How Long?

Any real Star Wars fan knows that Yoda never says “Patience you must have, my young padawan” (don’t at me on this because I know I’m right), but the quote nonetheless applies to the dreadful wait for your SAT results. SAT scores are typically viewable about two weeks after the exam, and College Board publishes a release date for each test date in advance. There is no longer an essay to wait on, because College Board discontinued the SAT Essay in 2021. They have often been released on the second Friday after your Saturday morning exam at around 2 am (PCT) or some time later in the day.

And what if they aren’t? Well, you probably took the summer test in June which takes around five weeks or you took the SAT on a school day which takes anywhere from 21-28 days after the exam date.

2026-2027 SAT Score Release Dates

College Board has published the following fall 2026 release dates. The spring 2027 dates have not been announced yet, and College Board says most weekend SAT scores post two to four weeks after test day.

For the full registration and deadline schedule, see our 2026-2027 SAT test dates guide.

When Do Colleges Receive Score Reports?

If you decided to take the SAT with the essay portion, colleges will most likely get your score within 10 days of accessing your essay score (assuming you put down said colleges as one of your four free score reports recipients); otherwise, additional score reports you order more than nine days after the SAT can take up to two weeks to process before being sent off to schools. If you took the SAT without the essay, then expect colleges to receive your results a couple days earlier than the full 10.

Remember…

Keep track of your College Board login information, so you can be up-to-date on the latest news regarding the exam and so you can easily login on score release day. If you’re that concerned about getting your scores to schools in time, try rush reporting which takes only 2-4 business days to process and is delivered three times a week to schools. However, I am leaning towards not recommending this as an option because I don’t think it’s worth it since the College Board can’t send your SAT score to schools unless the test has been scored. At the earliest, this will occur on the first score release date for your test date.

As I’ve said in my other article, it’s not the end of the world if you’re not satisfied with your score the first, second, or maybe even third time around. Check out my most recent article here to help you determine if you should retake the test. #ShamelessPlug

Anyways, if this is the case for you, use Prepmedians to figure out the areas you need to focus on for your next attempt! And don’t stress yourself out too much, you got this!

“Patience is a virtue, and I’m learning patience. It’s a tough lesson.” – Elon Musk