Scores and interpretation
How long are SAT scores valid?
SAT scores do not have one universal college-admission expiration date. Colleges decide whether to accept older scores. College Board archives scores after you leave high school and go a year without testing; archiving does not automatically make them unusable.
Validity and archiving are different
College Board says reports sent five or more years after testing may be less valid predictors of college performance. That is a caution about interpretation, not a blanket rule that every college rejects them after five years.
Before paying to send an old result, ask the receiving institution whether it accepts that test year for your applicant category and whether it requires more recent testing.
Retrieve an archived result
Use your College Board account’s score-send process and accept the notice about older reports, or contact customer service. Current charges are $35 for retrieval plus $15 for each score report. Review the payment screen for your order.
Scores earlier than 2005 are no longer accessible, and College Board notes that some older data sources have also been retired. Do not assume an old score can be retrieved simply because you remember the test date.
Consider whether a fresh test is useful
A recent official practice test can show whether the old result represents your current skills. If a college requires a recent official result, practice does not replace that requirement. SAT results from before 2016 also require care because the scale and test content changed.