SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips

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The December SAT is your final chance to take the SAT of the year, and for many colleges, it's the final SAT they accept before application deadlines. But is it the best SAT date for you?

There are important pros and cons to the December SAT, and we'll go over each of them in this guide. We'll also explain key December SAT dates, such as what day the test is on, when you need to register by, and when you (and the schools you apply to) will receive your scores.

When Is the December SAT?

Below is the confirmed date for the 2023 December SAT, along with other important dates for registering for the exam.

Source: The College Board

The date of the December SAT is December 2, 2023. Like all regular SATs, it will take place in the morning.

You should aim to register for this exam by the November 2 deadline. Taking the SAT will cost $55. If you miss the deadline, you can still register by November 21, but you'll pay an additional $30 late registration fee. November 21 is also the deadline for SAT changes, such as changing your test center location, fixing your name on your admission ticket, etc. Some of these changes will incur a change fee of $25.

NOTE: The College Board has suspended the SAT waitlist at least through the 2023-2024 school year. This means that the late registration deadline (in this case November 21) is the final day to register for the SAT. Registering later than that is not possible. For updates on when the College Board reinstates the SAT waitlist, check our SAT waitlist article.

When Will You Get Your December SAT Scores?

After you take the SAT, you won't receive your scores immediately. Below are the anticipated dates you can expect to receive scores for different parts of the December SAT.

* The College Board says that scores are almost always available 2 - 4 weeks after the test date. The date listed here is the beginning of this 2 - 4 week window
** Scores are sent to colleges 10 days after students receive them. The date listed here assumes students receive their score exactly 2 weeks after their test date
Source: The College Board

December SAT scores will be available to you online beginning December 16. On that date, you can also access your scores by phone; however, this service costs $15 per call.

If you don't receive your scores by this date, don't worry. Most likely, the College Board got slightly behind grading SATs and sending out scores, especially since it's happening around the holidays. If your scores are late, you can contact the College Board at 1 (866) 756-7346 for updates on score delays.

The colleges you wrote in for your four free score reports will usually get your SAT scores within ten days of you receiving your scores which, for this December SAT, is December 26.

Besides knowing when you'll get your SAT results, how are these dates important to you? It has to do with college application deadlines. The most common college application deadline for students applying regular decision is January 1, and the December SAT test date is cutting that deadline pretty fine. We'll discuss the implications of this in the next section.

Should You Take the December SAT? Pros and Cons

Is the December SAT the best test date for you? In this section, we analyze important pros and cons of this SAT exam date.

Pros of Taking the December SAT

• If you're a senior, it's likely your last chance to take the SAT. If you're applying to colleges this year and need to take (or retake) the SAT, the often December SAT gives you one last shot to do this. For seniors applying regular decision, the December SAT is usually the last SAT test date schools will accept scores from, so take advantage of this if you need to squeeze in a final SAT test date. Be aware, though, that some schools may not accept December SAT results because they receive the scores too late.
  
  Before you sign up for the SAT, make sure to check the test result deadlines of every school you're applying to, and call the admissions office if anything is unclear. Many state that they'll accept December exam results or anything earlier, and this means that, if you take the December SAT, your scores are good for that application, even if the results are delayed until January.
  
  

• If you're a junior, you'll have time for multiple SAT retakes. If you're a high school junior, you won't need to worry about college deadlines this year, but you should still be thinking strategically about when to take the SAT. Many people take the SAT two to three times in order to get their best score.
  
  To leave yourself time for retakes, you should take your first SAT sometime during your junior year, and the December SAT can be a great first test date. It'll leave you plenty of options for retakes, such as during the spring of junior year, the summer before senior year, and/or the fall of senior year.

Cons of Taking the December SAT

• You'll miss early action/early decision deadlines. The December SAT is simply too late for early action or early decision deadlines, which are typically November 1 or 15. While some schools accept scores from the November SAT for students who are applying early action or early decision, practically no schools will do this for the December SAT. Therefore, if you want to apply early action/early decision, the December SAT isn't an option for you.
  
  

• If you're a senior, you won't have the option of a retake. If you're a senior aiming for another shot at your SAT goal scores, the December SAT is your last opportunity. Most schools won't accept SAT scores after this date. What this means is that, if you don't meet your score goals in December, you won't have another chance to take the SAT.
  
  If you haven't taken the SAT yet, or you have a score goal you really want to meet, we highly recommend you sign up for one of the earlier exams in November or October, in addition to the December exam. That gives you at least one option for a retake, if needed.
  
  

• It may conflict with studying for finals. You won't have to worry about spring AP exams conflicting with the December SAT, but, depending on your high school's academic calendar, you may have finals around or soon after this SAT. Depending on how much you plan to study for both the SAT and your finals, this could create conflicts in your schedule and make it hard for you to get in as much SAT prep as you'd like, so take that into consideration as well.

Recap: December SAT

This year's December SAT will take place on Saturday, December 2, 2023. The registration deadline is November 2, and the late registration deadline is November 21.

You'll receive your results starting December 16, and colleges will begin receiving them by December 28. If you're applying early action or early decision this year, the December SAT will be too late, but it's a great final SAT date if you're a senior applying regular decision.

To decide if the December SAT is the best test date for you, make sure to consider key factors such as your application deadlines, how many times you plan to take the SAT, and how long you want to study before taking the SAT.

What’s Next?

Only have a month to study for the SAT? Don't worry—our extensive guide walks you through the steps you'll need to take to be able to hit your goal score within just 30 days.

Not sure what SAT score to aim for on test day? Learn what a good SAT score is for you and for the colleges you're applying to.

Wondering if you should retake the SAT? Learn the three questions you should ask yourself before deciding on an SAT retake or not.