The advantage of online SAT registration is that you can get your score immediately on the internet without having to experience the agonizing wait for your scores to come through snail mails. The online option will also allow you to send your scored directly to colleges and universities, and you can be entered on the mailing lists of certain institutions. Some restrictions apply to online SAT registration.
If you have to take a Sunday test for religious reasons, you must register by mail for the first test you take. Also, those who are taking the SAT but are under the age of 13 must register by mail. You cannot pay by money order or check online, so if you must pay through these means, you should register by mail.
The SAT registration process is simple. You will have to fill out a form which asks you some information about yourself, such as your name and where you live. You may also be asked about what areas interest you or what occupation you may want to pursue. SAT registration takes only a few minutes and is the least difficult part of the test.
Once you are registered at a certain test site for a specific day, your name will appear on a list. You must present your ID at the door, and your name will be checked off. Certain rules apply when taking the test and proctors are quite strict and may take the test away if rules are broken. SAT registration should be taken with a serious attitude, and the test taker should commit to the rules governing the test.
Late SAT registration can pose problems both for the test taker and for those administering the test. There is a due date for SAT registration at every test, and a “late” date, which is still within the acceptable deadline. All mail registration from the US must be postmarked by the late date to avoid a late charge, and international registration must arrive by the late date.
If the later date is passed, a penalty fee usually applies, and if the person taking the test still requires a certain day, the test location may not be guaranteed, and he or she will probably have to commute to the test. Therefore, SAT registration should be done as early as possible to avoid headaches which are caused by late registration.
There have been some cases of students who have been caught red-handed in SAT registration fraud. In one case, an older brother posed as his younger brother and showed up to the test with a tampered driver’s license. Those who are in charge of admission to the test know every trick in the book, and can usually spot those who are committing test fraud.
The penalties for false SAT registration are harsh, and can mean that you may never be accepted to the school of your choice, or even a blacklisting. Such “swaps” are not worth the attempts, and it is much better to risk a lower score than to try to have someone register as you or for you to impersonate someone else.