Big changes to the college admissions testing calendar are extremely rare, especially considering that nearly every month of the year already includes an SAT and/or an ACT date. In fact, the last major shift was the elimination of a January SAT that few people miss in favor of an August date that has become one of the most popular of the year.
The case for the August SAT has always been easy to make:
1. You can test before school starts, or at least really starts.
2. You can prep before school starts.
The ability to prep during the fallow period of the academic year and test before studies really ramp up appeals to rising juniors and seniors alike. The months of July and August have always been among the best times for test prep, especially now that online instruction allows students to meet their tutors from whatever fabulous location they find themselves. In fact, a late August SAT (and early September ACT) make so much sense that College Board decided to double down with a brand new September SAT.
That’s right, September 13, 2025 will be the first national administration of the SAT in the ninth month of the year!
Who should register for the September SAT?
Basically, everyone who registers for the August SAT…
- 12th graders who haven’t yet earned their target scores, especially those planning Early Action/Early Decision applications
- 11th graders who have completed Algebra 2 and expect to be busy during the school year (HINT: This describes most 11th graders!)
Take advantage of this unprecedented opportunity to take the SAT twice in the span of three weeks to maximize your chances of earning your best score–all before school really gets serious.
The case for the September SAT is very strong and really speaks for itself. High schoolers who still need time to master essential math or focus heavily on fall sports and activities may prefer to test later in the school year, but anyone with a chance to test in September should consider the many benefits of stacking several test dates in a row combined with summer months to prepare.
Mike Bergin