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When Do SAT Scores Come Out? A Complete 2024 Timeline

By Eric Eng

By Eric Eng

View of a student using her laptop while writing.

When Do SAT Scores Come Out?

When do SAT scores come out? Students always experience anxiety around the SAT score release dates. Did you achieve the goal score you set? Do you need to retake the SAT? You have the greatest time to prepare when you check the results as soon as they are released.

It is important because kids can plan to apply for college admissions after learning their SAT scores. The SAT score report is based on a number of variables, including the exam date and location.

Typically, 2–4 weeks after the test date, you can get your SAT results for any test date within the academic year. Scores can take a bit longer for SAT administrations throughout the summer.

Your multiple-choice results will be available around two weeks after taking the SAT on a Saturday. It can be closer to three weeks if you take the SAT in class on a weekday. Additionally, if you choose to take the SAT with an essay, your essay score will be available a few days after your multiple-choice SAT scores are released.

SAT Score Release Timeline

  • Weekend SAT: If you took the SAT on a Saturday, you can expect your scores to be available in about 2 weeks.
  • SAT School Day: If you took the SAT at school during the week, the score release usually takes 3-4 weeks.

SAT 2024 Test Dates

For students taking the SAT after May 2024, scores are sent to colleges approximately 10 days after they are released.

Test Date Score Release Date
March 9, 2024 March 22, 2024
May 4, 2024 May 17, 2024
June 1, 2024 June 14, 2024

What is SAT?

After we answer the question, “When do SAT scores come out?”, we should go back to the basics. What exactly is the SAT? Why is it important?

The College Board developed and offers a three-hour multiple-choice test called the SAT. It assesses pupils’ readiness for college by covering reading, writing, and math.

Young woman using a laptop on a table.

Seven times a year, usually on the first Saturday, the SAT is administered. Additionally, the College Board provides SAT School Day, a program that enables high school students to take the SAT at their own high schools during a school day in the fall or spring.

Students must sign up for the test, which costs $60, roughly a month in advance if they want to send their SAT scores to institutions. You may take the SAT an unlimited number of times. Typically, students only take it once or twice.

What is SAT an acronym for? The Scholastic Aptitude Test was the original name of the SAT. The SAT’s original designers were interested in assessing natural intellectual aptitude because it was created during the IQ test period. The test was later renamed the Scholastic Assessment Test as interest in innate intelligence decreased and focus on potential increased.

The SAT has been operating for almost 100 years and is arguably the most well-known standardized college entrance exam in the United States. The three-hour exam measures students’ readiness for college in concrete terms and encompasses math, reading, and writing.

Schools have reliable data points for comparing applicants thanks to SAT scores. However, hundreds of universities have abandoned the exam requirement since the 2010s in response to complaints that the SAT and ACT favor wealthier students.

How do you access your SAT scores?

After finding out when do SAT scores come out, how can you access your SAT results? Logging into your College Board account online is the fastest way to access SAT scores. One can create a new account if there isn’t one already.

As soon as you get an email telling you that your scores have been received, go to Student Score Reports and log in using your College Board username and password. (Your PSAT and Subject Test results are available here.)

If you submitted your SAT application via mail as opposed to online, you will receive a physical copy of your score in the mail. It can also be reached via phone. When you register, keep a record of the information you’ll need to get your score later.

When will your score be sent to colleges?

When will colleges receive your test results? Within 10 days of you getting your scores, colleges will receive your four complimentary score reports if you want to take that option. This means that within 23 days after your exam date, universities will receive your score report.

It typically takes 1-2 weeks for your scores to arrive and be processed if you are ordering score reports after obtaining your results. It actually depends on the college because different colleges have varied policies regarding how frequently they download new score reports.

What do you need to know about your SAT scores?

What information about your SAT scores is important? The SAT score can be classified in a number of ways, including the following:

Composite Score

This is a simple method of calculating the SAT score, which spans from 400 to 1600 points and is made up of two components, evidence-based English writing, and math, each worth 800 points. 

A young woman using a laptop while writing on her table.

In 2016, the College Board revised the test with the goal of having an “average” total score of 1000, which falls exactly between the 400 minimum score and the 1600 maximum score.

Percentile Score

Using percentiles is AA’s more accurate scientific method of comprehending your SAT result. The College Board releases an annual report that includes two percentile lists: a user percentile and a nationally representative sample. While the latter compares you to actual SAT test takers, the former compares your score to that of normal high school juniors and seniors. 

As a data point, the user percentile is more valuable. You may see how you “ranked” in relation to other test-takers by looking at your user percentile. For instance, if you obtained a score in the 50% percentile, you outperformed 50% of all other SAT students.

Subscores

The SAT also assigns seven subscores, each ranging from 1 to 15, including three from the math test and four from the reading, writing, and language sections (command of evidence, words in context, expression of ideas, and standard English conventions). 

Additionally, they are color-coded to make it simple to see where one’s strengths and weaknesses lie: green denotes that one is on track to be college-ready, yellow denotes that one is almost there but has to keep building skills, and red denotes that one needs to improve skills. If you plan to retake the SAT, subscores are a great tool for students to figure out where to spend their energy.

Finally, candidates can view the score details, which include a complete SAT report of the various test components along with the percentile score for each component. It includes test results, cross-test results, subscores (1 to 15), and essay results (optional).

After students find out when do SAT scores come out, they can send their SAT results to the desired universities, such as Harvard University, MIT, Stanford University, and so on, after reviewing the SAT report. You can choose college recipients when registering or on any day prior to the test day. SAT results can also be sent through a College Board account. Older SAT results can also be delivered to institutions by phone, mail, or expedited reporting.

Why does the SAT score take so long?

Why does it take so long to get a SAT score? Given that the SAT is the primary factor in college admissions, many students are perplexed as to why it takes so long to receive the results. The procedure that follows the student taking the SAT is as follows:

  • Your test responses are sent to the College Board’s scoring center for review. 
  • The raw score is determined based on how many questions you answered correctly or incorrectly after carefully going over the answer sheet.
  • If the essay is graded, two human graders will do so. The evaluation process for this component is time-consuming because it is carefully examined. The essay’s different components, such as the vocabulary, linguistic expression, grammar, and the quality of the student’s writing, all relate to the subject.
  • Your raw score is then translated into the 1600 scale according to the scaling criteria for that test. This is the maximum SAT score that can be used to gain admission to a college.  

The complete review and dissemination of test results require time due to the fact that thousands of students apply for the SAT each year.

Young student using a laptop.

The type of exam administered (along with the main part and essay writing), the test center, and various methods of evaluating the SAT score all affect when the SAT results are released. To properly plan college admissions, students must be careful to monitor their test results.

What should you do if your SAT score is low?

If your SAT score is low, what should you do? Don’t worry if your SAT score wasn’t what you were looking for. If it isn’t December of your senior year, you generally still have time to dramatically improve before submitting an application to colleges. Look over the SAT calendar and choose a new test date if you wish to raise your score. Then, review your entire score report to gain a better understanding of the areas in which you struggled the most. Over the coming weeks, concentrate on these areas to raise your score.

Remember that you can still apply for test-optional if you are currently in your senior year. This option is available for this reason, especially now!

However, keep in mind that if your score is too low, it can indicate that you aren’t intellectually prepared for that particular college (particularly if your grades and course rigor fall below the average for accepted students). Realistically, you should only apply to universities where you have a strong probability of being accepted.

Are you satisfied with the answers to your questions about when do SAT scores come out? If so, you need to take your preparation to the next level.

A female student smiling at the camera.

AdmissionSight is a leading college admissions consultant with over a decade of experience assisting students with their college preparation through a variety of services. We can help you with everything from selecting the best high school courses and extracurriculars to preparing your college essays and preparing for the college interview.

AdmissionSight can help you put your best foot forward when applying to college. Contact us today for more information on our services.

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