# December SAT 2026: Deadlines, Fees and Score Dates Author: Team Catalyst Author URL: https://catalysttestprep.com/blog/author/team-catalyst Published: 2026-10-06 Category: Study Tips Category URL: https://catalysttestprep.com/blog/category/study-tips Meta Title: December SAT 2026: Deadlines, Fees and Score Dates Meta Description: The December SAT falls on 5 December 2026. Registration closes 20 November, changes close 24 November, and a borrowed device needs 30 days notice. Tags: Student Tips, SAT Prep, SAT Strategy, Sat Test Day Checklist Tag URLs: Student Tips (https://catalysttestprep.com/blog/tag/student-tips), SAT Prep (https://catalysttestprep.com/blog/tag/sat-prep), SAT Strategy (https://catalysttestprep.com/blog/tag/sat-strategy), Sat Test Day Checklist (https://catalysttestprep.com/blog/tag/sat-test-day-checklist) URL: https://catalysttestprep.com/blog/december-sat-deadlines The first deadline for the **December SAT** is not the registration deadline. If your teen needs to borrow a testing device from College Board, the request has to be in roughly fifteen days earlier, and nothing on the registration page shouts about it. The test itself is Saturday **5 December 2026**, the last SAT before the calendar breaks until March. That makes it the final chance for juniors building a score before spring and for seniors with regular decision deadlines still open. It also makes it the administration where a missed date costs the most, because the next weekend SAT is three months away. Below is every date and fee that applies, taken from College Board's own dates and fees pages rather than from a prep-company summary, plus the one scheduling collision that trips up students who are retaking. ## Key takeaways - The December SAT is **Saturday 5 December 2026**. Registration closes **20 November**. - **24 November** is the real date to remember: late registration, test centre changes and cancellations all close together. - Students borrowing a device must request it **at least 30 days out**, so around **5 November**, before registration even closes. - Scores reach students on **18 December**, which is in time for most regular decision deadlines but not for early action. - November SAT scores land on **20 November**, the same day December registration closes, so retakers cannot wait and see. ## When is the December 2026 SAT? Saturday 5 December 2026. It is the fifth and last weekend SAT of the 2026-27 autumn, following administrations in August, September, October and November. What matters more than the date is what comes after it. The next weekend SAT is **6 March 2027**. There is no January or February weekend administration, so December is not one option among many in a continuous run of test dates. It is the end of the autumn, and a student who skips it or misses the deadline is making a three month decision rather than a four week one. For juniors, that usually argues for sitting it. A December score gives a real baseline to work from over the spring, and the [superscoring and Score Choice rules](https://catalysttestprep.com/blog/sat-superscore-and-score-choice) mean a weak result does not have to follow them anywhere. ## Every December SAT deadline, in order Four dates matter, and they do not fall in the order most people expect. Here they are in the sequence they actually arrive. DateWhat closesWho it affects**around 5 Nov 2026**Device borrowing requests, 30 days before test dayAnyone without a laptop or tablet to test on**20 Nov 2026**Regular registrationEveryone**24 Nov 2026**Late registration, test centre changes, cancellationLate registrants and anyone changing plans**5 Dec 2026**Test dayEveryone The 24 November date does three jobs at once, which is why it is worth writing down. It is the last day to register late, the last day to move test centre, and the last day to cancel at the lower fee. Miss it and your options narrow to turning up or not turning up. If plans are already shifting, the mechanics of moving or dropping a registration are covered in detail in our guide to [changing or cancelling an SAT registration](https://catalysttestprep.com/blog/change-or-cancel-sat-registration). ## The deadline that lands first, and it is not the one you think College Board's dates page carries one sentence that reorders the whole calendar: "Students who need to borrow a device from College Board will need to register and request their device earlier than the registration deadline, at least 30 days before test day." Thirty days before 5 December is **5 November**. So a student who does not own a laptop or tablet has to be registered and have the device requested more than two weeks before the deadline everybody publishes. There is no late window for this. The device has to be shipped, and shipping does not bend. This is the quietest way to lose a test date. A family reads "registration closes 20 November", registers on 19 November, and then discovers the loaner deadline passed a fortnight earlier. The student is registered for a digital test with nothing to take it on. Two practical notes. The school may have devices available even if College Board's loan window has closed, so ask the test coordinator before assuming the date is lost. And if accommodations are also in play, those approvals run on their own longer timeline, which we cover in [how accommodations work inside Bluebook on test day](https://catalysttestprep.com/blog/bluebook-accommodations-test-day). Not sure where your teen stands? A free consultation with Catalyst Test Prep maps exactly which SAT topics need the most work, so you're never guessing about study time. [Book a Free Consultation →](https://www.catalysttestprep.com/book-a-free-consultation?utm_source=blog&utm_medium=catalyst&utm_campaign=december-sat-deadlines) ## What the December SAT costs in 2026 The SAT registration fee is **68 dollars**. Everything else is a surcharge for changing your mind, and the amounts are small enough that they should not drive the decision. FeeAmountSAT registration68 dollarsLate registration38 dollarsChange test centre34 dollarsCancel, before the deadline34 dollarsCancel, after the deadline44 dollarsWaitlist0 dollarsInternational fee, outside the US43 dollars on top Two of those are worth a second look. The **waitlist is free**, which is a change from the days when standby cost money, and a lot of families still assume it does not exist. It is not a seat: you test only if space and materials remain once registered students are in. As a fallback after 24 November it costs nothing to try. The other is the gap between cancelling before the deadline and after it. Ten dollars is not a reason to rush a decision, but the deadline itself is, because after 24 November a cancellation no longer releases you from anything useful. Students who qualify for a fee waiver skip most of this entirely, including late registration fees. Eligibility is narrower than people assume and worth checking properly against [who qualifies for an SAT fee waiver](https://catalysttestprep.com/blog/sat-fee-waivers-who-qualifies). ## When do December SAT scores come out? Students see scores on **18 December 2026**, thirteen days after the test. Schools and districts get them in the K-12 reporting portal three days later, on 21 December. That is unusually quick. College Board's own guidance is that most weekend scores release two to four weeks after test day, and December sits at the fast end, probably because of where the holidays fall. The practical consequence is that a 5 December score is in hand before most January application deadlines, which is the whole reason the December administration matters to seniors. If you want to understand what the number means once it arrives rather than just waiting for it, our [SAT score calculator](https://www.catalysttestprep.com/calculator-tools/sat-score-calculator) converts section performance into a composite, and [when SAT scores come out](https://catalysttestprep.com/blog/when-do-sat-scores-come-out) covers the release mechanics across the year. ## Should you wait for your November score before you register? You cannot, and this is the collision nobody flags. The November SAT was 7 November, and its scores release on **20 November**. December registration closes on **20 November**. Same day. So a student retaking in December who wants to see the November result first is being asked to decide on the morning the result appears, with no time to think. In practice most families either register blind or miss the window. There is a cleaner way through it, and it falls straight out of the two dates. **Register for December during the regular window, then use the 24 November cancellation date as your decision point.** The November score arrives on the 20th. You have four more days to cancel for 34 dollars if it turned out to be enough. That buys a real decision instead of a guess, and the cost of the option is a third of the registration fee. This is the kind of sequencing that gets missed because the two dates live on different College Board pages. Put them side by side and the answer is obvious. ![Infographic showing the December 2026 SAT deadline sequence in order: device borrowing requests around 5 November, regular registration closing 20 November, late registration and changes and cancellation closing 24 November, test day on 5 December, and student scores releasing 18 December](https://prod.superblogcdn.com/site_cuid_cmrvvavb6000d01w5ghhmk0yd/images/december-sat-deadlines-infographic-1791287473227-compressed.png) _The December 2026 SAT deadlines in the order they actually arrive, with the device-borrowing cut-off landing first._ ## Is the December SAT too late for college applications? For regular decision, no. An 18 December score reaches colleges well before the January deadlines that dominate regular decision, and many institutions accept scores sent into January. For early decision and early action, almost certainly yes. Those deadlines mostly fall on 1 November, five weeks before the test. A December score cannot be part of an application already submitted and read, though some colleges will consider it for deferred or waitlisted candidates. The distinction between the two application routes, and why it changes the testing calendar, is covered in [early decision versus early action](https://catalysttestprep.com/blog/early-decision-vs-early-action). The honest caveat: this varies by college more than any general article can capture. Testing policies, score deadlines and whether scores are considered at all differ institution by institution, and they change between cycles. Read the admissions page of each college on your teen's list rather than trusting a summary, including this one. ## What to do in the eight weeks before test day Eight weeks is a real amount of time and a bad amount of time to spend on the wrong things. It is too short to rebuild a weak foundation in algebra. It is comfortably long enough to fix the things that cost marks without costing knowledge. 1. **Sit one full Bluebook practice test early**, in one sitting, timed. Not a section, not a preview. The number matters less than the error pattern. 2. **Sort the errors into three piles**: did not know it, knew it and misread, knew it and ran out of time. The three piles get completely different treatment and most students treat them identically. 3. **Attack the second and third piles first.** Careless errors and pacing are the cheapest marks available in an eight week window. 4. **Leave the last week alone.** One light practice section, sleep, and the [test day checklist](https://catalysttestprep.com/blog/sat-test-day-checklist) sorted in advance. What does not work in eight weeks is starting at page one of a prep book. That is a six month plan compressed into two months, and it reliably produces a student who has revised the first third of the syllabus thoroughly and the rest not at all. ## The dates, in one place The December SAT is 5 December 2026. Registration closes 20 November, everything else closes 24 November, and a borrowed device has to be requested around 5 November. Scores arrive 18 December, in time for regular decision and not for early action. The waitlist is free if you miss the window entirely. The one piece of sequencing worth acting on: register before 20 November even if you are waiting on a November score, because the 24 November cancellation date gives you four days to change your mind for 34 dollars. Deciding blind is not the only option, but you have to set it up in advance. Ready to turn a prep plan into real score gains? Catalyst's 1:1 live online SAT programme starts with a free consultation to benchmark your teen's starting point and build a personalised path to their goal score. [Book a Free Consultation](https://www.catalysttestprep.com/book-a-free-consultation?utm_source=blog&utm_medium=catalyst&utm_campaign=december-sat-deadlines) Sources verified 6 October 2026: [College Board SAT dates and deadlines](https://satsuite.collegeboard.org/sat/dates-deadlines), [College Board SAT test fees](https://satsuite.collegeboard.org/sat/registration/fees-refunds/test-fees) and [College Board score release dates](https://satsuite.collegeboard.org/scores/score-release-dates). ## FAQs Q: When is the December 2026 SAT? A: Saturday 5 December 2026. It is the last SAT of the autumn and the last one before the testing year breaks until 6 March 2027, so a student who misses it waits three months for the next weekend administration. Q: What is the registration deadline for the December SAT? A: 20 November 2026 for regular registration. Late registration stays open until 24 November 2026 and costs an extra 38 dollars. The 24 November date is also the last day to change your test centre or cancel, which makes it the single most useful date to remember. Q: How much does the December SAT cost? A: The SAT registration fee is 68 dollars. Late registration adds 38 dollars, changing your test centre costs 34 dollars, and cancelling costs 34 dollars before the deadline or 44 dollars after it. Students testing outside the United States pay a 43 dollar international fee on top. Q: When do December SAT scores come out? A: Students get scores on 18 December 2026, thirteen days after the test. Schools and districts see them in the K-12 reporting portal on 21 December. College Board notes that most weekend scores are released two to four weeks after test day, and December sits at the fast end of that. Q: Can I borrow a device for the December SAT? A: Yes, and this is the deadline that catches people out. College Board requires students who need a loaned device to register and request it at least 30 days before test day, which puts the cut-off around 5 November 2026. That is more than two weeks before registration itself closes. Q: Is the SAT waitlist still worth using? A: It costs nothing now, which is new. College Board lists the waitlist fee at 0 dollars. It is not a guarantee of a seat: you turn up and test only if space and materials are available after registered students are seated, so treat it as a fallback rather than a plan. Q: Is December too late to take the SAT for college applications? A: Not for regular decision, where January deadlines are common and an 18 December score arrives in time. It is usually too late for early decision and early action, which mostly close on 1 November. Check each college's own testing page rather than assuming, because policies differ. Q: Should I wait for my November SAT score before registering for December? A: You cannot, quite. November scores release on 20 November, the same day December registration closes. The practical move is to register for December first, then cancel by 24 November for 34 dollars if the November score turned out to be enough. Q: What makes Catalyst Test Prep useful this close to a test date? A: Eight weeks is too short to rebuild a foundation and long enough to fix pacing, careless errors and the two or three question types costing the most marks. Our 1:1 sessions start from a diagnostic, so the plan targets the specific losses rather than restarting the syllabus. Q: How do I get started with Catalyst Test Prep before the December SAT? A: Book a free consultation. We look at the most recent practice or official score, the date your teen is registered for, and how many weeks are genuinely available, then say honestly whether December or March is the better target. --- This blog is powered by Superblog. Visit https://superblog.ai to know more. ---