Two things catch UK families out every year: registration closes earlier than you expect, and the test centres near London fill up months in advance. Both are avoidable, and both are easier to plan around once you know which SAT you're actually dealing with.
Quick clarification, because this confuses a lot of British parents. The SAT on this page is the American university admissions test, taken at 16 to 18. It is not related to the Key Stage SATs your child sat in Year 2 or Year 6. Same three letters, completely different exams. If you're looking for primary school SATs, this isn't the page you want.
SAT test dates for UK students
The SAT runs eight times a year, and international dates match the US calendar. The next sitting is Saturday 7 November 2026, and registration for it closes on 23 October 2026. The 22 August, 12 September and 3 October 2026 sittings have already passed.
| Test date | Registration deadline | Late registration and changes deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Saturday 22 August 2026 | Passed | Passed |
| Saturday 12 September 2026 | Passed | Passed |
| Saturday 3 October 2026 | Passed | Passed |
| Saturday 7 November 2026 | 23 October 2026 | 27 October 2026 |
| Saturday 5 December 2026 | 20 November 2026 | 24 November 2026 |
| Saturday 6 March 2027 | 19 February 2027 | 23 February 2027 |
| Saturday 1 May 2027 | 16 April 2027 | 20 April 2027 |
| Saturday 5 June 2027 | 21 May 2027 | 25 May 2027 |
Dates and deadlines are from College Board's published SAT calendar for 2026-27 (satsuite.collegeboard.org). Deadlines expire at 11:59pm US Eastern time. Always confirm on the College Board website before making plans.
For most Year 12 students, 6 March 2027 is the natural first sitting, with 1 May or 5 June 2027 as retakes. 5 June is the last usable date before a July recruiting pre-read.
Registration deadlines
- Regular registration closes about two weeks before each test date (23 October for the 7 November 2026 sitting). This is when you have the widest choice of centres.
- Late registration stays open until about eleven days before, for an additional fee, and with much less centre availability.
- Borrowing a device from College Board, rather than using your own laptop or tablet, requires a request about 30 days ahead. Miss that window and you'll need your own device.
- All deadlines expire at 11:59pm US Eastern time, which is early morning UK time. Don't leave it to the last evening.
Scores
Results arrive roughly two weeks after test day. Build that into any deadline you're counting back from. A 5 June sitting, for example, gives you a score around the third week of June.
Where to sit the SAT in the UK
There are around 25 SAT test centres in the UK, but they are not where most people expect. London has two or three, and the rest are scattered across small towns — many of them independent schools that host administrations. Several large cities have none at all. For London families, SAT tutoring in London is online and timed to fit around the school day.
Towns that hosted an administration on the 2027 test dates, checked on 14 October 2026:
| Town | Region | 6 Mar 2027 | 1 May 2027 | 5 Jun 2027 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| London | England | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| Cobham, Surrey | England | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Egham, Surrey | England | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Hillingdon, Middlesex | England | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Holt, Norfolk | England | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Lancing, West Sussex | England | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Oxford | England | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Stonehouse, Gloucestershire | England | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Hertford | England | 1 | 1 | — |
| Malvern | England | 1 | 1 | — |
| Street, Somerset | England | 1 | 1 | — |
| Norwich | England | 1 | 1 | — |
| Crowthorne, Berkshire | England | 1 | 1 | — |
| Harrogate | England | 1 | — | 1 |
| Ormskirk | England | 1 | — | 1 |
| Bristol | England | 1 | — | — |
| Kingham, Oxfordshire | England | 1 | — | — |
| Oakham, Rutland | England | — | 1 | — |
| Shrewsbury | England | — | 1 | — |
| Nonington, Kent | England | — | — | 1 |
| Aberdeen | Scotland | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Musselburgh, East Lothian | Scotland | 1 | 1 | — |
| Elgin, Moray | Scotland | — | 1 | — |
| Llantwit Major | Wales | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Penarth | Wales | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Lisburn | Northern Ireland | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Two things to take from that.
No centre appeared in Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, Edinburgh, Cardiff or Belfast on any of the three dates. If you live in one of them you will need to travel — and check the date as well as the distance, because the nearest centre is not open at every sitting.
- Manchester — Ormskirk, about 35 miles (March and June only)
- Leeds — Harrogate, about 18 miles (March and June only)
- Birmingham — Malvern, about 35 miles (March and May only)
- Edinburgh — Musselburgh, about 7 miles (March and May only)
- Cardiff — Penarth, about 5 miles (all three dates)
- Belfast — Lisburn, about 8 miles (all three dates)
And the number of centres falls as the year goes on: 24 in March, 23 in May, 16 in June. If you want a choice of location as well as a choice of date, the March sitting is the one to aim for.
From a family in Germany. "Blake's SAT preparation was a game-changer for my son, especially as an international student aiming for a top score to secure admission to highly competitive US colleges. Blake's personalized strategies and patient, encouraging guidance were instrumental in boosting my son's score by an impressive 110 points. This improvement definitely played a significant role in helping him get into one of his dream schools."
Daria Salus, SAT parent (Google review)
Travelling to a centre? Make the sitting count.
If the nearest centre is an hour or more away, you don't want to make that trip twice. Most students do sit the SAT twice and improve on the second attempt, but the first sitting is worth preparing for properly rather than treating as a practice run.
Blake Jensen works one-to-one with students in the UK and Europe, over Zoom, at 4pm-7pm UK time — after the school day, not late at night. Every tutor here offers a free 15-minute consultation: tell him your child's school year, target universities and test date, and he'll say what score to aim for and how long it realistically takes.
SAT and ACT tutoring for UK and European students · Get in touch
Centre availability changes between sittings and this list has a short shelf life. Confirm on College Board's own test centre search when you register — choose "Outside the United States", then your date, then United Kingdom.
The single most common planning failure. Families choose a test date, prepare properly, then try to register six weeks out and find every centre within two hours is full. Register as soon as you've picked a date. Preparation can come afterwards.
What it costs
The base SAT fee is around $68, and international test centres add a surcharge that brings the total to roughly $111. Late registration and changing your test centre or date cost extra. College Board charges in US dollars, so your card will apply its own exchange rate.
ACT dates and centres in the UK
If you're weighing the two tests, the practical picture is very different. The ACT has seven international test dates a year (September, October, December, February, April, June, and July, with Friday and Saturday sessions on most of them). Check ACT's centre search for your nearest UK test centre before choosing.
Registration closes roughly four weeks before, with late registration to about two weeks before. Internationally the ACT is taken on the test centre's computer rather than your own device.
For a family outside London, the distance to the nearest centre can be decisive. Our full comparison is on SAT or ACT for UK students.
Which date should your child choose?
Working backwards from what the score is for:
| Situation | Target sitting | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Year 12, applying next year | March, with May or June as a retake | Leaves room for a second attempt and puts the score in hand before the summer |
| Recruited athlete | March, absolutely no later than June | Ivy League coaches cannot request an academic pre-read before 1 July, and the score must be in the file by then |
| Year 13, applying this autumn | 7 November or 5 December 2026 (the August, September and October sittings have passed) | Too late for most 1 November Early Decision and Restrictive Early Action deadlines, but fine for January regular decision |
| Year 13, regular decision | Up to December | Regular deadlines are usually 1-15 January |
| Year 11 | None yet | Take a practice test instead. Book the spring Year 12 date now, though |
Plan for two sittings inside Year 12 rather than relying on an autumn retake in Year 13, when the calendar is unforgiving. Our full SAT timeline for UK students maps this across all three years.
Before test day
- Photo ID is required. A passport is the safest option for UK students.
- Your device needs College Board's Bluebook app installed and the exam pre-downloaded. Do this a few days ahead, not the night before.
- Charge it fully and bring a charger.
- An approved calculator is allowed, though Desmos is built into the test and is usually the better tool. If your child has never used it, that's worth fixing before test day. See SAT vs GCSE maths.
- Print the admission ticket or have it accessible.
Planning backwards from a test date?
Tell me your child's school year and target universities and I'll tell you which sitting to aim for and how much preparation it realistically needs. Book a free 15-minute call. Sessions run 4pm-7pm UK and 5pm-8pm Central European time, so they fit after the school day.
How tutoring works for UK and European students · SAT tutoring in London · SAT tutoring · Digital SAT tutoring · ACT tutoring
Frequently asked questions
What is the SAT exam in the UK?
Two different things share the name. The Key Stage SATs are national curriculum assessments taken in primary school. The SAT discussed here is an American university admissions test taken at 16 to 18 by students applying to US universities. If someone mentions "SATs" for a Year 6 pupil, that's the primary school test, not this one.
When are the SAT test dates in the UK for 2026 and 2027?
The next sitting is 7 November 2026 (registration closes 23 October), then 5 December 2026, 6 March, 1 May and 5 June 2027. The 22 August, 12 September and 3 October 2026 sittings have passed. International dates match the US calendar. Confirm on College Board before registering.
How many SAT test centres are there in the UK?
The number changes from sitting to sitting. Centres are concentrated in London and the South East, and availability varies by test date, so check the live centre search when you register rather than relying on any published list.
How far in advance should I register?
As soon as you've chosen a date. Regular registration closes about two weeks before, but popular centres fill months earlier than that, which is the more binding constraint.
How much does the SAT cost from the UK?
Roughly $111 including the international surcharge, against a $68 base fee. Late registration and date or centre changes cost extra.
Can my child take the SAT on their own laptop?
Generally yes, using College Board's Bluebook app on a personal laptop or tablet. If you need to borrow a device from College Board, request it about 30 days before the test.
How long do SAT results take?
About two weeks. Count backwards from whatever deadline the score is for, including a coach's pre-read if your child is being recruited.
Where can I take the ACT in the UK?
Use the centre search on ACT's website to find your nearest centre; there are seven international test dates a year. Check how far the nearest centre is before choosing the ACT over the SAT.