Registering for a college entrance exam – what you need to know

By Catherine Mueller

Side view of crop serious Asian lady in casual wear sitting at table with cup of beverage and browsing netbook against big glass window on sunny day

While it’s not as challenging as the test itself, registering for a college entrance exam, such as the ACT or SAT, does take some preparation.

The steps for each test are different but both the ACT and the SAT remind students a photo is needed to register, and the registration process will take about 30 minutes.

ACT reminds students that they will need the following to register:

  • Computer with internet access
  • Credit card or other form of payment
  • High school course details
  • Headshot photo

The College Board, which administers the SAT, provides the following 4 steps to register:

  1. Explore the test center locations.
  2. Choose your preferred test date.
  3. Sign in to your College Board account. If you don’t have an account, you’ll need to create one.
  4. Complete your online registration, which requires you to upload a photo.

Knowing what you need and how to register will make college entrance exam registration one of those tasks you can cross off your summer to-do list – giving you plenty of time to study for the test.

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