The SAT is offered seven times a year: August, October, November, December, March, May and June. The ACT runs on a similar seven-date calendar. Registration typically closes about five weeks before the test date, with a late window that closes roughly two and a half weeks out at a higher fee. We recommend starting formal prep at least eight weeks before the sitting a student is targeting - ten to twelve if the diagnostic shows more than one weak section.
If a student is inside four weeks of a test date with no diagnostic yet taken, we will say so plainly: that date is likely too close for a first-time full prep plan, and we will recommend targeting the next sitting instead of promising results the calendar cannot support.
