Welcome to Junior Year. The homework is harder, and there’s more of it. You’ve got a bigger role in the school play, or made the varsity soccer team, or both, and you’re excited—but also pretty overwhelmed. And just when you’re getting the hang of juggling your expanding commitments, yet another one gets tossed into the mix: preparing for college admissions tests.
If you are looking for help preparing to test, please be sure to contact our directors and sign up for a practice test. This time of year, our practice test sessions and tutor schedules fill up quickly.
Below is a recap of our best test dates for juniors, which may help you solidify your test prep plans; view a summary table of these dates and deadlines at the bottom of this post. Click here for a full list of test dates during the 2025–26 school year and here to view our best dates for seniors.
SAT
November 8
Registration Deadline: October 24 | Late Registration Deadline: October 28
Scores Available: November 21
For juniors who began prep work in the summer months and have shown strong and steady improvements on practice tests, November is a great opportunity to take the SAT. Juniors sitting for this exam date should consider this a first attempt, with plans to retest in the spring.
If you’re interested in the November SAT, be sure to sign up now!
December 6
Registration Deadline: November 21 | Late Registration Deadline: November 25
Scores Available: December 19
If scores are not moving enough and more preparation and time are warranted, the first official sitting can be pushed to December.
March 14
Registration Deadline: February 27 | Late Registration Deadline: March 3
Scores Available: March 27
SAT students typically complete a second test in March of 11th grade after revisiting preparation in the winter.
May 2
Registration Deadline: April 17 | Late Registration Deadline: April 21
Scores Available: May 15
If practice test results are deflated relative to students’ expectations, students may delay a second attempt until May. Be aware that May is also the time for AP exams, so if you are taking many AP classes, it may be better to wait until June so you aren’t stacking too much test preparation together.
June 6
Registration Deadline: May 22 | Late Registration Deadline: May 26
Scores Available: June 19
June can work as an opportunity to retake the SAT for juniors who did not see the improvements they wished by May, or who were too busy with AP exams to finish preparation.
ACT
December 13
Registration Deadline: November 7 | Late Registration Deadline: November 24
Scores Available: December 23
Juniors will often take their first ACT in December after beginning preparation in the summer months. If practice tests indicate a meaningful increase in scores, students can confidently sit for this exam. Students should consider the December ACT a first attempt, with plans to retest in the spring.
If you’re interested in the December ACT, sign up early!
February 14
Registration Deadline: January 7 | Late Registration Deadline: January 21
Scores Available: February 24
For students who got a bit of a late start preparing, or for those who did not see the desired improvement on practice tests, the first official sitting can be tabled until February.
April 11
Registration Deadline: March 6 | Late Registration Deadline: March 24
Scores Available: April 21
After revisiting test prep through the winter and early spring, juniors may find April to be a great opportunity for a second sitting.
This test date is also good for completing ACT testing and still having ample time to prepare for the AP exams in early May.
June 13
Registration Deadline: May 8 | Late Registration Deadline: May 27
Scores Available: June 23
June can work as an opportunity to retake the ACT for juniors who did not see the improvements they wished by April. For most students, this test date occurs near or after the end of the school year, when their workloads are winding down.
