Changes to SAT and ACT Testing and the Move Towards Test-Optional
Many tests have been cancelled and rescheduled.
Most colleges have now gone test optional, but a good score can only help!
Check out our blog to stay updated!
How Are SAT and ACT Tests Being Conducted?
With all the changes in high schools to accommodate social distancing, you may be wondering: What’s even going on with the SAT and ACT? Let’s take a look back at the changes to SAT and ACT testing so far and what colleges have done in response.
Recent changes in testing schedules
March
3/12: College Board, maker of the SAT, announces possible cancellations for some testing centers for the March 14 SAT
3/14: SAT test administered (some cancellations)
3/16: College Board cancels May 2 SAT as well as makeup exams for the March 14 SAT (scheduled for March 28)
3/16: ACT, Inc, maker of the ACT, cancels April 4 ACT, offering free rescheduling on June 13
3/19: ACT, Inc reschedules international April 3 and 4 ACTs to May
April
4/15: College Board cancels June 6 test
4/15: College Board announces possible new test dates in the fall and possible digital at-home SAT
4/16: ACT, Inc announces remotely-proctored testing option
May
5/21: The University of California (UC) colleges go test-optional for the 2020-2021 admissions cycle, citing discriminatory issues with the tests
June
6/2: College Board pauses its offer of at-home SAT test due to iniquities in internet access
6/2: College Board asks colleges for flexibility in the 2020-2021 admissions cycle
6/13: ACT test administered
6/23: ACT, Inc adds new test dates for the fall
July
7/9: ACT, Inc postpones remotely-proctored testing option
7/18: ACT test administered
The move towards test optional
Due to the pandemic, an increasing number of colleges have also adopted test-optional policies for next year.
In fact, a majority of colleges (including all the Ivy Leagues and other highly-selective schools) will be test-optional for the 2020-2021 admissions cycle. To check if a college has gone test-optional, check out this updated list from FairTest.
Colleges have cited multiple reasons for this new policy, including:
Social distancing measures mean limited test access and capacity at test sites
(Amherst, Brown, Caltech, Cornell, Dartmouth, Duke, Northwestern, Princeton, Stanford, etc.),
Test date cancellations and rescheduling have made it difficult to take tests
(Columbia, Cornell, Harvard, MIT, Northwestern, Wellesley, etc.),
Extraordinary, unexpected disruptions in education during unprecedented times,
(Brown, Duke, Princeton, Stanford, Williams, Yale, etc.),
The importance of every student’s health and well-being during the pandemic
(Cornell, Northwestern, etc.)
Note that the college list under each reason holds just a few examples of colleges citing that specific reason and is not fully representative of every college that has done so.
While some colleges have announced a permanent change, others are only adopting the policy temporarily. Some colleges will use this admissions cycle as a pilot program to study the effectiveness of a test-optional policy.
There have been a lot of unprecedented changes in recent months with the SAT and ACT. Colleges have tried to adapt as a result.
To recap:
College Board and ACT, Inc have had to cancel and reschedule testing throughout the spring and summer, but new test dates are available for the fall.
Essentially, all colleges have gone test-optional.
Not taking the SAT and ACT will not put students at a disadvantage. If you are unsure if you should take the test, feel free to check out our guide.
Look out for more updates on our blog!
