Houston's Major School Holidays and Test Dates 2025-2026

Whether you are planning out your timetable for extracurricular activities or your preparations for the ISEE, SAT, ACT, or AP exams, please keep the following dates in mind.

Houston ISD Major Dates and Holidays

2025

August 12 – First Day of School
September 1 – Labor Day
October 3-4 – Fall Holiday
November 24-28 – Thanksgiving Holiday
December 22 – January 5 – Winter Break

2026

January 19 – Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
February 16 – President’s Day
March 9-13 – Spring Break
March 30 – Chavez Huerta Day
April 3 – Spring Holiday
May 25 – Memorial Day
June 4 – Last Day of School

View the full calendar at HoustonISD.org

Spring Branch ISD Major Dates and Holidays

2025

August 13 – First Day of School
September 1 – Labor Day
October 10-13 – Fall Holiday
November 24-28 – Thanksgiving Holiday
December 22 – January 5 – Winter Break

2026

January 19 – Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
February 16 – President’s Day
March 9-13 – Spring Break
April 3 – Spring Holiday
May 22 – Last Day of School
May 25 – Memorial Day

View the full calendar at SpringBranchISD.com

Private School Application Deadlines

2025

August 29 – St. Johns (Kindergarten)
September 19 – Kinkaid (Pre-K and Kindergarten)
October 24 – St. John’s (Classes 1-4)
October 31 – Awty (Primary)
November 21 – Awty (Secondary)
- ISEE scores due January 15, 2026
December 3 – Kinkaid (Grades 1-12)
- ISEE scores due January 10, 2026
December 3 – Second Baptist (Grades 1-12)
- ISEE scores due January 15, 2026
December 5 – St. John’s (Classes 5-11)
- ISEE scores due January 9, 2026
December 5 – Episcopal HS
- ISEE scores due January 16, 2026
December 7 – Annunciation Orthodox School
- ISEE scores due January 18, 2026
December 15 – St. Mark’s
- ISEE scores due January 31, 2026
December 15 – St. Agnes
- ISEE scores due February 1, 2026
December 17 – Emery/Weiner
- ISEE scores due January 28, 2026
December 15 – Presbyterian
- ISEE scores due January 15, 2026

2026

January 15 – Strake Jesuit
- ISEE scores due January 31
January 15 – St. Thomas High School
- ISEE scores due January 31
January 15 – St. Thomas’ Episcopal
- ISEE scores due February 1
January 16 – John Cooper

Dates are from the school websites. This list is not exhaustive.

ISEE Popular Test Dates

Popular ISEE Test dates

November 8
November 15
December 6
December 13
January 10

Registration will open on August 1st.

Register online at ERBLearn.org

SAT & PSAT Test Dates

2025

August 23 (register by Aug 8)
September 13 (Aug 29)
October 4 (Sept 19)
October (PSAT)
November 8 (Oct 24)
December 6 (Nov 21)

2026

March 4 (SBISD)
March 14 (register by Feb 27)
April 1 (HISD)
May 2 (Apr 17)
June 6 (May 22)

Register online at CollegeBoard.org

ACT Test Dates

2025

September 6 (register by Aug 1)
October 18 (Sept 12)
December 13 (Nov 7)

2026

February 14 (register by Jan 3)
March 25 (HISD)
April 11 (Mar 6)
June 13 (May 8)
July 11 (Jun 5)

Register online at ACT.org

Historically, College Board always hosts AP tests during the two weeks following the May SAT date. Though the following course assignments are still subject to change the preliminary dates for each exam are below.

College Board Exam Dates page.

Week 1:
- Monday, May 4, 2026:
  - Morning: Biology, Latin
  - Afternoon: European History, Microeconomics
- Tuesday, May 5, 2026
  - Morning: Chemistry, Human Geography
  - Afternoon: United States Government and Politics
- Wednesday, May 6, 2026:
  - Morning: English Literature and Composition
  - Afternoon: Comparative Government and Politics, Physics 1: Algebra-Based
- Thursday, May 7, 2026:
  - Morning: Physics 2: Algebra-Based, World History: Modern
  - Afternoon: African American Studies, Statistics
- Friday, May 8, 2026:
  - Morning: Italian Language and Culture, United States History
  - Afternoon: Chinese Language and Culture, Macroeconomics
Week 2:
- Monday, May 11, 2026:
  - Morning: Calculus AB, Calculus BC
  - Afternoon: Music Theory, Seminar
- Tuesday, May 12, 2026:
  - Morning: French Language and Culture, Precalculus
  - Afternoon: Japanese Language and Culture, Psychology
- Wednesday, May 13, 2026:
  - Morning: English Language and Composition, German Language and Culture
  - Afternoon: Physics C: Mechanics, Spanish Literature and Culture
- Thursday, May 14, 2026:
  - Morning: Art History, Spanish Language and Culture
  - Afternoon: Computer Science Principles, Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism
- Friday, May 15, 2026:
  - Morning: Environmental Science
  - Afternoon: Computer Science A

IB Exams Date Schedule PDF.

Friday, April 24, 2026
- Morning
  - No exams
- Afternoon
  - School-based syllabus SL paper 1
  - Language & culture SL paper 1
Monday, April 27, 2026
- Morning
  - School-based syllabus SL paper 2
  - Language & culture SL paper 2
- Afternoon
  - Language A Literature HL paper 1
  - Language A Literature SL paper 1
  - Language A Language & Literature HL paper 1
  - Language A Language & Literature SL paper 1
  - The above exams exclude English, French & Spanish
Tuesday, April 28, 2026
- Morning
  - Language A Literature HL/SL paper 2
  - Language A Language & Literature HL/SL paper 2
  - The above exams exclude English, French & Spanish
- Afternoon
  - Physics HL paper 1 (1a and 1b)
  - Physics SL paper 1 (1a and 1b)
  - Sports, exercise & health science HL paper 1
  - Sports, exercise & health science HL paper 3
  - Sports, exercise & health science SL paper 1
  - Sports, exercise & health science SL paper 3
Wednesday, April 29, 2026
- Morning
  - Physics HL paper 2
  - Physics SL paper 2
  - Sports, exercise & health science HL paper 2
  - Sports, exercise & health science SL paper 2
- Afternoon
  - Business management HL/SL paper 1
  - Business management HL paper 3
Thursday, April 30, 2026
- Morning
  - No exams
- Afternoon
  - No exams
Friday, May 1, 2026
- Morning
  - Business management HL paper 2
  - Business management SL paper 2
- Afternoon
  - Computer science HL paper 1
  - Computer science SL paper 1
  - Environmental systems & societies SL paper 1 1h
Monday, May 4, 2026
- Morning
  - Computer science HL paper 2
  - Computer science HL paper 3
  - Computer science SL paper 2
  - Environmental systems & societies SL paper 2
- Afternoon
  - History HL/SL paper 1
  - History HL/SL paper 2
Tuesday, May 5, 2026
- Morning
  - History HL paper 3
- Afternoon
  - Language B HL paper 1
  - Language B HL paper 2 – Reading comprehension
  - Language B SL paper 1
  - Language B SL paper 2 – Reading comprehension
  - Language ab initio SL paper 1
  - Language ab initio SL paper 2 – Reading comprehension
  - The above exams exclude English, French & Spanish
  - Latin HL paper 1
  - Latin SL paper 1
Wednesday, May 6, 2026
- Morning
  - Language B HL paper 2 – Listening comprehension
  - Language B SL paper 2 – Listening comprehension
  - Language ab initio SL paper 2 – Listening comprehension
  - The above exams exclude English, French & Spanish
  - Latin HL paper 2
  - Latin SL paper 2
- Afternoon
  - Psychology HL paper 1
  - Psychology SL paper 1
Thursday, May 7, 2026
- Morning
  - Psychology HL paper 2
  - Psychology HL paper 3
  - Psychology SL paper 2
- Afternoon
  - English A Literature HL paper 1
  - English A Literature SL paper 1
  - English A Language & Literature HL paper 1
  - English A Language & Literature SL paper 1
  - English B HL paper 1
  - English B HL paper 2 – Reading comprehension
  - English B SL paper 1
  - English B SL paper 2 – Reading comprehension
  - English ab initio SL paper 1
  - English ab initio SL paper 2 – Reading comprehension
Friday, May 8, 2026
- Morning
  - English A Literature HL/SL paper 2
  - English A Language & Literature HL/SL paper 2
  - English B HL paper 2 – Listening comprehension
  - English B SL paper 2 – Listening comprehension
  - English ab initio SL paper 2 – Listening comprehension
  - Literature & performance SL paper 1
- Afternoon
  - Geography HL paper 1
  - Geography SL paper 1
  - Philosophy HL paper 1
  - Philosophy SL paper 1
  - Social & cultural anthropology HL paper 1
  - Social & cultural anthropology SL paper 1
Monday, May 11, 2026
- Morning
  - Geography HL/SL paper 2
  - Geography HL paper 3
  - Philosophy HL/SL paper 2
  - Philosophy HL paper 3
  - Social & cultural anthropology HL paper 2
  - Social & cultural anthropology SL paper 2
- Afternoon
  - Biology HL paper 1 (1a and 1b)
  - Biology SL paper 1 (1a and 1b)
Tuesday, May 12, 2026
- Morning
  - Biology HL paper 2
  - Biology SL paper 2
- Afternoon
  - Economics HL/SL paper 2
  - World religions SL paper 1
Wednesday, May 13, 2026
- Morning
  - Economics HL paper 1
  - Economics HL paper 3
  - Economics SL paper 1
  - World religions SL paper 2
- Afternoon
  - Classical Greek HL paper 1
  - Classical Greek SL paper 1
  - Spanish A Literature HL paper 1
  - Spanish A Literature SL paper 1
  - Spanish A Language & Literature HL paper 1
  - Spanish A Language & Literature SL paper 1
  - Spanish B HL paper 1
  - Spanish B HL paper 2 – Reading comprehension
  - Spanish B SL paper 1
  - Spanish B SL paper 2 – Reading comprehension
  - Spanish ab initio SL paper 1
  - Spanish ab initio SL paper 2 – Reading comprehension
Thursday, May 14, 2026
- Morning
  - Classical Greek HL paper 2
  - Classical Greek SL paper 2
  - Spanish A Literature HL/SL paper 2
  - Spanish A Language & Literature HL/SL paper 2
  - Spanish B HL paper 2 – Listening comprehension
  - Spanish B SL paper 2 – Listening comprehension
  - Spanish ab initio SL paper 2 – Listening comprehension
- Afternoon
  - Mathematics: analysis and approaches HL paper 1
  - Mathematics: analysis and approaches SL paper 1
  - Mathematics: applications and interpretation HL paper 1
  - Mathematics: applications and interpretation SL paper 1
Friday, May 15, 2026
- Morning
  - Mathematics: analysis and approaches HL paper 2
  - Mathematics: analysis and approaches SL paper 2
  - Mathematics: applications and interpretation HL paper 2
  - Mathematics: applications and interpretation SL paper 2
- Afternoon
  - Chemistry HL paper 1 (1a and 1b)
  - Chemistry SL paper 1 (1a and 1b)
  - Design technology HL paper 1
  - Design technology SL paper 1
  - Design technology HL/SL paper 2
Monday, May 18, 2026
- Morning
  - Chemistry HL paper 2
  - Chemistry SL paper 2
  - Design technology HL paper 3
- Afternoon
  - Digital society HL paper 1
  - Digital society SL paper 1
  - Global politics HL/SL paper 1
Tuesday, May 19, 2026
- Morning
  - Digital society HL/SL paper 2
  - Digital society HL paper 3
  - Global politics HL paper 2
  - Global politics SL paper 2
- Afternoon
  - French A Literature HL paper 1
  - French A Literature SL paper 1
  - French A Language & Literature HL paper 1
  - French A Language & Literature SL paper 1
  - French B HL paper 1
  - French B HL paper 2 – Reading comprehension
  - French B SL paper 1
  - French B SL paper 2 – Reading comprehension
  - French ab initio SL paper 1
  - French ab initio SL paper 2 – Reading comprehension
Wednesday, May 20, 2025
- Morning
  - French A Literature HL/SL paper 2
  - French A Language & Literature HL/SL paper 2
  - French B HL paper 2 – Listening comprehension
  - French B SL paper 2 – Listening comprehension
  - French ab initio SL paper 2 – Listening comprehension
- Afternoon
  - Mathematics: analysis and approaches HL paper 3
  - Mathematics: applications and interpretation HL paper 3

STAAR Testing

HISD

April 9 – English 1, Grades 6-8 RLA
April 14 – English 2, Grades 3-5 RLA
April 15 – MS Biology, Grade 8 Science, US History
April 21 – Grade 5 Science
April 22 – Grade 8 Social Studies, HS Biology
April 23 – Grade 3-5 Math
April 28 – Algebra 1 (MS & HS), Grade 6-8 Math

SBISD

April 14 – English 1
April 15 – English 2, Grade 3-8 RLA
April 21 – HS Biology, Grade 5 & 8 Science
April 22 – US History, Grade 8 Social Studies
April 29 – Algebra 1 (MS & HS), Grade 3-8 Math

First Days of School

August 12th

August 13th

August 14th

August 15th

Awty International School (Middle)

August 18th

Awty International School (Lower)

August 19th

August 20th

Author

Samuel Pearson

Samuel Pearson is General Academic's Lead Manager and Director of College Counseling. He graduated from Rice University in 2017 with a B.A. in Cognitive Science & Visual and Dramatic Arts. Before joining General Academic's team in 2023, Samuel was a high school teacher and technical director at a premier independent school in Houston. He holds a Certificate of College Access Counseling from Rice University's Center for College Readiness.
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