Update: In 2021, the SAT will be offered on August 28, 2021.

The College Board announced early this year that they would be offering the SAT on August 26th, 2017. Prior to this year, the first opportunity students had to take the test after June was in October.

Now that the College Board is offering an August test date, students have many more options and opportunities to prepare well for the test. One big perk of this date is that students who complete prep during the summer will be able to take the test while the information is fresh in their minds.

So, why take the SAT in August? The new date will give you the opportunity to take the test before you get bombarded by school work, homework, and midterms. For rising seniors who need to take the test one last time to get a score for their college applications will now have a chance at an improved score to help early decision or early action applications. This new test date offering also helps those who are taking SAT Subject tests which are also being offered in August and October.

The best way to prepare for the test is to practice, practice, practice! And practice means taking diagnostic tests and reviewing them so you can better understand and fix your mistakes. Insight offers full-length diagnostic tests to allow students to take the test in a real testing environment – no cell phones or technology, a quiet room and the ability to see how you perform with no distractions.

Just understanding your body’s limitations and learning how to focus during the grueling four hours can really help you know what to expect on test day. Doing tutorials for the subject matter that you need to get more familiar with will also help you feel less anxiety on the day.

You may still suffer from some form of mild test anxiety – don’t worry, this is normal! Knowing what it is for you, be it butterflies in your stomach, sweating, tapping your pencil, or erasing every imaginary stray mark – being aware is the first step in finding ways to cope. Taking deep breaths, focusing on something specific, going through a phrase in your head before the test may be what helps you. Whatever it is, having the opportunity to identify and practice is the best way to calm your nerves before test day.

Insight Education is offering an SAT Boot Camp starting on Monday, July 31st and running through to August 11th to help students who are taking the SAT on August 26th practice and prepare. This 10-day class empowers students with the endurance and confidence needed to ace the test. We are also offering Boot Camps throughout the fall for those taking the test later in the year. For more class information, click here.

Every test day, all the team at Insight are sending virtual well wishes to our students. Good luck and know that we are always here to help!