The SAT in Kentucky
Topics
- Partnership
- Why the SAT?
- SAT Important Dates
- School Testing Team
- Students with Disabilities
- English Learner Supports
- Training
- Contact Us
Partnership
College Board and the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) have partnered to administer the SAT as the required, state-provided college admissions exam for 11th-grade students. The spring 2026 testing window will be March 2–April 10.
Why the SAT?
Kentucky students who have taken other College Board assessments such as AP Exams and the PSAT/NMSQT may already be familiar with the SAT. Students can also access Official SAT Prep through Khan Academy® to get ready for the SAT—for free.
Kentucky public colleges and universities accept the SAT for their college entrance exam requirement.
About the SAT
Learn more by using these online resources:
- How the SAT is structured
- Scores and score reporting resources
- College and career readiness benchmarks
Learn how students can benefit:
- Free SAT practice resources and personalized practice with Khan Academy
- Explore the BigFuture School mobile app
- Free fee waivers for SAT Weekend (Saturday) administration for eligible students
SAT Important Dates
Students will use College Board's secure student testing application, Bluebook, to take the SAT. Bluebook is compatible with Windows or Mac devices, iPads, and school-managed Chromebooks. Find more details about Bluebook.
Building assessment coordinators (BAC) and proctors will use Test Day Toolkit, a web-based application, to administer the tests to students. Educators will receive access to Test Day Toolkit in early February. Find more information about Test Day Toolkit.
Activities | Responsible Role | Dates |
---|---|---|
School Onboarding | District/Building Assessment Coordinator | October–November 2025 |
Deadline for Requesting Accommodations | SSD Coordinator | January 12, 2026 |
College Board's Required Online Training |
|
Late January–February 2026 |
Registering Students via the State Data Management System (SDMS) | District Assessment Coordinator | Early February–April 8, 2026 |
Test Day Toolkit Access | Building Assessment Coordinator | Early February 2026 |
Student Readiness Check | School Testing Team | 1–2 weeks prior to testing |
Test Administration Window | School Testing Team | March 2–April 10, 2026 |
School Testing Team
For the digital SAT, we recommend each school establish a team of staff to plan for and support test administration. Team member roles include:
- Building Assessment Coordinator
- Responsible for all aspects of the test administration, including assigning students and staff to testing rooms.
- Monitors all testing on test day(s).
- Must be a staff member who is authorized to work with students' personally identifiable information.
- Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) Coordinator
- Responsible for communicating with students and families who need testing accommodations, as well as students who require English learner (EL) supports.
- Requests accommodations and supports for students through SSD Online.
- Must be a staff member who is authorized to work with students' personally identifiable information.
- Technology Coordinator
- Responsible for making sure the school's technology and network infrastructure can support digital testing, including student testing devices, building assessment coordinator and proctor devices, and the school's network.
- Support technical troubleshooting on test day(s).
- Can be someone at a school or district level.
- Visit the Bluebook for Technology Professionals website for updates and technical requirements.
- Principal
- Determines when the school should receive the score reports and who will be the recipient of those reports.
- Serves as an escalation point for testing issues.
Students with Disabilities
SSD coordinators can apply for accommodations for students who do not have approved accommodations, or request changes to existing accommodation approvals, through SSD Online.
Supports are also available for English learners (EL) who take the SAT as part of the Kentucky test administration. These students have access to up to time and one-half, translated test directions, and a list of College Board–approved word-to-word bilingual dictionaries. Starting in December 2025, Kentucky educators will also be able to select Text-to-Speech (Math) and EL Math Only (allowing first-year EL students to take only the Math section of the SAT) as available EL supports. Learn more about supports for EL students.
Ensuring that students with disabilities can test with accommodations is a priority for us. Students requiring the SAT with accommodated materials or other adjustments must receive approval from Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD).
All requests are considered. To use accommodations, students must be approved in SSD Online.
Setting Up an Account
SSD coordinators oversee aspects of the SAT administration for students testing with accommodations.
SSD coordinators use SSD Online to request accommodations for students. To access SSD Online, the school must designate an SSD coordinator who will be responsible for testing accommodations for College Board exams. To access the system, they must:
- Have an updated College Board professional account.
- Complete the SSD coordinator form.
- Complete one request per school.
- Designate one person as the primary SSD coordinator if there are multiple coordinators. A school may have more than one SSD coordinator, but each must have a College Board professional account and complete the SSD coordinator form.
- Allow 3–5 business days for processing.
Accommodations Requests
College Board has implemented a streamlined process for requesting testing accommodations, recognizing that school staff are most familiar with their students. This aims to reduce both time and paperwork.
For most students already approved for testing accommodations through their current Individualized Education Program (IEP) or 504 plan at school, these accommodations will be automatically approved for SAT School Day.
All accommodations requests, including some EL supports and temporary conditions, are submitted through SSD Online. Types of requests include:
- College Board–approved accommodations: Students with College Board–approved accommodations receive scores that can be reported to colleges. Once approved for accommodations, a student remains approved for all College Board tests, with limited exceptions.
- State-allowed accommodations (SAA): These are state-specific accommodations defined by the KDE. Students, schools, and the state receive scores. However, scores aren't valid for college admission. These accommodations apply to state testing only and must be requested for each state administration.
Students who use accommodations for other state testing must still secure accommodations for the SAT through the SSD approval process.
SSD Resources
- Accommodations and Supports Handbook: This handbook will help SSD coordinators prepare to submit accommodation requests and provide guidance on available accommodations and supports for College Board testing.
Contact SSD
Email [email protected] or call 866-609-2430.
English Learner Supports
English learners can use word-to-word bilingual dictionaries, translated test directions, and 50% extended time during SAT School Day.
Learn more about English learner supportsWord-to-Word Dictionaries for the SAT Suite of Assessments: A list of College Board-approved dictionaries for student use during test administrations.
Training
Training Tile | Format | Dates | Time |
---|---|---|---|
KDE Office Hours | Live Virtual Meeting | October 14, 2025 | 11 a.m.–12 p.m. ET |
Fall Test Coordinator Training | In-Person |
|
Registration: 8:30 a.m. (local time) Training: 9 a.m.–12 p.m. (local time) |
Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) & Accommodations | Live Webinar | Nov. 12, 2025 | 10 a.m.–12 p.m. ET |
KDE Office Hours | Live Virtual Meeting | Dec. 2, 2025 | 10–11 a.m. ET |
KDE Office Hours | Live Virtual Meeting | Dec. 10, 2025 | 10–11 a.m. ET |
Technical Readiness Webinar | Live Webinar | Jan. 15, 2026 | 10–11:15 a.m. ET |
KDE Office Hours | Live Virtual Meeting | Jan. 27, 2026 | 1–2 p.m. ET |
KDE DAC Q&A Sessions | Hybrid (In-Person and Virtual Meeting Options) | TBD | TBD |
KDE Office Hours | Live Virtual Meeting | Feb. 25, 2026 | 10–11 a.m. ET |
KDE Office Hours | Live Virtual Meeting | March 18, 2026 | 10–11 a.m. ET |
KDE Office Hours | Live Virtual Meeting | April 15, 2026 | 10–11 a.m. ET |
Contact Us
Questions? Want more information about the SAT in Kentucky? Email us at [email protected] or call us at 866-609-2430.