The short answer
Students in the UAE sit the SAT on the same weekend dates as everyone else. As of October 2026, the remaining 2026–27 dates are 7 November and 5 December 2026, and 6 March, 1 May and 5 June 2027.
Students in the UAE take the SAT on the same weekend dates as students everywhere: College Board states that its SAT Weekend dates and deadlines apply to all students, in the US and internationally. As of October 2026, the 2026–27 dates are 22 August, 12 September, 3 October, 7 November and 5 December 2026, then 6 March, 1 May and 5 June 2027. The August, September and October sittings have already taken place, which leaves November and December 2026 and three dates in spring 2027. Check each registration deadline in the table before you plan around a date.
SAT dates, deadlines and score releases for 2026–27
Every date below comes from College Board's SAT dates and deadlines page and its score release calendar, as of October 2026.
| Test date | Registration deadline | Deadline for changes, regular cancellation and late registration | Scores released to students |
|---|---|---|---|
| 22 August 2026 | Passed | Passed | 4 September 2026 |
| 12 September 2026 | Passed | Passed | 25 September 2026 |
| 3 October 2026 | 18 September 2026 | 22 September 2026 | 16 October 2026 |
| 7 November 2026 | 23 October 2026 | 27 October 2026 | 20 November 2026 |
| 5 December 2026 | 20 November 2026 | 24 November 2026 | 18 December 2026 |
| 6 March 2027 | 19 February 2027 | 23 February 2027 | 19 March 2027 |
| 1 May 2027 | 16 April 2027 | 20 April 2027 | 14 May 2027 |
| 5 June 2027 | 21 May 2027 | 25 May 2027 | 21 June 2027 |
College Board's deadlines expire at 11:59 p.m. US Eastern Time, which is already the following morning in the UAE. Aim to finish registering on the deadline date itself, UAE time, rather than relying on those extra hours. Late registration is available worldwide for an additional fee, but it is a fallback rather than a plan.
Looking for the August or September SAT?
The August and September 2026 sittings have passed, so the next ones fall in 2027. College Board lists these anticipated dates for 2027–28: 28 August, 18 September, 9 October, 6 November and 4 December 2027, then 4 March, 6 May and 3 June 2028. "Anticipated" means they can still change, so confirm them on College Board's page before you build a plan around them.
Choosing a date as a student in the UAE
- Leave room for a second sitting. Scores from weekend tests usually arrive two to four weeks after test day. A November sitting releases scores on 20 November 2026, the same day as the December registration deadline; late registration for December runs to 24 November, and March is the next option after that.
- Check the date against your applications. College Board describes the 5 December 2026 sitting as the last test before college deadlines. Each university sets its own deadline, so compare it with the score release date and allow time for scores to be sent.
- Watch the May and June exam season. If you are taking A Levels or the IB Diploma, the 1 May and 5 June 2027 dates fall close to or inside your own exam series, when SAT practice competes with revision. March, or an autumn date, avoids that clash.
Registering from the UAE
- Register online through your College Board account. College Board asks you to have a photo and a form of payment ready before you start.
- Choose your test centre during registration. Use the SAT test centre search to see which centres in the UAE offer the date you want, and check College Board's test centre closings list before test day.
- Sort out your device early. The SAT is taken in the Bluebook app on a Windows laptop or tablet, a Mac or iPad, or a school-managed Chromebook; personal Chromebooks are not permitted. If you need to borrow a device from College Board, register for a date at least 30 days away and submit the request in My SAT at least 30 days before test day.
- Check the international rules. As of October 2026, College Board's policies for international testing list extra registration rules only for Hong Kong, India and Pakistan. The UAE is not among them, but you need an acceptable photo ID on test day, and College Board notes that some countries have their own ID requirements, so check the rules for the UAE before you register.
- Plan for an early start. College Board lists 7:45 a.m. local time against the November and December 2026 sittings, so check your admission ticket and plan the journey the night before.
Plan backwards from the date
A test date is most useful as the end point of a plan. The digital SAT is section-adaptive and taken on screen in Bluebook; our guide to the digital SAT format explains what that changes about preparation. Timed, full-length SAT practice tests, reviewed question by question, show whether the date you have picked is realistic, and the SAT preparation programme works backwards from your test date to a weekly schedule, with online lessons in UAE time.