Wouldn't it be convenient if you could just show up on test day and take the SAT? Unfortunately, that's not how it works. Standardized testing isn't like a test for a class, where your only job is to study. For the SAT, you're responsible for all the annoying administrative work that your teachers normally do for you. You'll need to register in advance, and the further ahead you plan, the better off you'll be.
It's impossible to stress this enough: start early. The SAT registration process rewards early birds and penalizes procrastinators. You should start thinking about registration and test dates as early as the summer before your junior year of high school.
Now that you're sufficiently forewarned about the schedule, it's time to learn how registration works. First, you decide when you want to take the test. The SAT is offered several times a year, usually in January, March, May, June, October, November, and December. There's no advantage or disadvantage to any particular date, so just choose whatever works for you. Many students take the test at least once in their junior year of high school and then again in their senior year.
Registering
Once you've picked your date, it's time to register. Registration opens several months before the test date, and there's no such thing as too early! You should pick your date and get ready to register at least a month in advance.
Why is this so important? For one thing, it saves you money. The last day to register at the regular price is about a month before test day. If you want to pay extra for late registration, you can sign up for about two weeks before the test - but it'll cost you an extra $28!
If you miss even that, you can register with waitlist status up to 5 days before the test for $46 on top of your test fee. That's even more expensive than late registration, and you're not guaranteed a seat. You show up to the test center and cross your fingers that they have space for you. If there's room, you'll get to test.
The lesson here is: don't put yourself through that. It's much better to plan ahead and register in time for the regular deadline.
When you know your test date and you're ready to register, first get together these three things:
- A digital photo of yourself. This is used to verify your identity on test day. You need a high-quality photo that's easily recognizable as you, with no other people in the picture. It should be just your head and shoulders, with nothing covering your face. Think of an ID photo: that's what you're going for.
- A credit card to pay for the test. The SAT costs $43 without the essay or $54.50 with the essay - and that's without late registration fees. If you can't afford the fee, talk to the guidance counselor at your school about the CollegeBoard's fee waiver program.
- Your Social Security number.
Then go to http://sat.collegeboard.org/register to make an account on the CollegeBoard's website and register for the test. Plan to spend about half an hour on this process, because you have to fill out a massive series of registration forms. You'll answer questions about your academic interests, your school, your parents' education, and other demographic information. Then you'll choose from available test centers in your area and decide whether you want to take the SAT with or without the essay. If space permits, you can change your mind about the essay on test day. Finally, you'll pay and get your admission ticket to download and print.