College Prep Tests for Middle and High School Students: AP, SAT, ACT, AMC, National Merit and Graduation Requirements in Texas, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee and Arizona

Based on official College Board, ACT, MAA, NMSC and state education agency sources (checked 2026-10-23). Dates and rules change, so confirm with the source and your school before you sign up.

When a student moves from a Korean middle or high school to the U.S., the questions pile up: "When is the SAT?", "How do I sign up for AP?", "What do I need to graduate?" U.S. college prep tests come in two kinds: tests students register for themselves (SAT, ACT) and tests you can only take through a school or approved site (AP, PSAT/NMSQT, AMC). School deadlines come first, so the most important step is to see the school counselor in your first week.

At a glance: 2026-27 test calendar

SAT and ACT

SAT (College Board) 2026-27 dates and deadlines. Deadlines are 11:59 p.m. ET.

Late registration costs extra. Students who need to borrow a College Board device must register and request it at least 30 days before test day. Many schools also offer SAT School Day on a weekday (spring 2027 in-school window March 1–April 30) — ask your school.

ACT 2026-2027 national test dates. Deadlines are 11:59 p.m. Central; scores come about 2–4 weeks after the test.

In Tennessee, taking the ACT or SAT in 11th grade is a graduation requirement (see the table below).

AP — the school's AP coordinator is the key

• Dates: the 2027 AP Exams are given in schools over two weeks, May 3–7 and May 10–14. The AP coordinator tells you when and where each exam is.
• Registering: students in an AP class join their class section in My AP with a six-character join code from the teacher. If you take an exam without the course, or at a different school, you get the join code from the AP coordinator at the school where you'll test and join an exam-only section.
• Deadlines and fees: the on-time ordering deadline is Nov. 13, 2026 for full-year and first-semester courses. The fee is $99 per exam in the U.S.; students with significant financial need may get a $37 College Board fee reduction. Orders from Nov. 14 to March 12, 2027 carry a $40 late order fee per exam, but College Board says it doesn't apply to students who transfer into the school. Canceling after Nov. 13 costs $40. You pay the school, not College Board.

AMC math competitions — students can't sign up alone

MAA's AMC is given at registered competition sites (schools, colleges, math circles, learning centers). Each site's competition manager enrolls students and proctors the test.

• 2026-27 dates: AMC 10 A and AMC 12 A on Nov. 5, 2026; AMC 10 B and AMC 12 B on Nov. 13, 2026; AMC 8 on Jan. 21–27, 2027.
• Who: AMC 8 — grade 8 and below, under 15.5 years old on test day; AMC 10 — grade 10 and below, under 17.5; AMC 12 — grade 12 and below, under 19.5. A student can't take the AMC 10 and AMC 12 on the same day.
• How: ask whether your school hosts the AMC. If not, use MAA's 2026-27 Competition Sites Public List to contact a nearby college, math circle or learning center. Students register through the MAA registration form the site provides. November is close, so act fast.

National Merit — the junior-year PSAT is the ticket

• Which test: the PSAT/NMSQT. The Oct. 1–30, 2026 school testing window is the entry test for the 2028 National Merit Program (it ends in spring 2028).
• Which year: a four-year student enters with the test taken in the third year (usually grade 11). A 10th-grade score is practice only.
• Scale: about 1.2 million students enter each year; more than 16,000 become Semifinalists based on state cutoffs, and about 7,320 receive scholarships.
• Missed it: a student who missed the 2026 PSAT/NMSQT because of illness, an emergency or another extenuating circumstance can write to NMSC (or have the school write) to ask for alternate entry, postmarked by April 1, 2027. We couldn't confirm whether this covers a junior who arrived in the U.S. after the testing window; NMSC asks families whose plans don't fit the guide to contact it immediately.
• To become a Finalist: the principal's endorsement, a very strong record in grades 9–12, the NMSC online application with an essay, and SAT or ACT scores that confirm the PSAT performance.

Graduation requirements by state (headline only)

Districts can require more than the state. How Korean transcripts turn into U.S. credits varies by school, so bring a translated transcript and course descriptions and plan graduation with the counselor.

Dual credit, dual enrollment and Texas CBE

High schoolers can take college courses and earn high school and college credit at the same time.

• Texas: dual credit. Through the FAST program, participating public colleges offer dual credit at no cost to educationally disadvantaged students.
• Georgia: the state Dual Enrollment program pays standard tuition, mandatory fees and books. Students must meet U.S. citizenship or eligible non-citizen requirements and Georgia residency requirements. Funding is capped at 30 semester (45 quarter) hours.
• Alabama: Alabama Community College System scholarships for students in grades 10–12 with a 2.5 GPA and written approval from the principal or superintendent.
• Tennessee and Arizona: dual enrollment exists, but we couldn't confirm the details from official pages — ask the school counselor.
• Texas CBE: in Texas, a high school student can earn credit for a course never taken by scoring 80% or higher on a Credit by Examination test — useful if your child already covered the material in Korea. See our Texas Credit by Examination (CBE) guide and the subject list at texascbe.com (Korean).

This week's to-do list for newly arrived families

1. Meet the counselor: grade placement, credit for Korean coursework, AP class and exam sign-up (around Nov. 13), AMC.
2. If your child is a junior, check whether the PSAT/NMSQT was missed and contact NMSC with the school right away.
3. Make SAT and ACT accounts and put the next test dates and deadlines on the calendar.

Related

• Texas Credit by Examination (CBE) guide
• Public school finder for hub cities
• Life in the U.S.
• Salaries at Korean companies
• Job outlook for college students: careers at Korean-company plants and offices

Test dates, deadlines, fees and graduation rules change — before you sign up, check College Board, ACT, MAA, NMSC and your state education agency, and your school counselor. Checked 2026-10-23.

Cite this article as: JOBnaru™ — https://jobnaru.com/en/news/high-school-college-prep-tests-ap-sat-amc-guide