Before you worry about how hard a test is, work out when you need to take it. Your score has to exist before your application deadline, with time left for a second try if the first one goes badly. That deadline tells you when to sit the test, and the test date tells you when to start preparing.
This guide covers three of the most common: the SAT for US universities, the UCAT for UK medicine and dentistry, and IELTS (or TOEFL) for English. Dates are correct as of 26 October 2026. Each test's own page has the latest.
Start from your deadline
Every plan starts with the date your applications are due. For students starting university in 2027, these are the main ones:
15 October 2026 (passed): UCAS deadline for Oxford, Cambridge and most medicine, dentistry and veterinary courses.
US universities: each sets its own. Harvard's Restrictive Early Action deadline, for example, is 1 November, and its Regular Action deadline is 1 January.
13 January 2027, 18:00 UK time: UCAS equal-consideration deadline for all other UK courses.
If you are in Grade 11 now, your deadlines are a year later. Based on the pattern UCAS follows each year, expect 15 October 2027 for Oxford, Cambridge and most medicine courses, and mid-January 2028 for most others. UCAS confirms the exact dates for each cycle.
Deadlines differ between universities, so check each one you apply to. Then work backwards. A score released after your deadline is no use for that application.
SAT: one sitting in Grade 11, another in Grade 12
The SAT takes 2 hours and 14 minutes: 64 minutes of Reading and Writing, then 70 minutes of Math. You can take it as many times as you like, and College Board recommends at least twice, in the spring of Grade 11 and the autumn of Grade 12. Most colleges look at your highest score.
The sittings still open in this cycle are:
Test date | Register by | Scores released |
|---|---|---|
7 November 2026 | Late registration until 27 October 2026 | 20 November 2026 |
5 December 2026 | 20 November 2026 | 18 December 2026 |
6 March 2027 | 19 February 2027 | 19 March 2027 |
1 May 2027 | 16 April 2027 | 14 May 2027 |
5 June 2027 | 21 May 2027 | 21 June 2027 |
College Board has also published the dates it expects for 2027–28, without registration deadlines yet:
Autumn 2027: 28 August, 18 September, 9 October, 6 November and 4 December.
Spring 2028: 4 March, 6 May and 3 June.
A student in Grade 11 now could sit first in March, May or June 2027, then again in autumn 2027. There is no January sitting. Notice the gap between test and score: a December score arrives in time for a 1 January deadline like Harvard’s, but not for a 1 November one.
How long to prepare. College Board doesn't recommend a number of hours. In its study of the earlier paper SAT, students who spent 6 to 8 hours on Official SAT Practice saw an average gain of 90 points, and those who spent 20 hours saw 115. That is a link, not proof that the practice caused the gain. UniHawk's standard SAT course runs for about two and a half months, with 15 two-hour lessons. Starting two to three months before your first sitting gives you room for steady practice without cramming. For a March test, that means starting in December or early January; for a May test, in February.
UCAT: one window, in the summer
If you want to study medicine or dentistry in the UK, you will almost certainly need the UCAT. Which universities ask for it, and which tests other courses need, is in our guide Which admissions test does your course need?
The UCAT runs once a year, in the summer before your final year. The 2026 cycle ran like this:
Registration opened on 20 May.
Booking opened on 23 June.
Testing ran from 13 July to 24 September.
The booking deadline was 16 September, with no exceptions.
Results go to universities in early November.
If the 2027 cycle follows the same pattern, expect registration to open in late May 2027, booking in late June, and testing from mid-July to late September 2027. UCAT says details may change and that it will publish the 2027 dates by February 2027.
How long to prepare. UCAT's own advice is that its highest-scoring candidates spent 25 to 30 hours preparing, about an hour a day rather than in long sessions. Past candidates suggest spreading this over four to eight weeks. UCAT also says to do your preparation in the year you sit the test, not years ahead. UniHawk's UCAT course is 32 hours over 16 sessions.
In practice, that means starting in May or June of Grade 11 (Year 12), and booking your test date as soon as booking opens, expected in late June.
IELTS and TOEFL: any time, but not too early
English tests are the easiest to schedule. IELTS and TOEFL are offered on many dates, so check what's available at centres near you. Results come quickly:
IELTS on computer: usually within one to two days.
IELTS on paper: within 13 days.
TOEFL iBT: three days.
If one part of your IELTS goes badly, IELTS One Skill Retake lets you resit just that section within 60 days. It is only available if your full test was IELTS on computer, and not every test centre offers it, so check with yours.
English test scores don't last forever. IELTS recommends treating results as valid for two years, and TOEFL scores expire two years after the test. A test taken in Grade 10 may have run out by the time you start university. Universities set their own rules, so check each one.
TOEFL changed in January 2026. The test now adapts to your level, and scores are reported on a new 1 to 6 scale, with a comparable 0 to 120 score also given for the next two years.
How long to prepare. IELTS doesn't publish a recommended preparation time. UniHawk's IELTS courses run for four to six weeks (hybrid) or six to eight weeks (group).
A good moment to test is the second half of Grade 11 or the start of Grade 12. You'll have a score before you apply, a retake is still possible, and it will still be valid when you enrol. Some universities, Imperial for example, let the score follow after you apply as a condition of your offer. Others want it with the application.
Putting it together
When | SAT | UCAT | IELTS or TOEFL |
|---|---|---|---|
Grade 11, autumn and winter | Start preparing two to three months before your first sitting: December for March, February for May | Decide whether you need it | Nothing yet |
Grade 11, spring | First sitting (March, May or June) | Start preparing; registration expected to open in May | Start preparing if you plan to test before the summer |
Summer before Grade 12 | Prepare for the second sitting | Sit the test (expected July to September) | Sit the test if you haven't yet |
Grade 12, autumn | Second sitting, early enough for the score to reach your universities before your deadlines | Results expected to reach universities in early November | Retake if needed, before your deadlines (IELTS on computer lets you resit one section) |
Not everyone needs all three. A student aiming for UK medicine needs the UCAT and probably an English test, but no SAT. A student applying only to the US needs the SAT (or ACT) if their universities ask for it. What matters is knowing early which ones apply to you.
Common questions
Can I take the SAT in Grade 10?
You can, but College Board's recommended timing starts in the spring of Grade 11, and it says most students score higher the second time. Two sittings, in Grade 11 and Grade 12, is the usual plan.
What if I miss the UCAT booking deadline?
UCAT makes no exceptions to its booking deadline, so you would have to wait for the next year's test. That's why it pays to register as soon as registration opens. In 2026 it opened on 20 May.
Should I take IELTS or TOEFL?
Many universities accept both. Check the English requirements of each course you want, then pick a test they all accept, with convenient dates near you.
Not sure which of these tests you need? The HawkNest career assessment helps you find the courses that suit you. The HawkNest app then turns your target universities into a dated plan, with each test, sitting and deadline in the right month.
Sources: College Board, SAT dates and deadlines, score release dates, test structure, how many times to take the SAT and practice and score gains; UCAT test dates, booking, preparation plan, advice from past candidates and FAQs; IELTS results, scoring and validity and One Skill Retake; ETS, TOEFL iBT scores and score scale update; UCAS 15 October deadline and 13 January deadline; Harvard College 2026–27 supplement; Imperial College London, English language requirements; UniHawk's SAT, UCAT and IELTS course pages. All checked on 26 October 2026.
