School-Day PSAT and SAT for Seattle Public Schools Students

Seattle Public Schools contracts with the College Board for the school-day PSAT and SAT only. The district—as a single entity—does not contract with the College Board for Saturday testing or the ACT.

For any issues concerning Saturday testing, Saturday testing with accommodations, or rescheduling due to cancellations, please contact the College Board directly. 

Get SAT and PSAT Ready

• SPS students will be automatically registered for the SAT and PSAT/NMSQT
• Create your free College Board account
• Check out the College Board website for FREE test prep resources
• Contact your high school counselor or academic intervention specialist for additional information
• Review approved calculators for SAT and PSAT – the digital exams do have an embedded calculator tool for allowed sections.

School Day SAT and PSAT/NMSQT- October 2025

Seattle Public Schools will again be administering the SAT and PSAT/NMSQT districtwide in October 2025.  Please see key details below and reach out to your school’s counselor or academic intervention specialist for more information and school specific testing dates. 

• All 12th grade students will be registered for the SAT  
• All 11th grade students for the PSAT/NMSQT.   
• There is no cost to SPS students for the exams. 
• The SAT and PSAT/NMSQT are now fully digital.  The digital exams are shorter, adaptive, and include an embedded calculator.  Students are required to use their SPS device to participate in the SAT and PSAT/NMSQT. Personal computers are not permitted. 
• Exams will take place during a testing window throughout October 2025, determined by each high school.  Contact your student’s school for exact dates and times. 
• Running Start students enrolled in SPS will be registered for the SAT or PSAT but must come to their high school at least a week in advance to receive an SPS device and install the College Board testing browser. 
• Students who live within the SPS attendance area boundaries but attend private, online, or home based schools may be eligible to participate in the SAT (12th grade only) or PSAT (11th grade only) at their neighborhood SPS school.
  • The student must first enroll as part-time status to receive ancillary services  SPS Enrollment.  SPS Enrollment staff will then reach out with next steps including a high school assignment.
  • Contact the school no later than Friday, September 26 to request participation and details.
  • Confirm that the school is able to accommodate your request at least one week before testing begins. 
• For any new accommodation requests, the parent/guardian must submit the consent form to the school to initiate the approval process.  Students who have had accommodations approved for previous College Board exams do not need to request again.  Only accommodations approved by the College Board in advance are permitted for the SAT and PSAT/NMSQT. 
• For School Day SAT and PSAT/NSMQT, English learners may be eligible for 50% extra time, use of a word-to-word bilingual dictionary and translated directions.  The extra time support for English learners requires parent/guardian consent if the student is under 18 years of age, and the request must be approved in advance by the College Board. 

Useful Links 

• SAT School Day 
• PSAT/NMSQT 
• Free College Board Account (required to view/send scores)  
• Accommodations (SAT and PSAT/NMSQT) 
• English Learner Supports (SAT and PSAT/NMSQT) 

About the SAT

The Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) is the most widely used college admission test in the country. SAT scores are one tool used to demonstrate student college and career readiness.  

The school-day administration offers these benefits:

• No cost. The school-day test is free for SPS students.
• Students may also send up to four score reports for free. The school-day test permits students to send score reports to as many as four colleges or scholarship programs.
• Additional pathway to graduation. A qualifying score on the SAT can be used as a graduation pathway for ELA and/or math. Current qualifying scores are 410 for ELA and 430 for math.

About the PSAT

The (Preliminary SAT) PSAT provides valuable feedback on strengths and the skills necessary for college study . Students can then focus their preparation on areas that could most benefit from additional study or practice. The PSAT measures critical reading skills, math problem-solving skills and writing skills.

Gives insight on how a performance on an admissions test compares to others applying to college .Helps students prepare for the SAT. Students will become familiar with the kinds of questions and the exact directions they will see on the SAT.

Could help juniors qualify for scholarships . The Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) for juniors is a program co-sponsored by the College Board and National Merit Scholarship Corp. (NMSC).

Fee Waivers and Benefits

Students who qualify for free or reduced price meals (FRL) may be eligible to receive additional benefits from the College Board such as free SAT tests and unlimited sending of scores. In order to receive these benefits, applicants must check the box on the form for ‘Pre College Exams’ in section number 7 of the free or reduced price meals form and sign.

Supports for Students with Disabilities and English Learners

Support for Students with Disabilities

Accommodations may be available for the PSAT/SAT for students with documented disabilities in a 504 Plan or IEP.  Parents must initiate the request well in advance for accommodations by completing the consent form and submitting it to the school’s SSD coordinator with the necessary documentation.  From that point, the SSD coordinator will make the formal request to the College Board for approval. Any accommodations for testing must be approved first by the College Board.  Accommodations may include extra time, separate setting, or large print booklets. 

Consent Form for Accommodations Request

Supports for English Learners

Supports for students in the English Learner program may be available for the SAT and PSAT/NMSQT including translated directions, extra time, and use of an approved bilingual dictionary (word to word, no definitions). Contact your school’s SAT coordinator for additional information and questions about eligibility.

Approved Dictionaries for PSAT and SAT

More information

Questions about specific administration details should be directed to the testing coordinator at the student’s school.

Additional information about the PSAT, the NMSQT, and the SAT can be found by visiting the College Board website. The College Board website also has practice tests and personalized study options, all free of charge.