North Carolina SAT Test Dates: 2026-27 and 2027-28

Updated October 2026 by Carson Flowers. Dates checked against College Board on October 9, 2026.

The short answer: College Board runs eight SAT Weekend dates in 2026-27, and 5 are still ahead: November 7, December 5, March 6, May 1, June 5. The free test at school in North Carolina is the ACT, so an SAT score means a weekend date from this list. Anticipated dates run through June 2028.

All 2026-27 SAT dates and deadlines

Deadlines close at 11:59 p.m. Eastern. Source: College Board test dates and deadlines and score release dates. Scores arrive about two weeks after each test (June takes a little longer), and that release date is when you learn whether a retake is needed, often just days before the next registration deadline.

The SAT at school in North Carolina

North Carolina gives the ACT, not the SAT, free to all 11th graders at school statewide.

The school-day ACT still counts for colleges that take either test. A student who wants an SAT score, because they test better on it or because a scholarship or program asks for it, registers for a weekend date above.

Source: North Carolina testing information.

Which North Carolina colleges need an SAT score for fall 2027

Plan the test dates around these schools first: UNC Chapel Hill, NC State, UNC Charlotte, App State and ECU require a score, so the last date that reports in time for their deadlines is the one that matters.

Scholarship scores and their deadlines

Park Scholarships: Full tuition, fees, room, board, books, travel, and a computer for about 38 awarded students per class at NC State

Levine Scholars: Full tuition, housing, meals, fees, summer and civic funding at UNC Charlotte for 22 scholars per class

The tiers, GPA rules and class years are on our North Carolina SAT prep page. Count back from the scholarship's testing deadline and from your earliest application deadline, and plan around whichever comes first.

Anticipated 2027-28 SAT dates

These are College Board's own published planning dates, with no registration deadlines yet, and College Board can still move them. It already moved one: the October 2027 date is now October 9. Nothing past June 2028 has been published.

Quick answers

When is the next SAT in North Carolina?

November 7, 2026. Register by October 23, 2026, or by October 27, 2026 with the late fee. Weekend SAT dates are the same in every state. Register early to get a test center close to home.

When should a junior take the SAT?

A first official score in the fall or winter of junior year, then a retake in March or May. That leaves June and the anticipated August 2027 date as insurance, with scores back before senior-year applications open.

How many times should my teen take the SAT?

Two or three sittings is typical. Many colleges superscore, combining the best section scores across dates, so a planned second attempt usually costs little and can add points. Check each college's own policy.

Are the PSAT dates the same as the SAT dates?

No. The PSAT/NMSQT is given at school between October 1 and 30, 2026. Schools register students themselves, and only the junior-year PSAT counts toward National Merit.

More for North Carolina families

• SAT prep in North Carolina
• SAT scores for North Carolina colleges
• Find your teen's target score

Every date without a plan is a wasted shot

Between school, sports and deadlines, most students get two or three test dates that really count. In a free Strategy Session we count your teen's remaining dates, set the target score for their North Carolina colleges, and build the six to twelve week plan to hit it. See the ranges at SAT Scores for North Carolina Colleges.