What time do SAT scores come out? When students should expect results

Every year, millions of students across the United States take the SAT — or Scholastic Aptitude Test — a major milestone on the road to college.

The SAT measures reading, writing, and math skills, and a high score can strengthen college applications and open the door to scholarship opportunities. In 2023, more than 1.9 million students took the exam, according to the College Board. Many colleges and organizations offer scholarships based on strong SAT performance.

However, the competition is fierce. While programs like National Merit focus on PSAT scores, many other scholarships consider SAT scores, and some schools even award merit-based aid automatically for top scorers.

When do SAT scores come out in 2025?

The College Board, the organization responsible for administering the test, announced that scores will be released in phases depending on whether testing was done on a weekend or in school:

Spring 2025 score release dates for SAT weekend:

• Friday, June 20, for tests taken on June 7

The release date of your scores depends on when you took the test and when your test was submitted, not on your scores, grade or location.

If you’ve taken an exam before June 7 — at school or independently — your test scores should already be available.

What time do scores come out?

Last year, SAT weekend scores were released in stages to manage the high volume of students checking their results, according to College Board. Some scores become available as early as 6 a.m., with most students able to view their scores by 8 p.m. on the release date.

For SAT in-school testing, scores typically become available around 6 p.m. on the designated release day.

3 ways to check your SAT scores

College Board indicates there are several ways to check your SAT score.

1. School counselor: Your school counselor will receive a PDF version of your score, which they can share. Some college prep websites note that your counselor may have test scores before they are released online.
2. BigFuture School mobile app: If you included your phone number on test day, you can check the app for scores.
3. College Board student account: Your score and insights will be available online.

How to send your SAT scores to colleges or universities

When you registered for the SAT or took the test at school, you may have selected colleges or scholarship programs to receive your scores. If you didn’t choose recipients on test day or wish to add more, you can send your scores to additional institutions once they’re available, according to the College Board website.

Follow these steps to send your SAT scores:

1. Sign in to your College Board account: Go to the Send SAT Scores page. If you see a prompt about fee waivers, you can ignore it unless it applies to you.
2. Select institutions to send your scores to: You can search for colleges or universities by name or code.
3. Add institutions to your score recipient list: Click on one or more institutions to add them, then click Continue.
4. Choose which scores to send: For each recipient, you can choose to send all of your scores or just a specific set. If you’ve taken the SAT multiple times, you can send your best score. However, some institutions may require that you send all of your scores, so be sure to check the school’s score submission policy as you make your selections.
5. Review and finalize your order: Double-check your selections and then proceed to checkout.

In addition to your test scores, the recipient will also receive demographic information.

How long does the SAT take?

If you’re preparing for the SAT, knowing the test duration and what it involves is important.

The digital SAT lasts 2 hours and 14 minutes, excluding breaks. You’ll have a 10-minute break between the Reading & Writing and Math sections. The test is divided into two sections:

• Reading and Writing: 64 minutes with 54 questions (approximately 1 minute 11 seconds per question)
• Math: 70 minutes with 44 questions (approximately 1 minute 35 seconds per question)

On test day, doors at the test center open at 7:45 a.m. and close at 8 a.m. After check-in, students are seated, and the proctor reads preliminary instructions. The test typically begins between 8:30 and 9 a.m., depending on how long these steps take.