How to Cancel SAT Registration: Fees and Deadlines 2026

To cancel your SAT registration, sign in to your My SAT account at College Board, open the registration you want to drop, and choose Cancel Registration from the "I would like to" menu. If you cancel by 11:59 p.m. ET on the Thursday before test day, you get your registration fee back minus a cancellation fee: $34 if you cancel by the change deadline, or $44 if you cancel after it (College Board).

After that Thursday, there is no cancellation refund. This guide covers the exact steps, the fees, the deadlines for the October 3, November 7, and December 5 tests, what happens if you simply skip the test, and how canceling a registration differs from canceling your scores after you test.

How to Cancel Your SAT Registration, Step by Step

Canceling happens entirely online. You do not need to call anyone or email your test center.

1. Sign in to My SAT. Go to mysat.collegeboard.org and log in with the College Board account you used to register.
2. Find the registration. Open the test date you want to cancel.
3. Open the "I would like to" menu and select Cancel Registration.
4. Confirm. Follow the prompts to finish. Your refund (minus the cancellation fee) goes back to your original form of payment.
5. Watch for the refund. College Board says refunds are processed starting 3 to 5 business days after you cancel (SAT Refunds).

One thing to know before you click: once you cancel, the seat is gone. If you change your mind and want that date back, you have to register again, and popular test centers may be full by then.

SAT Cancellation Fees and Refunds

The SAT costs $68 to register in the US. When you cancel in time, College Board refunds the registration fee and charges a separate cancellation fee. How much depends on when you cancel (SAT Test Fees):

A few details from College Board's refund page that are easy to miss:

• Score reports you ordered at registration are refundable only if you are absent on test day.
• Rush score reports cannot be refunded.
• These amounts come from College Board's fee table labeled "Fees Through December 2026." If you are canceling a spring 2027 registration, check the fee page again in case anything changes.

SAT Cancellation Deadlines for October, November, and December 2026

Each weekend SAT has two cancel cutoffs. The first is the "Deadline for Changes, Regular Cancellation, and Late Registration" on College Board's dates and deadlines page. The second is 11:59 p.m. ET on the Thursday before test day, which is the last moment you can cancel and still get money back. All deadlines are Eastern Time.

If you are registered for October 3: the $34 window closed on September 22. You can still cancel through Thursday, October 1 at 11:59 p.m. ET and get your registration fee back minus $44. After that, canceling no longer returns anything.

Score release dates come from College Board's score release page. For the full year of dates, including spring 2027, see our SAT test dates guide.

What Happens If You Don't Show Up for the SAT?

If you skip the test without canceling, you should not expect your registration fee back. College Board's refund rules return the registration fee only when you cancel by the Thursday before test day. The only item its refund page lists as refundable for being absent is score reports you ordered with your registration.

You also cannot count on a free makeup. College Board says it may offer a makeup test when a test center cannot open or when a misadministration or irregularity happens, and that it will contact you if a makeup is needed (SAT Makeup Tests). Deciding not to go is not on that list.

So if there is any chance you will miss a date, cancel by Thursday. Losing $34 or $44 beats losing $68.

Changing Your SAT Test Date Instead of Canceling

Most students who search for "SAT cancellation" really want a different date, not no date. College Board handles that as two steps: "To change the test date, you must cancel and register for a new test" (Changing Your Registration Info).

1. Register for the new date first. College Board notes you can cancel the old registration or register for a new date first. Doing the new registration first locks in your seat before you give up the old one.
2. Then cancel the old date by its deadline. You pay the $34 or $44 cancellation fee and get the rest of the original fee back.

For example, moving from October 3 to November 7 right now costs a $44 cancellation fee on the October registration plus the $68 registration for November, and you get $68 back from October. That is $44 more than keeping your original date. If you register for November after October 23, the $38 late fee applies too.

Changing only your test center is different. It costs $34 and keeps your date, and you make the change in your College Board account by the change deadline. If you are still weighing dates, our guide on when to take the SAT can help you pick, and SAT registration walks through signing up again.

Canceling With an SAT Fee Waiver

Fee waiver students pay nothing to cancel. College Board lists "no cancellation fees" among fee waiver benefits and says that when you cancel, "your unused fee waiver benefits will be returned to you" (Fee Waiver Benefits). The waiver covers two free SAT tests, so canceling one returns that free test for you to use on another date.

If you are not sure whether the benefit came back after you canceled, ask your school counselor, who manages fee waivers for your school.

Canceling Your Registration vs. Canceling Your Scores

These are two different things, and people mix them up. Canceling a registration means you do not take the test. Canceling your scores means you took the test and want that result erased for good.

For the digital weekend SAT, College Board says you can cancel your score as soon as you leave the test center, and you must do it no later than 11:59 p.m. ET one week after your test date (Canceling Your SAT Weekend Scores). For the October 3 test, that means by October 10. Once canceled, the scores "can't be reinstated or reported to you or any institutions," so you will never see them either.

If you took the SAT at school on a weekday, the rule is different: you ask testing staff to submit a cancellation request within five days of test day (Canceling SAT School Day Scores).

Before you cancel scores, remember you often do not need to. With Score Choice you pick which test dates to send, though some colleges and scholarship programs require all your scores, and Score Choice does not apply to the free score sends you choose before scores come out (Score Choice). Many schools also superscore, so a weak date can still add a strong section. See SAT superscoring explained and how to send SAT scores.

Should You Cancel or Just Take the Test?

If you are sick, have a conflict, or know you will not be there, cancel by Thursday. That part is simple.

If you are only nervous or feel underprepared, think twice. There is no limit on how many times you can take the SAT, and a test you take gives you a real score report showing exactly which skills to work on. You can still cancel the scores within a week if the day goes badly.

Timing matters for seniors. October 3 scores arrive October 16, and November 7 scores arrive November 20. If you are applying early, check our guide to the last SAT and ACT date for early decision before you give up a fall date.

If you do push your test back, use the extra weeks on your weakest skills. Larry Learns has 25,000+ SAT and ACT practice questions with a free tier of 3 quizzes and 3 AI explanations a day, which works well for short daily sessions.

Frequently Asked Questions About Canceling SAT Registration

Can I get a full refund if I cancel my SAT?

You get the full registration fee back, but College Board charges a separate cancellation fee: $34 if you cancel by the change deadline, or $44 if you cancel after that and by 11:59 p.m. ET on the Thursday before test day. After Thursday, there is no refund. Fee waiver students pay no cancellation fee.

What is the last day to cancel the October 3 SAT?

Thursday, October 1, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. ET. The cheaper $34 cancellation window closed on September 22, so canceling now costs $44 out of your $68 registration fee.

Can I change my SAT date without canceling?

No. College Board requires you to cancel and register for a new test to change the date. Register for the new date first to secure your seat, then cancel the old one. Only a test center change (same date) can be made as a simple change, for $34.

What happens if I miss the SAT without canceling?

You should not expect your registration fee back, because the refund applies only to cancellations made by the Thursday before test day. Score reports you ordered with registration are refundable if you are absent. College Board offers makeup tests when a test center can't open or a testing irregularity happens, not when you choose to skip.

Is canceling my SAT scores the same as canceling my registration?

No. Canceling scores happens after you test and permanently deletes that result. For the weekend SAT, you have until 11:59 p.m. ET one week after test day. Canceling a registration happens before the test and means you do not take it at all.

Does canceling the SAT look bad to colleges?

A canceled registration never produces a score, so there is nothing to send to colleges. Moving a date is a normal part of planning, and there is no limit on how many times you can take the SAT later.

Whatever date you end up with, steady practice matters more than the calendar. Try a free SAT practice quiz or create a free account to track your progress before test day.