plus an international registration fee (digital) of USD 43 + sales tax fee which is USD 19.98. The total fee is USD 130.98 which in Indian currency is around INR 11,319 approximately (as of July 2025). Thus, Indian students will have to pay this amount online only through either PayPal or through Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover or JCB credit cards. The SAT exam fee amount may reduce by 5-10% only in case the students have a waiver code for SAT exam. 

Please note, costs are dynamic and can change without prior notice, hence, applicants should check fee related details carefully before proceeding with the SAT exam registrations. 

Usually, students take the SAT once they have decided to apply for undergrad abroad. Candidates should plan the test in such a way that they have the SAT scores with them at the time of applying to the colleges. The ideal time to apply for SAT should be after passing out from school after taking a month or two for preparation. The SAT results are released in a matter of few days, this has been possible with Digital SAT in India. Thus, after having your SAT scores you can begin applying to universities abroad. 

Thus, applicants must decide on the SAT dates prior so that they do not have to rush at the last hour for preparation and registration. The SAT dates must also be dediced beforehand so that the applicants don't miss out on university deadlines for SAT score submissions. In case of delays applicants may be penalised and may not be considered for admission also where SAT scores are an important part of the admission process. 

The timing for your SAT is extremely important to reap its benefits in full. The timing for your SAT exam date should be ideally governed by the following factors.

• Plan to Apply for SAT Scholarships?  This is another important factor. Candidates who are looking to apply for scholarships that require you to provide SAT Scores should apply in advance as scholarships usually take a longer time to process and include a lot of paperwork.
• How Many Times Will You Take the SAT?  The validity for your SAT Score is a period of 5 years and there is no limit on the number of times a candidate can appear for his SAT Exam. Hence, a candidate can start early and appear as many times as he/she likes.
• How Much Study Time Will You Need?  Candidates who take a longer time to study should schedule their exams as per their requirements. The SAT is an expensive exam and candidates are always recommended to prepare entirely and be sure of their performance before booking an exam slot.

No, applicants are permitted to make only one account and thus, only one SAT exam date can be chosen. There is no sense in creating two accounts for the same SAT exam date on College Board. Applicant will get only one chance to appear for any one chosen SAT exam date and cannot appear twice on the same exam date. Thus, ensure to be practical and make the correct choice while selecting an exam date and creating a single account. Multiple accounts of the same person for SAT registrations can lead to permanent ban on the applicant for appearing for any SAT exam date.

Located across 44+ cities, there are around 73 designated SAT exam centres in India. Indian students registering for SAT exam can choose for any one of these test centres out of 65 based on their city and area of accommodation. The SAT centres in India are located at all possible cities and in possible areas of these cities too. Each SAT centre has a unique centre code which differentiates one test centre from the other. Students must exercise caution while choosing a SAT exam centre.

There is a list of things that are not allowed at SAT test centres and they are as follows:

*Can be used to present admission ticket but must be collected or stored away after check-in.

*Including those with computer-style QWERTY keyboards, use paper tape, make noise, or require a power cord

Applicants going for the SAT exam must avoid the above mentioned prohibited list of items at all costs. In case of non-adherence, the applicant's devices can be confiscated and checked or the scores can be cancelled also, the applicants can be dismissed.

Applicants will have to check the location they are in and the location where they want to sit for their SAT exam. In case they do not find SAT centre nearby, they can choose to appear for the exam at any other nearby SAT centre. It may not always be possible to find a SAT centre in the same location of residence of the applicant. Hence, its best to look for the next best option and prepare accordingly as to how to travel and how much buffer time you'd need to reach the centre and other miscellaneous factors before coming down to one option.

It depends on the college where you are sending scores. Every institution has its policy for accepting SAT scores. If they accept only the highest score then you need to send only the highest scores. If they want you to send all scores then you need to send all score reports. Completely depends upon the university you are applying to and how they wish to receive your scores. The candidates can check for the process and request for their SAT score reports accordingly.

SAT score results are declared within two weeks of exam conduction. It usually takes 13-14 days for College Board to release the scores of SAT exam for the applicant, but the score reports take some more time to be relased. Within a week or two the score reports with SAT exam scores are sent to the colleges the applicant had selected during SAT exam registrations. Thus, applicants should ensure that the SAT exam date they choose, the results of the exam align with their admission applications. Also the time for sending the SAT score reports should also be taken into account. 

At a Glance – Here are the components of an SAT Score Report and what they mean:

Note: The SAT Optional Essay is no longer a part of the test. 

Here are some free resources to help you prepare for the SAT:

Khan Academy

A free resource from College Board that offers a study plan based on your past scores, the upcoming test date, and the latest Digital SAT exam pattern 

Magoosh

A website with a large library of free SAT prep resources 

The Critical Reader

A website that offers free SAT prep resources, including online quizzes and a breakdown of SAT grammar rules 

Practice tests

Many SAT practice tests are available online for free. Taking practice tests can help you identify areas where you need to improve and get a sense of what the actual exam will be like

It is the applicant's choice to whether go for SAT coaching or self-study. Both have their own pros and cons, let us understand from the table below:

Thus, applicants should carefully decide which is a better way for learning - self-study or through SAT coaching.

The preparation of SAT exam solely depends on the applicants and how they have the SAT syllabus covered while they were in high school. The ease of SAT exam preparation depends on the applicants solely. For those who have even one SAT exam section covered, they can still take some more time to take up the next section of SAT and prepare. The preparation of SAT exam is easy for those applicants also who are good at Mathematics and English language. 

SAT exam preparation will also be based on the applicant's previous knowledge. The applicants who are preparing for SAT exam will have to take into consideration that they also have to take up mock tests, which will further prove beneficial in cracking the exam. The SAT exam preparation can be eased off by following these five tips:

1. Make a schedule and make a plan. Weak topics must be picked up first followed by the those topics which the applicant is confident about.
2. Decide how much time needs to be given to each topic and how much time will it take to complete the entire syllabus.
3. After the prep time is allocated, make some room for practicing on the SAT mocks.
4. Also some time must be dedicated to revision, and coming back to those topics where the applicant lost marks in the mock test. 

Upon following these steps, the applicants will be able to ease their SAT exam preparation. 

SAT and JEE are two different exams which solve different purposes.

• While SAT tests applicant's aptitude for English, Maths and Social Science, JEE tests applicants skills for Physics, Chemistry and Maths.
• Both JEE and SAT are conducted online, but only SAT is computer adaptive. 
• SAT is accepted for admissions abroad for all types of UG courses irrespective of the fields of study. Whereas, JEE is designed especially for undergrad engineering students
• JEE is conducted in two phases - JEE Mains and JEE Advanced. Whereas there is just one SAT exam and not divided into phases.
• While JEE results release in a month's time, SAT exam results release with 2 weeks time.

SAT is still easier than JEE because, it is computer adaptive, secondly, it tests applicants irrespective of the number of candidates appearing for the exam. The stress level of SAT applicants lower than JEE applicants any day. 

Yes, even if students have not studied in an English-medium school, they can still take the SAT exam. The SAT exam can be taken if it is mandatory for submission as a standardised test score. In case, the universities do not require it, taking SAT exam can be skipped. 

The difficulty level of SAT depends on the student's preparation and background of academia. Though SAT exam is designed based on student's high school knowledge hence, those who have prepared well keeping the syllabus in mind and with ample practice may find the SAT exam easy. The level of SAT difficulty may vary person to person and ofcourse based on the level of understanding and preparation also. While a million students appear for SAT exam, only 25,000 get through it.

There are 63 countries which accept SAT scores for admission and use them to assess applicants. These countries are as follows:

While it is not mandatory to take the SAT exam after a gap year when applying to universities, students who wish to strengthen their academic profiles and applications can consider taking the SAT exam. The SAT score submissions can show the competitive level of applicant against others and also help them in getting scholarships. 

There are different types of students who take SAT exam for different purposes. They are as follows:

1. SAT exam is taken by international students applying for undergraduate programs in universities abroad. However, some Indian Engineering universities (offering UG-level courses) also require the SAT exam.
2. Students who seek scholarships also submit SAT exam scores to get one.
3. Applicants who have a low academic profile, such as low scores/GPA scores or a gap year, can also take the SAT exam to strengthen their profiles.
4. To also become a part of the competitive applicant pool, applicants take SAT exam.
5. Finally, adults who wish to begin studying at the UG level also take the SAT exam if applying for undergraduate admissions abroad. 

Its essential to understand that what is the meaning of 'good SAT score' if it is based on the minimum requirements set by the university then a certain aim has to be set, but if it is more towards a personal goal then the targetting strategy would be different. In order to score good, the students shall prepare themselves of how they wish to plan their studies and assess their previous knowledge first and then working on the SAT syllabus. There is no one way of scoring good on SAT, but definitely the effort and practice of the applicant would pay off.

The SAT score is valid for a period of 5 years, from the day of the declaration of your SAT Result. That means, if for example, you received your SAT score on May 11, 2021 then your SAT exam scores will be valid till May 11, 2026. Thus, if you apply to universities abroad between May 11, 2021 to May 11, 2026 your SAT scores would deem valid. You may have to pay extra if you want College Board to share your SAT scores officially to the respective universities you are applying to within that time span only. 

No, College Board does not accept any part payments for SAT exam fee registrations. Rather the applicant will have to pay the entire amount together that too online via a credit card or through PayPal. There is no provision of accepting part payments for either SAT registration or SAT registration cancellation or for SAT exam date postponement. Applicants should ensure they have enough funds to be able to submit for SAT exam fees and that the transaction doesn't abort in between. Thus, applicants should keep the minimum amount in the bank account and pay accordingly for the SAT exam fee.

Probably the money paid for SAT registration was processed and is no longer available for recovery. However, it is possible that the registration process is still ongoing and the applicant's payment has not been fully processed. It is recommended that the applicants go and check the status of their registration and contact College Board that administers the SAT for further assistance. College Board may be able to the student with information about the status of their payment and registration. Also if the SAT fee is deducted from the bank, it is likely that the bank credits the amount back in 2-3 working days also. Thus, applicants just need to check. 

PSAT or Preliminary SAT is more like a practice test that candidates give to check their readiness for the SAT exam. The PSAT exam takes place once a year in October. Candidates can check the nearby school where they can register for the PSAT. The cost for taking PSAT is $17 (INR 1233) approximately. Also, it is scored out of 1520, unlike the SAT test that is scored out of 1600. Usually, students in class 9th or class 10th give the PSAT. Students in class 11th also give PSAT if they are not planning to attempt the SAT exam in 11th standard. It tests the problem-solving skills in three areas: Math, Writing, and Critical Reading.

The College Board allows candidates to use calculators for Maths section. As per the latest version of SAT exam which is now Digital, the students are allowed to use calculators for all their Maths section questions. Earlier there were two Maths sections one which permitted the students the use of calculators and other which did not. But now, students are free to use their calculators for all the Maths questions.

The Digital SAT is shorter than the paper SAT or the old version because of the following reasons:

• The Digital SAT is shorter because it is digitalised, thus, lesser paper work and faster answering online.
• SAT Digital has smaller reading passages in comparison to the previous version.
• There is one Math section, instead of two, and all questions can be solves using a calculator which makes the test shorter.
• The Digital SAT has a shorter duration keeping in mind the applicant's fatigue and overwhelm.
• Finally, the questions have reduced on the latest SAT and then the duration has also reduced overall.

SAT is an important deciding factor in considering admissions to universities abroad at large. Importance of SAT can be understood this way:

• It helps admission committee understand an applicant's potential academically, and offer or not offer him admission.
• Higher the SAT score, higher is the possibility of admissions (keeping other things in check like documentation, good moral character, etc.).
• Better scope for getting a scholarship to support education abroad if scored well on SAT.
• Based on SAT scores, admission committees can also assess an applicant's level of critical thinking, time management skills including problem solving skills. 

Thus, these reasons are essential to determine what is the importance of SAT exam scores for admissions.

Since full form of SAT is no longer the Scholastic Aptitude Test, it is denoted as it is, that is, SAT. There is no other way of denoting the SAT exam. College Board also uses SAT instead of the full form to talk about the exam. 

No, SAT is not just for international students applying to US universities. Apart from USA, it is accepted in 62 other countries. To name a few top countries where SAT exam is accepted for UG admissions in:

1. UK
2. Italy
3. Netherlands
4. Sweden
5. Ireland
6. Belgium
7. Japan
8. Switzerland
9. Singapore
10. UAE

The use of SAT is so important for admissions abroad because the skills it assesses for high school passouts show how they are ready for college admissions. Plus, the knowledge they gain is equally essential for universities to assess the readiness of applicants to attend college. Thus, yes, wherever SAT is mandatory, it is used for assessing applications for admissions.

There are multiple factors that help universities abroad make decisions about admissions for international students using SAT. Some of the key factors include:

• SAT score of the applicant versus the applicant pool score.
• Syncing SAT score with previous adacemic background.
• Based on SAT score assess applicant's analytical and problem solving skills (mentioned on SAT score report).
• Finally, if there is scope for offering financial aid, SAT scores may be one of the deciding factors.

Thus, these are the uses of SAT at an international level for offering admissions to applicants.

It is the applicant's choice to whether go for SAT coaching or self-study. Both have their own pros and cons, let us understand from the table below:

Thus, applicants should carefully decide which is a better way for learning - self-study or through SAT coaching.

Although the difficulty level of the practice tests is almost the same as the real SAT test, however, it depends on how seriously you are attempting it. If you take it in the real settings with the same serious level as the real test then you will get almost accurate results.