The December 6, 2025 SAT exam is the last exam of the year and the final opportunity for high school seniors applying for regular college admissions. What to expect and who should take it.
The December 6, 2025 SAT exam represents the last testing opportunity of the year and the absolute final chance for high school seniors applying for regular college admissions. Regular decision schools will still accept this exam, but this is literally the last opportunity for seniors who need to improve their scores before application deadlines. Ideally, most seniors should be done with the SAT by now, but for those who need one last shot, this is it.
However, this exam comes with critical timing limitations. It is too late for any early action or early decision programs, as those had November deadlines. Students hoping to apply early should have taken the October or earlier SAT administrations. This December exam is exclusively for students applying to regular decision programs with later deadlines.
The December 6th SAT is the absolute final opportunity for seniors applying to regular decision programs. While regular decision schools will still accept scores from this exam, the timing is extremely tight. By the time December scores are released, students will have very little time to make final application decisions or submit materials before January deadlines.
Too Late for Early Applications: This exam comes far too late for any early action or early decision programs, which had November deadlines. If you're hoping to apply Early Decision or Early Action, this exam will not help you—you should have taken the October SAT or earlier.
Last Chance Reality: This is literally the last chance for seniors. Ideally, most seniors should be done with the SAT by now, having taken earlier exams in the fall or even during their junior year. However, for seniors who need one final attempt to improve their scores, this December exam represents the absolute final opportunity before regular decision deadlines.
Critical Expectation: By this point in senior year, students should have already taken multiple SAT sittings. This December exam should not be a first attempt—it should be a strategic final push to improve an existing score. First-time test takers at this late date are taking a significant risk, as there will be no opportunity for additional attempts if scores don't meet expectations.
As with previous SAT offerings in 2025, students should expect the difficulty to ramp up drastically between the first and second hard modules for both Reading and Writing and Math. This pattern has been consistent throughout 2025 administrations, and there's every reason to expect it to continue for the December exam.
This means your expected score could be somewhere around 50 to 100 points lower than the official Blue Book practice exams. This isn't a reflection of your abilities—it's a reflection of the gap between practice materials and the actual exam difficulty. Prepare accordingly by making sure to tackle difficult questions in your practice and study materials.
The Module 2 Difficulty Gap: Specifically, the difference between the first and second modules, assuming students get this difficult second module, can be substantial. Students who perform well in Module 1 will encounter Module 2 questions that are significantly more challenging than anything they've seen in official practice materials. This adaptive difficulty jump has caught many students off guard in recent administrations.
The increased difficulty of recent exams means that students cannot rely on their practice test scores as accurate predictors of their actual exam performance. If you're consistently scoring around your target score on practice tests, you may find the real exam substantially more challenging than expected. Build in a buffer by aiming for practice test scores that are 50-100 points higher than your actual target.
The decision to take this December exam depends on your academic year, preparation level, and application timeline. Here's our guidance for different student groups:
You Should Take It If: You're a senior applying for regular admissions who needs to improve your SAT score and have already taken at least one prior sitting. This is not the exam for first-time test takers—by this point, you should be working to improve an existing score. This is literally your last chance.
Not Suitable For Early Applicants: If you're hoping to apply Early Decision or Early Action, this exam comes far too late. Those deadlines were in November, and this exam will not help you meet them. Students in this situation should have taken the October SAT or earlier.
Extremely Tight Timing: This is the absolute final exam before regular decision deadlines. You'll have very limited time to receive your scores and make final application decisions before January deadlines. Make sure this extremely tight timing works for your application plans.
Ideal Scenario: Ideally, most seniors should be done with the SAT by now. This exam is specifically for seniors who need one last shot to improve their scores. If you're taking this exam, it should be because you genuinely need this final opportunity, not because you've been procrastinating.
Our General Recommendation: We recommend juniors not to take this test, if possible, to focus on the finals of their junior fall semester. December is typically when final exams and end-of-semester projects are at their peak, and adding SAT preparation and test-taking to this already demanding period can be counterproductive.
Exception for Well-Prepared Juniors: However, if a junior has enough time and feels like they can score very well, and are scoring 50-100 points above their target score in practice tests, it's not a bad time to take the exam. This buffer is crucial given the increased difficulty that real exams have compared to practice materials.
Why the Practice Test Buffer Matters: The reason we require scoring 50-100 points above target is due to the increased difficulty that the real exams typically have, especially the recent 2025 administrations. Additionally, first-time jitters students may experience when taking a standardized test can impact performance. That 50-100 point buffer helps ensure you'll still hit your target score even with these factors.
Academic Priorities First: If taking this exam would interfere with your finals preparation or academic performance, it's better to wait. Your grades matter, and there will be plenty of opportunities to take the SAT in the spring and summer of your junior year. Don't sacrifice your academic performance for an SAT exam that can be taken later.
Strategic Advantage of Waiting: Taking the SAT in spring or summer of junior year gives you more preparation time, aligns better with your academic schedule when you're less busy, and still leaves plenty of time for additional attempts if needed. For most juniors, waiting until after finals is the better strategic choice.
Strong Recommendation Against: For sophomores and below, we strongly recommend against taking this exam. December is an extremely busy time with finals, end-of-semester projects, and the approaching holiday season. There's no urgency for younger students to take the SAT at this time, and waiting until a less hectic period makes much more strategic sense.
Better Opportunities Ahead: Younger students have many better opportunities to take the SAT in the spring and summer when they're less busy and can focus more effectively on preparation. There's no benefit to rushing into a December exam during one of the busiest academic periods.
Given the expected difficulty level based on recent 2025 SAT administrations, preparation for the December 6th exam should focus on several critical areas:
Reading and Writing Focus: As with previous SAT offerings in 2025, expect the difficulty to ramp up drastically between the first and second hard modules for Reading and Writing. Focus on vocabulary and grammar to make sure you don't lose any points there. The Word in Context questions and grammar rules become increasingly challenging in Module 2, so ensure you have a strong foundation in these areas.
Math Focus: Similarly, expect the difficulty to ramp up drastically between the first and second hard modules for Math. Focus on solving problems efficiently with plenty of time to spare. Module 2 math questions will be significantly more complex, requiring deeper analytical thinking and efficient problem-solving strategies. Time management becomes critical when Module 2 questions require more sophisticated approaches.
Practice with Difficult Materials: Don't rely solely on official practice tests and Khan Academy, which have proven to be significantly easier than recent real exams. Seek out more challenging practice questions that better prepare you for the difficult Module 2 problems you'll encounter. The gap between practice materials and actual exam difficulty has been substantial in 2025.
Target Practice Scores 50-100 Points Higher: Aim to score 50-100 points higher on practice tests than your actual target score. This buffer accounts for both the difficulty gap between practice materials and real exams, as well as test-day factors like nervousness or time pressure. If you're only hitting your target score on practice tests, expect to score below it on the actual exam.
Prepare for the Module 2 Jump: The difference between Module 1 and Module 2 can be dramatic. Practice working through increasingly difficult questions and develop strategies for tackling problems that seem more complex than anything you've encountered in practice materials. For Reading and Writing, this means advanced vocabulary and complex grammar rules. For Math, this means multi-step problems requiring efficient problem-solving.
Mental Preparation for Difficulty: Based on recent 2025 exams, be mentally prepared for questions that feel harder than expected. Don't let this throw you off or create panic during the test. Stay calm, use your problem-solving strategies, and remember that everyone is facing the same increased difficulty.
Balance Test Prep with Other Commitments: For seniors, this is your last chance, so make sure you're fully prepared. For juniors, only take this exam if you can realistically balance test preparation with finals and end-of-semester commitments. Don't let SAT preparation negatively impact your academic performance.
The December 6th SAT is the absolute final opportunity of the year and represents the last chance for seniors applying to regular decision programs. However, it comes with significant timing constraints and is too late for any early action or early decision applications.
For seniors, this is literally your last chance. Ideally, most seniors should be done with the SAT by now, but for those who need one final attempt to improve their scores, this December exam is it. Make sure you've already taken at least one prior sitting and that you're prepared to make this count, as there will be no additional opportunities before regular decision deadlines.
For juniors, we generally recommend not taking this test to focus on finals. However, if you have enough time, feel like you can score very well, and are consistently scoring 50-100 points above your target score in practice tests, it's not a bad time to take the exam. Just make sure it doesn't interfere with your academic performance during this critical finals period.
Remember that recent SAT exams in 2025 have been substantially more difficult than practice materials suggest, with difficulty ramping up drastically between the first and second modules for both Reading and Writing and Math. If you decide to take this exam, prepare accordingly with challenging practice materials, focus on vocabulary and grammar for Reading and Writing, and focus on efficient problem-solving for Math. Expect your actual score to be 50-100 points lower than your practice test average.
Finally, be realistic about whether you can handle the additional pressure of test preparation during this busy time. For seniors, this is your last chance, so make it count. For juniors, remember that there will be better opportunities in the spring and summer when you're less busy and can focus more effectively on preparation.