South Dakota 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 South Dakota 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 South Dakota

South Dakota administers the SD-ACT to every public high school junior free during the school day as the state's official assessment, not the SAT.

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: South Dakota testing information.

Which South Dakota colleges need an SAT score for fall 2027

Every college on this list is test optional for fall 2027, so a score is a choice, not a requirement. A score inside or above a school's range can still help, and some scholarships still use scores.

Scholarship scores and their deadlines

SD Opportunity Scholarship, Option 1 (score + curriculum/GPA): $1,500/year for years 1-3 and $3,000 in year 4; requires completing the state's required high school curriculum with no grade below a C and a 3.0 cumulative GPA

SD Opportunity Scholarship, Option 2 (score only, no curriculum/GPA): Same $1,500/year for years 1-3 and $3,000 in year 4, with no curriculum or GPA condition attached to initial eligibility

The tiers, GPA rules and class years are on our South Dakota 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 South Dakota?

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 South Dakota families

• SAT prep in South Dakota
• SAT scores for South Dakota colleges
• South Dakota scholarship score requirements
• 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 South Dakota colleges, and build the six to twelve week plan to hit it. See the ranges at SAT Scores for South Dakota Colleges.