2026–27 Exam Dates & Timetables for International Tests

Compare key testing windows for SAT, ACT, AP, IB, GCSE, IELTS, PTE, OET, GRE, GMAT, LSAT, CPA, CFA, and ACCA, then jump to each full guide.

School & College Test Dates 2026–27

Standardized tests for high school and college admissions measure academic readiness and knowledge across multiple subjects. These exams are crucial for university applications, scholarship opportunities, and academic placement.

English Proficiency Test Dates 2026–27

English language tests are essential for international students, professionals seeking migration, and healthcare workers. These exams assess listening, reading, writing, and speaking skills with results accepted globally by universities, employers, and immigration authorities.

Graduate Admissions Test Dates 2026–27

Graduate school entrance exams are required for admission to master's and doctoral programs worldwide. These standardized tests assess analytical, quantitative, verbal, and reasoning skills crucial for graduate-level study.

Professional Certification Exam Dates 2026–27

Professional certifications demonstrate expertise and competency in specialized fields. These rigorous exams are essential for career advancement in accounting, finance, and business, offering global recognition and credibility.

2026–27 Exam Dates Quick Comparison

Use this table to compare upcoming 2026–27 exam windows and booking patterns. For full calendars, registration timelines, and official booking steps, open the dedicated guide linked above.

Exam	Category	Upcoming window / availability	Booking frequency	Result timing
IELTS	English Proficiency	Year-round availability	Live centre sessions	1–5 days for computer IELTS
PTE	English Proficiency	Year-round availability	Daily where seats are open	2-5 business days
OET	English (Healthcare)	Recurring sessions across the year	Multiple sittings each month	Computer: 95% within 6 calendar days; paper varies by region
GRE	Graduate Admissions	General Test year-round; Subject Test October 19–November 1, 2026 and April 19–May 2, 2027	Multiple slots across the year	See official reporting timeline in full guide
GMAT	Business School	Year-round centre or online availability	Continuous booking where seats are open	See official reporting timeline in full guide
LSAT	Law School	US/Canada October and November 2026; international October 2026 and January 2027	Schedules and deadlines vary by region	See official release calendar in full guide
CPA	Accounting Certification	Core year-round; next discipline window October 2026	Continuous core booking plus quarterly windows	Varies by section and score-release window
CFA	Finance Certification	November 2026 for registered candidates; 2027 windows open	Multiple annual windows by level	Official release follows each window
ACCA	Accounting Certification	December 7–11, 2026; entry deadline November 2	Quarterly sessions	Official release follows each session
SAT	College Admissions	October 3 (registration closed), November 7 and December 5, 2026	See official schedule by region	Varies by administration
ACT	College Admissions	US: October 17, December 12; international: October 23–24, December 11–12, 2026	See official schedule by region	Varies by administration
AP	Advanced Placement	May 3–14, 2027; late testing May 17–21	Annual spring administration	Summer score release
IB	International Baccalaureate	November 2026 Oct 23–Nov 13; May 2027 pending	May and November sessions worldwide	Official release follows the session
GCSE	Secondary Education	May 10–June 18, 2027	Annual main series	Varies by exam board

Verified upcoming milestones from late September 2026

This dated checklist is the fastest way to see which fixed events still require action. It separates an exam day from a registration deadline, a result release and a school ordering cutoff. A test window is not proof that a seat is available in your city. For personalised bookings, open the relevant guide and the exam provider's live account.

This table focuses on the next few months. The dedicated guides contain later verified administrations and any detailed subject schedules. Exact local exam times, institution-specific requirements, booking availability and personal eligibility are outside a general hub.

SAT and ACT: map dates to university deadlines

College Board lists the remaining SAT weekend dates in the 2026–27 cycle as 3 October, 7 November and 5 December 2026, then 6 March, 1 May and 5 June 2027. As of this check, the October registration and late-registration deadlines have passed. The November regular deadline is 23 October and late deadline is 27 October; the December regular deadline is 20 November and late deadline is 24 November. Spring 2027 regular deadlines are 19 February for March, 16 April for May and 21 May for June. These SAT weekend dates apply to US and international test takers, but seat availability still depends on test centre. College Board sets deadlines at 11:59 p.m. ET and requires an earlier request if a device must be borrowed.

ACT uses separate domestic and international calendars. The US national dates still ahead are 17 October and 12 December 2026, then 27 February, 10 April, 12 June and 10 July 2027. The official US schedule lists a 29 September late deadline for October and a 6 November regular deadline for December. International ACT lists 23–24 October and 11–12 December 2026, followed by 12–13 February 2027 and later periods. A Dubai student must use the international schedule and live centre availability; a US national deadline can mislead them. The SAT guide and ACT guide separate the two calendars and explain how to work backward from an application deadline.

When comparing two test options, first ask which test a university accepts and when the score must arrive. Then choose a sitting with enough margin for reporting and a possible retake. An October test can still be useful to an already registered applicant even after the booking deadline has passed; mark it as “test upcoming, registration closed” rather than deleting it. Avoid interpreting an initial score-release date as a guarantee that every score or recipient report will be available on that day.

All published ACT and LSAT administrations through mid-2027

For international ACT candidates, the official 2026–27 PDF lists 23–24 October 2026 (late entry by 9 October), 11–12 December 2026 (regular entry by 13 November; late by 27 November), 12–13 February 2027 (regular by 15 January; late by 29 January), 2–3 April 2027 (regular by 5 March; late by 19 March), 11–12 June 2027 (regular by 14 May; late by 28 May), and 9–10 July 2027 (regular by 11 June; late by 25 June). The September 2026 sitting has already passed. The 23–24 October regular deadline also passed on 25 September, even though its late deadline remains ahead as of this guide's check.

For US/Canada LSAT, LSAC lists 11–14 November 2026, 13–16 January 2027, 12–13 February 2027, 8–10 April 2027 and 9–12 June 2027 after October. It also lists a separate Puerto Rico February administration on 18–20 February 2027. For international LSAT, the listed future administrations are 15–16 January, 9–10 April and 11–12 June 2027. Registration and scheduling cutoffs differ by administration; use the LSAT date guide and the official LSAC table for the exact sequence, especially if an application deadline is close. These regional distinctions explain why a single “next LSAT” date can be inaccurate for a Dubai reader.

AP, IB and GCSE: school and board calendars

AP exams are administered through schools. College Board confirms the regular 2027 AP weeks as 3–7 May and 10–14 May 2027, with late testing 17–21 May. School coordinators handle orders and tell students the subject, room and local start time. An AP student should therefore confirm both the published subject schedule and the school arrangement. The 2027 start-time rules have changed in some locations, making an old AP timetable screenshot particularly risky. Our AP exam-date link above provides the broader testing schedule, and the AP result-day guide explains what to do when scores become available.

The IB November 2026 overall session spans 23 October–13 November. The school supplies a subject timetable and candidate instructions. November results follow the session according to the IB's own calendar. The May 2027 session is the next normal May administration, but do not invent subject-level days until the official schedule is available to your school. If you are working with a university conditional offer, remember that the exam date and the date a result or transcript reaches an institution are separate milestones. The IB result-day guide covers release, transcript and next-step planning.

GCSE is a board-specific qualification, so one overall season is only a starting point. The main 2027 summer series is planned for May through June, and the current hub notes 10 May–18 June with GCSE results on 19 August 2027. Check AQA, Pearson Edexcel, OCR, WJEC or your actual board for each subject's final timetable and any contingency information. Your school will confirm paper variants and exam room arrangements. Use the GCSE guide for board-specific context, especially if a result or resit affects a sixth-form or university pathway.

English tests: choose a seat, format and result margin

IELTS, PTE and OET do not fit a single fixed-date table. IELTS computer test slots depend on IDP centre and city. The test type also matters: Academic and General Training serve different purposes, and UKVI requirements can impose a specific approved version. Check the receiving institution or visa authority first, then the centre's live availability. For computer IELTS, result timing is commonly 1–5 days, but a quick result is not a reason to book on the application deadline. Allow time to review the score and transmit it through the accepted channel. The IDP IELTS guide explains this booking sequence.

PTE Academic appointments can be available throughout the year where Pearson has open seats. Its guide explains how to select the appropriate product and centre and notes the stated result-processing window. OET focuses on healthcare professionals, with recurring paper and computer sittings; the relevant profession, regulator and testing mode matter as much as the day itself. Check whether the receiving body accepts the chosen mode and score before purchasing. Our PTE guide and OET guide help compare those details. For all three, a “year-round” label means the provider offers recurring opportunities, not that every date is open in every city.

Graduate admissions: GRE, GMAT and LSAT

ETS offers GRE General Test booking on a rolling basis, subject to centre or at-home conditions and available appointments. The GRE Subject Test follows published windows instead. The next listed Subject Test window is 19 October–1 November 2026, with another 19 April–2 May 2027. Confirm whether a program requires the General Test, a particular Subject Test, both or neither. A candidate should not book a Subject Test simply because a calendar displays a date. See the GRE guide for the registration and score timeline.

GMAT booking is also based on available centre or online appointments rather than a handful of global fixed days. This flexibility is useful when a business-school application deadline shifts, but it can hide a risk: a convenient test day does not ensure a score and report will reach the school on time. The GMAT guide separates the appointment, score release and institution reporting steps. Compare program requirements before choosing between GMAT and GRE; a similar testing window does not mean the exams are interchangeable for every admissions office.

LSAT has fixed administrations. LSAC lists October 2026 tests on 7–10 October in the US/Canada and 9–10 October internationally, both with registration already closed as of 26 September. The October score release is 28 October. The next US/Canada registration cutoff is 1 October for the 11–14 November administration; there is no November international administration in LSAC's published table. International candidates can consider 15–16 January 2027 or 9–10 April 2027, subject to registration and seat availability. The LSAT guide provides the region-specific calendar and the Argumentative Writing requirement for result release.

Professional exams: distinguish windows, cutoffs and results

The US CPA Exam separates continuously offered Core sections from quarterly Discipline windows. October 2026 is the remaining Discipline testing month of the year, ending 31 October. NASBA lists 15 December 2026 as the target score release for October Discipline tests. Core score targets depend on when AICPA receives the test data file; a Prometric test date alone is not always the same as the receipt cutoff. The CPA guide includes the current Core receipt and target release table, credit issues and jurisdiction reminders.

CFA Level I and II have a November 2026 administration, but the 11 August standard registration deadline is over. Registered candidates should check their personal appointment in the CFA Candidate Tile. The overall November exam window is 11–22 November 2026; Level III is not part of CFA Institute's usual November cadence. The next usual Level I and III administration is February 2027, and May 2027 usually offers Level I and II. CFA Institute's August 2026 Level II result arrives 30 September, with Level III results on 20 October. The CFA guide details registration, scheduling and 2027 policy changes.

ACCA's next quarterly session is 7–11 December 2026. Standard entry closes 2 November and late entry closes 9 November, each at 23:59 UK time. September 2026 results arrive 19 October; December results are due 18 January 2027. Paper days are not interchangeable, and ACCA's docket supplies the local start time and centre. The ACCA guide now lists every December paper day and relevant after-exam cutoffs. This is also a useful contrast with CPA's section model and CFA's level-specific windows: “2026 exam date” has a different meaning for each qualification.

How to build one reliable application calendar

Start with the deadline imposed by the receiving institution, regulator or employer. Record whether that deadline concerns taking the test, having the score issued, sending the score, or having the institution receive and process it. Those are different events. Work backward using the exam provider's official score-release or result timeline. Add a buffer for an unexpected delay, an accommodation request, a centre change or a retake if permitted. Do not reduce the buffer to zero just because an exam is offered year-round.

Next, label each line in your calendar as a verified fixed date, a published overall window, a typical cadence, or a personal booking. For example, “7–11 December ACCA” is a published session; “Tuesday SBL at 9 a.m. in a named Dubai centre” is personal docket information. “May 2027 IB” is a routine session, while a subject-level paper date must come from the official schedule. This simple distinction prevents a planning hub from being mistaken for a booking receipt. It also tells you when to revisit a page: after the provider publishes a new timetable, after you register, and shortly before the exam.

Finally, set reminders in the deadline's source timezone. SAT and LSAT use Eastern Time for many cutoffs; ACT US lists Central Time; ACCA lists UK time. Dubai does not observe daylight saving time, while the US and UK do, so a saved hour offset may be wrong for part of the year. Record the timezone and let a calendar application convert it. Keep the provider confirmation in a separate folder and check the live account if a page or email appears inconsistent. This method makes a single view useful without assuming all 14 exams use the same rules.