You can change your SAT test date, but the window to do it is narrow and the fee depends on how close you are to your scheduled test
The College Board lets you move your SAT to a different test date, but you must request the change before a specific important date. If you change your date more than four weeks before your scheduled test, you pay $15. If you change it between four weeks and one week before the test, you pay $30. You cannot change your test date during the week of your test or after it has happened.
The change request happens through your College Board account online. You log in, find your test registration, and select a new date from the available options. The new date must be within the same school year — you cannot push a fall test into the next spring, for example, though you can move between fall and spring within the same year.
If you miss the important date to change your date, you have one other option: you can cancel your registration and register for a future test date as a new registration. This costs the full test fee again, not just a change fee. For most students, that is $65 for the SAT alone.
Key Takeaways
- Change your test date through your College Board account at least one week before your scheduled test to avoid a $30 fee.
- Changing your date more than four weeks in advance costs $15; changing it within four weeks costs $30.
- You can only move to a different test date within the same school year, not to a date in a future year.
- If you miss the change important date, you must cancel and register for a new test date as a fresh registration, which costs the full test fee again.
How to change your date through your College Board account
Log into your College Board account using the email and password you registered with. Click on "My Tests" or "Test Registration" — the exact label varies depending on whether you are on a computer or phone. You will see your current test registration listed with the date, location, and time.
Click on that registration and look for an option to change your test date. College Board calls this "Change Test Date" or sometimes "Reschedule." Select a new date from the calendar of available test dates. Not every date is available in every location, so you may see fewer options than you expect. Once you choose a new date, confirm the change and pay the fee if one applies.
You will receive a confirmation email with your new test date, time, and location. Print or save this confirmation — you will need it when you arrive at the test center. If the new location is different from your original one, make sure you know the address and arrive early enough to find the building.
important date for changing your test date without a high fee
The $15 fee applies if you change your date more than four weeks before your scheduled test. Four weeks means 28 days, so count back from your test date. If your test is on March 15, four weeks back is February 15. Any change request submitted on or before February 15 costs $15.
Between four weeks and one week before your test, the fee jumps to $30. Using the same example, any change from February 16 through March 8 costs $30. One week before your test is March 8, so you have until the end of that day to change your date for $30.
After one week before your test — in this example, after March 8 — you cannot change your date at all through the normal process. Your only option is to cancel the registration and pay the full fee to register for a future test date.
What happens if you miss the important date
If you do not change your date before the one-week important date, you cannot reschedule through your College Board account. Instead, you must cancel your current registration and register for a new test date as if you were signing up for the first time.
Canceling your registration means you forfeit your test fee — you do not get a refund. When you register for the new date, you pay the full registration fee again. For the SAT, that is $65 without the essay. If you added any test center accommodations or other services, those fees explore to the new registration as well.
The only exception is if the College Board cancels a test date due to a natural disaster or other emergency. In that case, you can move to the next available date without paying an additional fee.
Changing your test date if you registered through your school
If your school registered you for the SAT as part of a school-day test, you may not be able to change your date through your own College Board account. School-administered tests follow different rules than individual registrations.
Contact your school's testing coordinator or guidance counselor to ask whether you can change your date. Some schools allow students to move to a different school-day test date within the same year. Others require you to register independently for a different date if you want to reschedule.
If your school cannot accommodate a date change, you can register for a weekend SAT on your own through College Board and take that test instead. You would then have two test scores on record, though most colleges only look at your highest score.
Choosing a new test date that works for you
When you change your date, think about how much time you need to prepare. If you are changing because you do not feel ready, moving your test just one or two weeks forward may not give you enough time to study. Moving it to a test date two or three months away gives you a real chance to improve your score.
Check the College Board calendar for all available test dates in your region. SAT dates are usually offered in August, October, November, December, January, March, May, and June. Not all dates are available at all test centers, so search by your zip code to see what is actually offered near you.
Keep in mind that colleges see all the test dates you took the SAT, even if you only send one score. If you are changing your date because you want to try again, that is normal — most students take the test more than once. But if you are changing because you registered by mistake or for a date that does not work with your schedule, move quickly so you do not lose the $15 fee tier.
What to do if your new test location is different
When you change your test date, you might end up at a different test center. College Board assigns you to a center based on availability and your zip code. If the new center is far from your home or in an unfamiliar area, you can request a different center by contacting College Board customer service.
Call College Board at 1-844-SAT-HELP (1-844-728-4357) or use the contact form on the College Board website. Explain that you changed your test date and the assigned center does not work for you. They can sometimes move you to a closer location if one is available, though there is no may provide.
If you cannot get a center change and the location is truly impossible to reach, you can cancel that registration and register for a different test date at a center you prefer. You would pay the full fee again, so this is expensive — only do it if the original center is genuinely not reachable.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I change my SAT test date more than once?
Yes. Each time you change your date, you pay the applicable fee ($15 if more than four weeks out, $30 if one to four weeks out). If you change your date multiple times, each change costs money, so think carefully before requesting a change.
What if I change my test date but then cannot take the new test?
You can change your date again if you do so before the important date for that new date. If you miss the important date for the second date, you must cancel and register for a future date as a new registration, paying the full fee again.
Do colleges see that I changed my test date?
No. Colleges see only the test dates you actually took the SAT, not the dates you registered for and then changed. If you change your date and take the test on the new date, only that new date appears on your score report.
Can I change my test date if I already got my scores?
No. Once you have taken the test and received your scores, you cannot change that test date. If you want to take the SAT again, you must register for a new test date as a separate registration.
What if the test date I want is full?
If your preferred test date and location are full, you can join a waitlist through your College Board account. College Board sometimes opens additional seats as cancellations come in. You can also choose a different test date or a different test center for the same date if one is available nearby.