To Test or Not to Test?

With so much uncertainty about test requirements for the high school class of 2022, juniors may be torn over whether they should prepare for and take the SAT and/or ACT this year. Many colleges have not yet announced their plans for remaining test-optional or test blind next year. How can students decide whether to invest both considerable time and money into test prep for the next admissions cycle?

“Advisors and counselors can look objectively at the high school record a student presents, consider past performance on standardized tests, encourage taking mock SAT/ACT exams, and review the student profile in light of the colleges on their college list.”

This is really where a trusted advisor is valuable. Advisors and counselors can look objectively at the high school record a student presents, consider past performance on standardized tests, encourage taking mock SAT/ACT exams, and review the student profile in light of the colleges on their college list. Together, students and counselor can map out a suitable testing plan. If students decide to take the SAT/ACT, they will still have the option of applying test optional to a great many colleges next year. Because many test centers remain closed due to the pandemic, students might want to put off testing until late spring or early summer; more available test dates will most likely become available to accommodate students who wish to test during the summer months.

Even with the uncertainty, what we do know is that the College Board announced the end of the optional SAT Writing Assessment. This test has become increasingly irrelevant in the college admission process, as colleges felt it was a poor measure of a student’s grasp of writing skills. The ACT still offers its optional writing assessment, but the admission testing giants tend to follow each other’s lead, so changes to the ACT might be expected as well.

In addition, the College Board also announced the end of the SAT Subject tests for US students. (Some foreign countries still use these so tests will be available for international students through the end of this academic year.) In lieu of the SAT Subject exams, College Board encourages students to prepare for and take AP subject exams as a way of demonstrating competency in specific subject areas.