When you attend a traditional in-person high school, the school will remind you quite often that you should be signing up to take the SAT or ACT during your Junior and Senior years. However, online students are in the unique situation where they have flexible schedules that might not line up with their local school, and they aren’t in a one-on-one setting to be reminded of when and how to schedule their SAT or ACT test. If you’re not sure where to start, you’ve actually got a couple of options for signing up to take either the SAT or ACT.
Call Your Local School District
Not every district offers each of these types of standardized tests. Some offer the PSAT to 8th grade or 10th grade students. Some schools offer the SAT to their juniors and seniors. And others offer the ACT to 11th and 12th grade students. When you’re calling your local school about any of these tests, you will want to ask to speak to the guidance counselor or administrator in charge of standardized tests like the PSAT, SAT, and ACT.
If you’re a student in 10th grade or below and would like to take the PSAT to see what this type of standardized test is like, the only way to sign up for it is through a local school district. In order to have the chance to take the PSAT, you have to call your local high school and ask to speak to the guidance counselor or administrator in charge of standardized testing like the PSAT. You’ll want to make that call either the grade level before you want to take the test or at the very start of the school year in August or September to make sure you get to take the test. Usually, the PSAT is offered in October, so planning ahead is best for this test.
Signing up for SAT School Day is the same process. Since many local schools offer the SAT on a weekday, to participate in this, you have to contact your local school and ask to speak to the guidance counselor or administrator in charge of the SAT or standardized testing. You might still have to pay the same registration fee as you would through the SAT website, and not all school districts will make room for you to take this test with their students.
SAT School Day Test Dates are already set and listed on the website under “SAT School Day Test Dates.” Each participating school picks one or two days when they offer the test, so you want to ask about it either in 10th grade to take it in 11th or during 11th grade to take it in 12th. You don’t want to miss out on your chance to take the SAT, so make sure you plan ahead to get signed up with your local school if they offer this as a testing option.
If you plan ahead, you can also end up being eligible for your SAT fee to be waived. To check to see if you qualify to have your SAT fee waived, visit the Fee Waiver Eligibility page of the College Board’s site.
The plan is the same for the ACT. You’ll have to plan ahead to contact your local school and speak with the guidance counselor or administrator in charge of standardized testing like the ACT. If they offer the ACT, the school will have a couple of set dates when their students will be testing. The school might allow you to come test with their students, but you might have to pay the ACT testing fees. Each school district is different, so plan ahead to make sure you don’t miss out on this opportunity if it’s available to you.
Visit The College Board Website
If you want to take the SAT at a school near you, you’ve got another option, too. The process is the same as any other student taking it: You have to go to the College Board website and do a Test Center Search. First, you select the test date that you want to take the test, and then select the location of where you’d like to take the SAT. You can choose a distance of how far you’re willing to travel from your zip code, but there’s no guarantee that your local high school will be offering the test on the date you choose. That means you might have to choose a different date or travel to a different location to take the test in a timely manner. You’ll be given the chance to filter for “All test centers” and “Test centers with available seats.”
After you find a test center, that’s when it’s time to register for the test. On most of the pages, you can find a blue “Register” button that will lead you to a Sign In Page. You either sign in or create your account with the College Board and then select your test date location. Seats fill up fast, so it’s important that you take whatever opening you can swing with your schedule. Be sure you have your personal information, the payment method, and have a photo to upload that meets the College Board’s criteria. Be sure you use the full, legal name and information that is shown on your photo ID or you won’t be allowed to test on your test day.
Visit The ACT Website
If your local school doesn’t offer the ACT or doesn’t open the test up to anyone who isn’t their student, you can sign up for the test on the ACT website. Again, planning ahead to take this test is really important since test dates fill up quickly. Your first step is to use the ACT’s Find an ACT Test Center page. You’ll enter in your country, state, city, and zip code, as well as having the option to click “Non-Saturday” if you want a weekday test. After you search, the site will filter the locations near you where you can test. If you can’t find anything that way, search the entire state and locate the city nearest you. Once you find the town you want to test in, select it and you’ll see the location of the test site, a list of testing dates available, and the “center code.”
You’ll want to note that information so that when you go to register, you can easily sign up for the center and date you have selected. You’ll have to make an account and pay for any fees at the time of registration, so be sure you’re ready to go before you start the process. The registration process takes about 30 minutes as long as you have all the information you need to complete the registration process: payment information, high school course details, & a headshot photo. You’ll want to follow the same guidelines as with the SAT and use the exact information from your photo ID in your registration process to avoid missing out on test day.
About Excel High School
Excel High School is an accredited online school that offers many different academic program options for students grade 6 through graduation. If you’re an Excel High School student ready to sign up for the SAT or ACT, our high school code is 240707; you’ll need that for registration. If you’re not and want to find out more about our fully online, self-paced programs that fit around your family’s schedule, our support team is here to help you along the way. Feel free to check out our programs on our website. Still got questions? Feel free to reach out to us by text at 952-465-3700 or call us at 800-620-3844. Our staff will be happy to answer any questions you have and guide you to the best program for your individual needs.
