Your Admission Ticket isn't enough to get you into the test center. Follow these guidelines so you don't get turned away. You are responsible for understanding and following these requirements as they appear here and in the Student Registration Guide.

What to Expect

Test center staff will compare the information on your Admission Ticket and your photo ID with the test center roster to confirm your registration and identity. You cannot be admitted to the test center if any of the information does not match. This includes the use of a nickname on one item but your full name on another.

The staff is not required to hold your seat if you did not bring acceptable identification.

ID Checklist

ID documents must meet all of these requirements:

Be a valid (unexpired) photo ID that is government-issued or issued by the school that you currently attend. School IDs from the prior school year are valid through December of the current calendar year. (For example, school IDs from 2015-16 can be used through December 31, 2016.)

Be an original, physical document (not photocopied or electronic).

Bear your full, legal name exactly as it appears on your Admission Ticket, including the order of the names.

Bear a recent recognizable photograph that clearly matches both your appearance on test day and the photo on your Admission Ticket.

Be in good condition, with clearly legible English language text and a clearly visible photograph.

Note: Not all of these requirements apply to Talent Search identification documents used by students who are in the eighth grade or below at the time of testing; however, Talent Search identification forms must bear an original student/parent signature.

View a list of Talent Search organizations.

Important: Check Your ID—Every Time Even if an ID got you into a test center before, it does not guarantee it will be acceptable in the future.

Acceptable ID Examples:

Government-issued driver's license or non-driver ID card

Official school-produced student ID card from the school you currently attend

Government-issued passport or U.S. Global Entry identification card

Government-issued military or national identification card

Talent Search Identification Forms (allowed for eighth grade and below)

SAT Student ID Form (.pdf/122KB); must be prepared by the school you currently attend or a notary, if home-schooled

Unacceptable ID Examples:

Any document that does not meet the requirements

Any document that is worn, torn, scuffed, scarred, or otherwise damaged

Electronic document presented on a device

Any document that appears tampered with or digitally altered

Any document that bears a statement such as "not valid as identification"

Credit or debit card of any kind, even one with a photograph

Birth certificate

Social Security card

Employee ID card

Missing Child ("ChildFind") ID card

Any temporary ID card

More About Names

If you need to make a change to your name after registering, please contact Customer Service at least 30 days prior to your intended test date. Middle names and initials are optional on your documents; however, if provided, the middle initial must exactly match the first letter of your middle name on your ID.

More About Photos

You may not be allowed to enter the test center, let alone take the test, if test center staff cannot sufficiently authenticate your identification from the ID you present. Your score may even be withheld or canceled.

Admission to the test center is no guarantee that the ID you provided is valid or that your scores will be reported. All reported or suspected cases of questionable ID or test-taker identity are subject to our review and approval before, during, and after the test administration.

ID Requirements Apply All Day

You should keep your ID and Admission Ticket with you at all times while at the test center, including during breaks. You may be required to show your ID and Admission Ticket and/or to sign a test center log multiple times and at various points throughout the test administration.

If it is discovered after your test administration that you used a false or invalid identification, your test scores will be canceled, and you will forfeit your registration and test fees. Your parent(s) or legal guardian(s) (if you are under 18), your high school, and the colleges and programs you have designated to receive your score reports will be notified and may be told why your scores were canceled. Law enforcement authorities may also be notified when fraud is suspected, and you may be banned from future tests.

If you fail to comply with these identification requirements and policies, you may be dismissed from the test center and your scores may be withheld or canceled. If you are dismissed from the test center prior to completing the test because of invalid or unacceptable ID, or failure to comply with these ID requirements and policies, your test fees will not be refunded.

If You Do Not Have Acceptable ID

If you do not have another form of acceptable ID you may be able to use the Student ID Form (.pdf/122KB). This form must be prepared and authenticated by the school you currently attend or by a notary if you are home-schooled. A current photo must be attached to the form in the area indicated before the form is notarized. This form is only valid as ID if you are testing in the United States and for test-takers under 21 years of age.

If You Are Waitlisted

In countries where waitlist status is used, you must present an acceptable school- or government-issued photo ID that has been issued in the country in which you are testing. Foreign passports, foreign national IDs, or IDs from foreign schools will not be accepted.

If You Are 21 or Older

If you will be 21 or older on test day, the only acceptable form of identification is an official government-issued photo ID, such as a driver’s license or passport, that meets all of the requirements above. Student ID cards are not valid forms of identification for test-takers who are 21 or older.

Testing Outside Your Home Country

If you travel to another country to test, you must use a valid passport as your ID. There are no exceptions.

Testing in Ghana, Nepal, Nigeria, and Pakistan

The only acceptable form of identification is a valid passport with your name, photograph, and signature. There are no exceptions to this policy.

Testing in India

Acceptable forms of identification are either a valid passport with your name, photograph, and signature, or a valid Aadhaar card with your name and photograph. There are no exceptions to this policy.

Testing in Egypt, Jordan, Korea, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, and Vietnam

A valid national ID card from the country in which you are testing or a valid passport from any country are the only acceptable forms of ID.