ACT/SAT and COVID-19

COVID-19 has impacted students’ ability to take the SAT/ACT. College Board, the firm that administers the SAT, reports that 69% of students registered for the November 7th SAT were able to take the test. That is an increase over August (when only 56% could), September (45%), and October (58%). 

The ACT.org has not released data on what percentage of students could take the test. Needless to say, it is still difficult to find an open test center.

Many SAT/ACT testing sites have already reached capacity, so if you plan to take an SAT/ACT this year, we recommend you register ASAP. As a reminder, all test centers require that all students and proctors wear masks.

For juniors, we recommend taking the ACT without studying to see if they naturally do better in the ACT or the SAT. If the student will be taking the PSAT in 2020 or early 2021, that is a good proxy for the SAT. If the student’s school is not offering the PSAT this year, we recommend that they take the SAT also without studying. The colleges will be focused on your higher test scores. Once you know which test you naturally do better in or which test makes more sense to you, it is easy to develop a study and testing plan for 2021.

Schools that are test-optional for the current application cycle may continue to be test-optional next year. However, you should still take the SAT/ACT because even test-optional schools value students with test scores above their average.

Because so many schools are test-optional, admission officers will be more interested in how students are using their time out of school as well as the strength of the curriculum.