SAT or ACT, planned backward
Pick the test, pick the date, and count back. Most juniors in Seattle take their first official test between December and March, after the PSAT in October.
The backward planner
Choose a real 2026-27 date, a package and the hours a week your teen can protect. The planner gives the latest start that still fits, where the practice tests fall and when registration closes.
Test
Test date
Package
Hours a week
Start the week of Monday, December 7, 2026
13 weeks to the Mar 6 SAT. Registration closes Feb 19.
- Dec 7Start2 hrs
- Dec 14Math2 hrs
- Dec 21Reading2 hrs
- Dec 28Math2 hrs
- Jan 4Practice test2 hrs
- Jan 11Reading2 hrs
- Jan 18Math2 hrs
- Jan 25Math2 hrs
- Feb 1Reading2 hrs
- Feb 8Practice test2 hrs
- Feb 15Math2 hrsRegister by Feb 19
- Feb 22Practice test2 hrs
- Mar 1Test day1 hr
MathReading and writingFull practice testTaper week
The two tests, side by side
Colleges in Washington and across the US accept either one equally. The difference is pace and format, which is why the diagnostic times every question.
| Feature | Digital SAT | Enhanced ACT |
|---|---|---|
| Sections | Reading and Writing; Math | English; Math; Reading; Science optional |
| Questions and time | 98 questions, 2 hours 14 minutes | 131 questions, 2 hours 5 minutes, plus 40 minutes for Science |
| Scoring | 400 to 1600, two sections of 200 to 800 | 1 to 36 composite of English, Math and Reading |
| Format | Digital and adaptive in two modules, on the Bluebook app | Online or paper, not adaptive |
| Calculator | Allowed for all of Math, Desmos built in | Allowed for all of Math |
| Pace | About 71 seconds a reading question, 95 a math question | About 36 seconds an English question, 67 a math question |
Test dates and deadlines
| Test day | Register by | Late registration |
|---|---|---|
| Saturday, November 7, 2026 | Oct 23, 2026 | Oct 27, 2026 |
| Saturday, December 5, 2026 | Nov 20, 2026 | Nov 24, 2026 |
| Saturday, March 6, 2027 | Feb 19, 2027 | Feb 23, 2027 |
| Saturday, May 1, 2027 | Apr 16, 2027 | Apr 20, 2027 |
| Saturday, June 5, 2027 | May 21, 2027 | May 25, 2027 |
| Test day | Register by | Late registration |
|---|---|---|
| Saturday, December 12, 2026 | Nov 6, 2026 | See act.org |
| Saturday, February 27, 2027 | Jan 22, 2027 | See act.org |
| Saturday, April 10, 2027 | Mar 5, 2027 | See act.org |
| Saturday, June 12, 2027 | May 7, 2027 | See act.org |
| Saturday, July 10, 2027 | Jun 4, 2027 | See act.org |
Dates from College Board and ACT for the 2026-27 school year. Check satsuite.collegeboard.org or act.org before you register; we'll redo your plan if a date moves.
How prep runs
Weeknights, onlineTwo 55-minute sessions a week on Zoom with a shared whiteboard
Saturdays, in personFull proctored practice tests at 9 AM in Wallingford, timed to the minute
Test prep questions
Which testSAT or ACT?
Take the diagnostic as SAT first. If the reading questions felt rushed but the math felt fine, the ACT's pace usually suits less well, and the SAT is the better bet. If your teen likes moving quickly and wants science in the mix, the ACT can fit. We'll say which we'd pick at the consult.
TimingWhen should we start?
Work backward from the test date: a 24-hour plan at two hours a week needs about 13 weeks. For the March 6 SAT that means starting in early December. The planner on the SAT and ACT page does the arithmetic for any date.
GuaranteesDo you guarantee a score?
No. A guarantee would be a promise about your teen's result, and no honest tutor can make it. What we do promise: a written plan, a progress note after every session, every practice-test score shared with you, and a refund of any hours you don't use.
FormatOnline or in person?
Both. In person at our second-floor room on North 45th Street in Wallingford, or online on Zoom with a shared whiteboard. Most test-prep families mix the two: sessions online on weeknights, practice tests in person on Saturday mornings.
SAT is a trademark registered by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse, Brightside Tutoring. PSAT/NMSQT is a trademark of the College Board and the National Merit Scholarship Corporation. ACT is a registered trademark of ACT Education Corp., which is not affiliated with and does not endorse this site.
Talk to a tutor this week
A free 30-minute consult, online or in Wallingford. You'll leave with a straight answer on SAT or ACT and how many hours it takes.