SAT on Dec. 5, 2026: Registration Deadline Nov. 20, Test Day Checklist, Scores Dec. 18

The SAT is on Saturday, Dec. 5, 2026, and College Board’s test date page sets the registration deadline at Friday, Nov. 20; changes, regular cancellation and late registration follow on Tuesday, Nov. 24. Students see scores on Friday, Dec. 18, College Board says. This story counts down each step with what a miss costs, then covers test day, the Sunday option and the next SAT. College Board states that “all registration deadlines expire at 11:59 p.m. ET, U.S.”

Dates to mark from Nov. 20 to Dec. 21

The days left are counted from Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2026 (our math). Thu., Dec. 3 is our computation from College Board’s rule that a late cancellation must come “by Thursday 11:59 p.m. ET before test day.”

Date	Step	Days left from Nov. 4	What missing it costs
Fri., Nov. 20	Registration deadline	16	Late registration fee of $38 if you register by Nov. 24
Tue., Nov. 24	Deadline for changes, regular cancellation and late registration	20	After this, a cancellation is a late cancel at $44
Thu., Dec. 3	Last day to cancel late (computed)	29	After this, College Board lists no later cancellation date
Sat., Dec. 5	Test day: doors close at 8 a.m.	31	Late or absent students register again and pay standard fees
Fri., Dec. 18	Scores to students	44	Not applicable
Mon., Dec. 21	Scores to the K-12 educator portal	47	Not applicable

Fees come from College Board’s SAT test fees page, which is labeled “Fees Through June 2027.” “Additional fees may apply” to late registration, according to the test date page; the fees page lists $38.

How much does the Dec. 5 SAT cost?

College Board says “the SAT registration fee is $68” and that “some students are eligible for a fee waiver.” The same page lists the other charges that matter in the next three weeks.

Charge	Fee
SAT registration	$68
Late registration	$38
Change test center	$34
Cancel by the change deadline	$34
Late cancel, after the change deadline and by Thursday 11:59 p.m. ET before test day	$44

Our math, not College Board’s: registering on Nov. 21 through Nov. 24 comes to $106 ($68 plus $38). College Board’s cancellation page says a canceled registration is refunded the registration fee minus the cancellation fee.

What do you bring to the SAT and when does it start?

College Board’s what to bring page lists:

• A fully charged testing device with Bluebook installed and exam setup completed.
• An up-to-date admission ticket from Bluebook, available starting five days before the test; a printed copy is preferred.
• Acceptable photo identification. It must be a physical document, not an electronic one.
• Pencils or pens for scratch work.
• An acceptable calculator for Math.
• Optional: a charging cable or portable charger.

We did not check College Board’s prohibited devices list, so see it on College Board’s site before you pack.

On the test day page, College Board says “test centers open at 7:45 a.m. and doors close at 8 a.m. unless otherwise noted on your admission ticket.” Testing starts between 8:15 and 8:30 a.m. There is one 10-minute break between sections, and the device “will need to stay on for roughly 3 hours.”

When are exam setup and the admission ticket due?

College Board says exam setup and the admission ticket come 1 to 5 days before test day in Bluebook. For Dec. 5 that is Monday, Nov. 30 through Friday, Dec. 4 (our calculation).

When do December SAT scores come out?

In its Fall 2026 table for SAT Weekend, College Board lists the Dec. 5 test with student scores on Friday, Dec. 18, 2026 and the K-12 educator portal on Monday, Dec. 21. It adds that “most scores from weekend tests are released 2-4 weeks after test day.”

The earlier Nov. 7 SAT checklist has the November dates, which end Nov. 20 for student scores.

Can you take the SAT on Sunday, Dec. 6?

College Board offers Sunday testing on Dec. 6, 2026 for students whose religion does not allow Saturday testing. It asks for a signed letter from a religious leader and the Student and Parent Inquiry Form. The option is not offered in India or Pakistan.

What if you miss the Dec. 5 SAT?

The next SAT is Saturday, March 6, 2027, with a Sunday option on March 7. College Board lists Friday, Feb. 19, 2027 as the registration deadline and Tuesday, Feb. 23 for late registration, changes and cancellation. That is 91 days after Dec. 5 (our math). The ACT on Dec. 12 is another December option, and the SAT and ACT dates for 2026-27 list every remaining test.

One-page SAT sheet to print and keep

The printable puts the five dated steps, the fees, the test-day items and the score dates on one page. Mark Nov. 20 and Nov. 24 on the November 2026 printable calendar, and Dec. 5 and Dec. 18 on the December 2026 printable calendar.