Don't you wish you could find out how you scored on the SAT right after you finish taking the test? Or maybe you'd like to forget all about it and pretend it never happened (better luck next time)! Either way, your wait time for your SAT scores will be the same: roughly 13 days. This article fills you in on all the details of SAT score reporting and offers some advice for what to do once you get your scores. How long does it take to get SAT scores back? It's a good question, and one that's on everybody's minds after the exam. SAT multiple-choice scores are released 13 days after you take the SAT. After years of having longer waits (between three and six weeks) to receive SAT scores, the College Board has revamped its schedule to give you your scores sooner. Yay! Now, the actual time of SAT score release varies. According to the College Board, on your score release day about half of all students will see their scores by 8 am Eastern Time (ET). Sometimes it's as early as 5 am ET (2 am Pacific Time). However, I wouldn't advise refreshing your account over and over at that time since the release time isn't always exact. The other half will see their scores by 8 pm ET (5 pm Pacific). The College Board will send you an email when your scores are available though, so you don’t have to keep checking all day. Your colleges will get your scores within 10 days after you receive them (if you've indicated them as score recipients). Check out the chart below for exact score release dates by test date. The chart below shows when you'll be able to see your SAT scores for the remaining SAT test dates for the 2022-2023 school year. These dates have been confirmed by the College Board. As you'll see in the chart, for most of these test dates, you'll get your results just 13-14 days after you take the SAT. Your SAT score results will be sent to the colleges you indicated within 10 days of you getting your scores. The College Board stopped administering the SAT Essay in July 2021. That's why you won't find essay score release dates in the table below. These dates are when most students will get their SAT scores, but an unlucky few might have to wait longer. They might sign into their College Board accounts to find that their scores still aren't ready. What are some possible reasons why your scores wouldn't show up on score-release day?
When Do You Get Your SAT Scores?
2022 and 2023 SAT Score Release by Test Dates
2022-2023 SAT Score Release Schedule
Test Date Score Release Date Colleges Receive Scores By October 1, 2022 October 14, 2022 October 24, 2022 November 5, 2022 November 18, 2022 November 28, 2022 December 3, 2022 December 16, 2022 December 26, 2022 March 11, 2023 March 24, 2023 April 3, 2023 May 6, 2023 May 19, 2023 May 29, 2023 June 3, 2023 June 16, 2023 June 26, 2023
2022-2023 SAT School Day Score Release Schedule
If you took your exam during one of the SAT School Day dates, your score release dates will be a bit different from the ones listed above. You can check out this table for more info:
| Test Date | Score Release Date | Colleges Receive Scores By |
| Oct 12, 2022 | Nov 2, 2022 | Nov 12, 2022 |
| Oct 27, 2022 | Nov 17, 2022 | Nov 27, 2022 |
| Mar 1, 2023 | Mar 23, 2023 | April 3, 2023 |
| Mar 22, 2023 | Apr 14, 2023 | Apr 24, 2023 |
| Apr 12, 2023 | May 3, 2023 | May 13, 2023 |
| Apr 25, 2023 | May 18, 2023 | May 28, 2023 |
Where in the world are your SAT scores?
What If Your SAT Scores Haven't Been Released?
There are a few possible explanations if your SAT scores aren't released on test day. None are especially common, so I wouldn't worry too much about any of them happening to you! Read on for the four main causes of score delays.
Cause 1: Random Test Audit
The most random reason would be if the College Board decided to do a random audit of tests to ensure scoring accuracy and your test got chosen. If that were the case, you'd have to wait longer for your scores, but they'd eventually get sent to you.
If you didn't get an email or letter from the College Board (they're a fan of sending information out by mail, for some reason), you could give your regional College Board office a call. Be prepared to be transferred and put on hold for a while, though. If you can't tell, I haven't had the best customer service when it comes to the College Board.
Cause 2: Red Flags on Your Test
Another possible reason is that your test was flagged because you improved by an unusually large number of points, such as 400 or 500 points. If your SAT score goes up hundreds of points between test administrations, the College Board might hold your test to check for scoring accuracy or signs of cheating.
I worked with an ESL student whose scores were withheld after he improved a few hundred points. We sent in letters on his behalf about all the prep he'd done between tests, but the College Board still canceled his scores in the end.
In addition to helping you solve problems while you're taking the SAT, it's a good idea to show your work in your test booklet in the event that this happens to you. This way you can more easily prove that you didn't cheat.
In these circumstances, or if a teacher reports cheating, the College Board might compare your answers with the answers of those sitting next to you to try to rule out any foul play.
Cause 3: Irregularities at Your Testing Site
Another possible reason for score delay would be irregularities at the testing site. As an example, this happened during the June 6, 2015 SAT, when some students got an extra five minutes on what should have been a 20-minute section.
Cause 4: They're Just Being Slow
Finally, the reason might simply be that the College Board is running behind. They have a ton of tests to grade from students all over the US and world.
If you know other students from your testing center or even testing room who've gotten back their scores, you should take action: call the College Board to try to get to the bottom of it.
Speaking of which, how do you know whether others have received their SAT scores?
Guys, what's the news?
Where to Check If Others Have Received Their SAT Scores
On plenty of discussion forums, students get up early (or stay up late, depending on the time zone) and count down to the exact moment when their SAT scores are released.
The most up-to-date threads can be found on College Confidential, on which you can create an account and play your part in the waiting game. Again, release times vary, so there's really no use getting stressed and losing sleep over it. Your scores will be there when you wake up in the morning!
For students who test at their schools with their peers, you'll likely hear through general word of mouth who got their scores (and whether they were psyched or disappointed).
Make sure to have your College Board username and password on hand so you can easily sign into your account and view your scores. You can also see whether colleges got your scores. Just go to the "My Scores Sent To" page. If they were sent, the page will say "received" for each college. If not, it will say "pending."
Once you get your SAT scores, you can decide whether you're satisfied with the outcome or want (and have time) to retake the test.
Do your SAT scores give you a happy face or a sad face?
What to Do Once You Receive Your SAT Scores
While you shouldn't stay up all night wondering, "When will I get my SAT scores?" and trying to will your scores to appear on-screen, you'll benefit from checking the same day they're released. Why? The sooner you check, the sooner you can figure out whether you're satisfied with your scores or see room for improvement.
Here are two options for what to do once you get your SAT scores:
Option 1: Send Additional Score Reports to Colleges
If you're satisfied with your scores and have more than four schools to send them to, start sending additional score reports to colleges. Make sure to send these colleges your SAT scores as soon as you can so that your colleges will receive them before the application deadline.
Additional score reports are not free and cost $12 per report (if you were eligible for a registration fee waiver, however, you can get these reports free as well).
If you need your scores to get to your colleges sooner, you can opt for rush reporting, which costs an extra $31 (on top of the $12 per report). This service sends score reports to schools within two to four business days.
Option 2: Retake the SAT
Not satisfied with your scores? If you have time before your college application deadlines and will put in the effort to prep, it's a good idea to retake the SAT.
You can base your decision to retest on several factors. Ask yourself these questions in order to determine whether you would benefit from taking the SAT again:
- What's your target score?
- How much prep have you already put in?
- How much more time do you have to prepare before your next test?
- How many times have you already taken the SAT, and what improvement have you seen?
On a related note, because a lot of colleges superscore the SAT, you won't have to worry about accidentally scoring worse on one or more sections. (If you're prepping effectively, however, this is unlikely anyway!)
Make sure to send your official score reports to all your colleges.
Recap: When Do You Get Your SAT Scores?
In closing, let's go over the most important points to remember about receiving your SAT scores.
After you finish taking the SAT, you'll have to wait about two weeks to get your scores back.
You can check to see whether others have gotten their SAT scores by browsing online forums such as College Confidential or by talking with your peers at school.
Once you get your scores, your two main options are to either send additional score reports to schools (if satisfied with your scores) or sign up for a retake (if dissatisfied with your scores).
Don't forget to factor any extra time you need into your plans so you can ensure your scores will be able to get to your schools in time!
What's Next?
After you get your SAT scores, you can decide if you're satisfied or if you want to test again. But what exactly are you aiming to score? This article goes over what low scores, good scores, and excellent scores are. Check it out so you can determine your own target SAT score.
Are you looking to improve your score on a specific section of the SAT? Read our advice and strategies for improving your scores on the SAT Reading, Writing, and Math sections.
Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points? We've written a guide about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:
Rebecca Safier
About the Author
Rebecca graduated with her Master's in Adolescent Counseling from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She has years of teaching and college counseling experience and is passionate about helping students achieve their goals and improve their well-being. She graduated magna cum laude from Tufts University and scored in the 99th percentile on the SAT.
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FAQs
Is 1200 a good SAT score? ›
A 1200 is an above average score that places you in approximately the 74th percentile of all high school students taking the exam. A score of 1200 makes it possible to apply to the vast majority of schools throughout the nation and be competitive for admission at a sizable number of colleges.
Is 1100 a good SAT score? ›A score of 1100 on the SAT puts you at the 58th percentile, meaning you scored higher than 58% all 2 million+ test takers. Earning an 1100 makes you eligible to apply to most colleges and universities as a decent candidate.
Is 1400 a good SAT score? ›Is a 1400 SAT Score (95th Percentile) Good? Because a 1400 is only 200 points away from the highest possible score, it implies an outstanding academic performance and makes you a competitive candidate for admission at almost every one. This list includes a good number of selective and elite institutions of learning.
Is 1300 a good SAT score? ›Is a 1300 Sat Score (87th Percentile) Good? Yes. It indicates good performance in all sections of the exam and places you around the 87th percentile of all test takers, meaning you scored higher than 87% of all test takers.
Can I get into Harvard with a 1200 SAT? ›To get admission to top colleges like Harvard, MIT, and Stanford, one needs to score at least 1500. But there are more than 430 colleges that accept an SAT score of 1200 or 75th percentile score.
Can I get into an Ivy League with a 1300 SAT? ›For the Ivy League, competitive scores range between 1500-1550. For other highly competitive schools, it's above 1400. 1300 and above will make you a competitive applicant for most other public universities and private universities.
Is a 900 SAT score good? ›Is 900 a good SAT score? A “good” SAT score is one that makes you a competitive candidate at a majority of colleges, including your ideal college. A 900 doesn't give you as many college options as we'd normally like students to have, so raising your score closer to that national average (1150-1100) is encouraged.
What is the lowest SAT score colleges will accept? ›Less selective public institutions, as well as many small liberal arts colleges, regularly accept applicants in the 950-1050 range. Public universities in your state might also accept residents with scores on the lower end of the scale depending on their policies and your other qualifications.
Is 1290 a bad SAT score? ›Unfortunately, 1290 is not a good SAT score. In reality, it's a weak score that will keep you from achieving your college admissions goals. Although you're still outperforming the majority of test takers, it's still not enough to get you into the top schools in the country.
Is 1700 a good SAT score? ›If you are considering a school with more average-based acceptance requirements, an SAT exam score of 1500 to 1700 is a perfectly acceptable goal.
Is 2200 a high SAT score? ›
If you got above a 2200, you should proud – you're in the top 2% of test scorers. In fact, you're in the top 1% with a score of 2220 and up.
Is 1150 a good SAT score? ›The average national SAT score is between 1050 and 1100 every year (on purpose), putting an 1150 at an above-average 67th percentile — that's a score to be proud of! It means that you scored higher than 67% of all other test takers.
Is 1800 a bad SAT score? ›For example, a score of 1800 represents the 81st percentile, meaning a student with a score of 1800 scored better than 81 percent of the people who took the SAT that year. The percentile is critical since it is a true indicator of your positioning relative to other test takers, and thus college applicants.
Can you get into Harvard with a 1300 SAT? ›Harvard applicants with a combined SAT score of 1300-1400 and an average GPA of 3.5-4.0 have a better chance of being accepted to Harvard University.
Is 1600 a bad SAT score? ›A 1600 is only achieved by around 300 test takers per year and makes you eligible and highly competitive for admission at every college. Looking at this from another angle, a 1600 SAT score is in the 99nth percentile, which means you scored higher than 99% of all other 2 million+ test takers.
Is a 4.4 GPA good for Harvard? ›The average high school GPA for admitted students at Harvard University is 4.18 on a 4.0 scale. (You can calculate your high school a GPA here.) This is a very competitive GPA, and Harvard University is clearly accepting students at the top of their high school class.
Is 3.92 GPA good for Harvard? ›With that being said, there is still a benchmark GPA that you want to meet. I believe for Harvard it is 3.9-4.0 unweighted. It is always good to meet the average GPA or exceed it, but not having perfect grades doesn't eliminate your chances completely.
Is a 4.7 GPA good for Harvard? ›Can you get into Harvard with a 4.7 GPA? If you don't pass their SAT and GPA requirements, they'll likely reject you without much consideration. To be safe, you should aim for the 75th percentile, with a 1580 SAT and a 4.18 GPA or higher to be above average.
What is the lowest SAT score for Harvard? ›Harvard SAT Score Analysis (New 1600 SAT)
There's no absolute SAT requirement at Harvard, but they really want to see at least a 1460 to have a chance at being considered.
We will allow students to apply for admission without requiring ACT or SAT test results. Consistent with Harvard's whole-person admissions process, standardized tests are only one factor among many.
What is the lowest SAT score for Ivy League? ›
The minimum SAT score to get into an Ivy League school ranges from 690 to 730 for the reading section and from 700 to 730 for the math section. Getting 700 or 710 (or higher) on both of these sections will give you an advantage at most Ivy League universities.
Is 1000 OK on the SAT? ›Is A 1000 SAT Score (40th Percentile) Good? A score of 1000 places you at the 40th percentile of all exam takers. With a score of 1000, you'll be eligible to apply to a decent number of colleges, however, it won't make you a competitive applicant at most of them.
Is 1000 on SAT bad? ›Bad SAT Scores
Any score below 1000 can be considered poor. Some students simply don't test well. One option might be to choose a test-optional college that doesn't require SAT scores for admission. This would be especially true if your student has a strong GPA and good extracurriculars.
In 2019, the average SAT score was 1050. Any score above that would be above average and perfectly acceptable for many colleges. A score of 1350 would put you in the top 10% of test takers and help make your application competitive at more selective schools.
Is SAT more important than GPA? ›There are several reasons that the SAT is considered a more valuable admissions tool than your GPA. The most obvious is that the SAT is a standardized test. While your GPA compares you to the rest of your school, your SAT score compares you to the rest of the country. GPAs are not standard.
What if my SAT scores are low but my GPA is high? ›Since you have a high GPA but low SAT score, there are definitely ways to bounce back. Unless your SAT score is the lowest of lows, admissions officers will take your other components into account and might even overlook the SAT if they are strong enough. Your GPA is already high.
What is the easiest SAT to take? ›Myth: The March SAT® is the easiest SAT test date. Fact: There's no such thing as “the easiest SAT test date.” While it's true that some versions of the SAT are easier than others, it's false that some test dates are predictably easier than others.
Can you get a scholarship with a 1200 SAT score? ›There are many different types of scholarships available for college students, including those with an 1151-1200 SAT score, and many of them don't require a certain GPA, major, or other factors that might make it seem impossible to win one.
How many colleges can you get into with 1200 SAT score? ›1200 SAT Score Standings
You can apply to 1162 colleges and have a good shot at getting admitted. You have a very low chance of getting into 336 schools with this score.
There's no absolute SAT requirement at Yale, but they really want to see at least a 1470 to have a chance at being considered.
Can I get into UCLA with a 1200 SAT? ›
UCLA SAT Score Analysis (New 1600 SAT)
There's no absolute SAT requirement at UCLA, but they really want to see at least a 1290 to have a chance at being considered.
Shoot for at least a 28 on the ACT or above 1300 on the SAT. Some scholarships allow for flexibility, so check the particular scholarship, but these numbers generally give you the most options. Encourage your student to also pursue a high GPA or even 4.0, especially their senior year.
What SAT score is required for 100% scholarship? ›So you're probably wondering, What's a good SAT score for scholarships, and how can I find them? The short answer is that you should aim for an SAT score between 1200 and 1600 if you want to secure some scholarships based on merit–and the higher within that range you score the more money you're looking at.
Is 1150 a bad SAT score? ›The average national SAT score is between 1050 and 1100 every year (on purpose), putting an 1150 at an above-average 67th percentile — that's a score to be proud of! It means that you scored higher than 67% of all other test takers.
Can you get into Harvard with a 1500 SAT? ›There's no absolute SAT requirement at Harvard, but they really want to see at least a 1460 to have a chance at being considered.
What is the lowest GPA Yale will accept? ›You should also have a 4.14 GPA or higher. If your GPA is lower than this, you need to compensate with a higher SAT/ACT score. For a school as selective as Yale, you'll also need to impress them with the rest of your application. We'll cover those details next.
How many B's can you get to have a 3.9 GPA? ›A 3.9 GPA can be composed of three years of two semesters, each semester containing 5 classes, and all grades equal to As except 3, which are Bs. A 3.85 GPA is the same but 1 or 2 more Bs.
What is the hardest college to get into? ›- 1) Harvard University.
- 2) Columbia University.
- 3) Caltech.
- 4) Stanford University.
- 5) MIT.
- 6) Princeton University.
- 7) Yale University.
- 8) Brown University.
You must have a 3.0 GPA (3.4 for non-residents) or higher and no grades lower than a C in required high school courses. You can also substitute SAT subject tests for courses. If you don't meet the requirements, it is possible to gain admission with a high enough score on the ACT/SAT plus on two SAT subject tests.
Is a 3.92 GPA good for UCLA? ›The average admission GPA is between 3.92 and 4.00, so It's essential to make sure you maintain a strong GPA throughout high school.
Is a 4.3 GPA good for UCLA? ›
The average admitted GPA for the College of Letters & Science at UCLA is 4.2. For the Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science, the average admitted GPA is over 4.3. What is UCLA's current acceptance rate? 14.4% for the 2019-2020 admissions cycle.