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 2026–27 school year and here to view our best dates for seniors.
SAT
November 7
Registration Deadline: October 23 | Late Registration Deadline: October 27
Scores Available: November 20
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 5
Registration Deadline: November 20 | Late Registration Deadline: November 24
Scores Available: December 18
If scores are not moving enough and more preparation and time are warranted, the first official sitting can be pushed to December.
March 6
Registration Deadline: February 19 | Late Registration Deadline: February 23
Scores Available: March 19
SAT students typically complete a second test in March of 11th grade after revisiting preparation in the winter.
May 1
Registration Deadline: April 16 | Late Registration Deadline: April 20
Scores Available: May 14
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 5
Registration Deadline: May 21 | Late Registration Deadline: May 25
Scores Available: June 18
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 12
Registration Deadline: November 6 | Late Registration Deadline: November 29
Scores Available: December 22
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 27
Registration Deadline: January 22 | Late Registration Deadline: February 9
Scores Available: March 16
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 10
Registration Deadline: March 5 | Late Registration Deadline: March 23
Scores Available: April 20
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 12
Registration Deadline: May 7 | Late Registration Deadline: May 25
Scores Available: June 22
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.
