The SAT Test in South Africa is an American college entrance exam, which you can write to help you qualify for admission to degree courses in South Africa in combination with the prescribed score on the American High School Diploma. You can also use it with either the American High School Diploma or the GED to apply to many overseas universities.
Please always check that you will meet the admission requirements of the specific faculty of the university to which you intend applying in advance.
PLEASE NOTE that the SAT alone is generally not an acceptable matric equivalent. It is regarded as a university admission test, rather than a certification or qualification.
What is the SAT?
The SAT, formally known as Scholastic Aptitude Tests is a series of standardised tests used in the USA and internationally for university acceptance. It is now simply called the “SAT“. SAT tests are administered by the College Board in the USA.
Over 80 years ago the College Board created the first standardised college entrance test to help colleges and universities to assess which students would be more likely to succeed at tertiary level. The SAT is written annually by more than two million students in the USA and internationally.
[Please note that the College Board also offers Advanced Placement Tests (AP Tests) which are tests for individual subjects. For certain degrees, two AP Tests can be used instead of the SAT, along with an American High School Diploma.]
What qualification do I get?
The SAT does not earn candidates a qualification but it can be taken any time a student feels adequately prepared to write it. Most high school students write it in Grade 11 or 12. You do not achieve a certificate or high school diploma, but only a SAT score.
What must I study for the SAT?
Since 2024, the SAT has been offered in digital format as a test that is 2h14 long.
- Reading and Writing: Students have 64 minutes to complete the Reading and Writing section
- Math: Students have 70 minutes to complete the Math section. With the digital SAT, an onscreen calculator will be available for every math question.
Each section is divided into two equal length modules, and there is a 10-minute break between the Reading and Writing section and the Math section. Most questions are presented in multiple choice format, but some maths questions require a student to enter the answer, rather than select it. There is no penalty for guessing and it is better to guess than to leave the response blank.
The SAT is scored out of a maximum of 1600. Each section, Math and ERW, is scored on a scale ranging from 200 to 800, adding up to the maximum possible score of 1600. It’s crucial to note that the SAT employs a ‘rights-only’ scoring approach, meaning there are no deductions for incorrect answers.
The test aims to assess college readiness rather than an ability to learn content material. It focuses on subject matter learned in high school and problem solving skills in three areas:
Where do I get SAT preparation material?
The College Board offers the official SAT prep on an app called The Bluebook™. This app is also required on your own device which you will use when you take the SAT test. You can run the Bluebook™ testing app on a Windows or Mac device, an iPad, or a school-managed Chromebook.
Download the Bluebook™
In addition, the College Board has partnered with Khan Academy to offer free online tuition for the SAT.
Various SAT prep books are available and there are also other websites offering free online SAT preparation.
Where do I write the SAT in South Africa?
In South Africa, there are 12 SAT test centres listed. Not all test centres may offer the test on all 6 test dates. Some may only offer the SAT twice a year, so check when you will need to write to get your results in time for university application closing dates. Sometimes there is a waiting list, so book early.
Click here to find SAT test dates and available SAT test centres. Select the “Outside the United States” option.
The South African test centres are at the following venues in Cape Town, Bloemfontein, Durban and various centres in Gauteng. Always check as they may change from year to year.
- African Leadership Academy, Honeydew
- University of the Witwatersrand
- African Union International School, Midrand
- American International School of Johannesburg
- American International School of Cape Town
- Herschel Girls’ School, Cape Town
- Somerset College, Somerset West
- St. Andrew’s College, Grahamstown
- Bohmer Secondary School, Bloemfontein
- Hilton College, Hilton, near Pietermaritzburg
- St. Henry’s Marist College, Durban
- African School for Excellence, Brakpan
Do not contact the institutions hosting the test venue. All registrations and enquiries must be done online via the College Board website as they handle the administration of the tests.
How do I register for the SAT in South Africa?
The easiest way to register is online, with payment by credit card.
You will need to upload a digital photo as part of the online registrations process, so have this ready. The photo you provide will become part of your Admission Ticket. The photo must be a good quality head and shoulders front facing shot, like an ID photo, and must be easily recognisable as YOU on the test day.
Tests must be booked online via the website of the College Board here: Registration
You are advised to set aside about 45 minutes to get your registration done. There are four steps to register:
- Click “Register Now”
- Create a College Board Profile
- Pay by credit card
- Receive your registration confirmation
To create an accurate profile, in addition to a digital photo, you may be asked to supply the following when you sign up:
- Your email address
- A parent’s email address
- A parent’s birth date
- Your household’s income
- Your parent’s highest educational degrees
- Your most recent class rank
- Your average grades in all subject areas
- What classes you’ve taken and which year you’ve taken them
- Credit card information to pay for the test
You will need a code for your high school. As a homeschooler, use the code 970000
What does the SAT cost?
The SAT registration fee is USD $68 (2025). Candidates outside the USA must pay an international process fee. In South Africa this fee is $43, so the total cost is USD $111 (February 2025).
Check for updated fees here.
As stated previously, the SAT on its own is not a recognised option for university acceptance.
You must first find out the entrance requirements of the institution/s of your choice before you pursue any of these options for that purpose.
More Pages Related to the SAT Test in SA
High School Homeschool South African Options
American High School Diploma