Here’s How COVID-19 Affects the SAT

COVID-19 has changed all aspects of our lives, and that includes standardized testing. Here is how the global pandemic affects SAT test-taking. 

To keep students safe, and in alignment with public health guidance and school closures across 192 countries, the SAT and SAT Subject Tests in May and June 2020 are canceled. If it is safe from a public health standpoint, weekend SAT administrations will be provided every month through the end of the calendar year beginning in August. This includes a new administration on September 26 and the previously scheduled tests on August 29, October 3, November 7, and December 5.

Students can register for these administrations starting in May. Students will be contacted directly during the week of May 26 to provide an exact date. Eligible students can register with a fee waiver. For each administration, SAT is preparing to significantly expand their capacity for students to take the SAT once schools reopen. 

Students can get early access to register for August, September, and October if they are already registered for June, or if they are in the high school class of 2021 and don’t yet have SAT scores. 

Almost all of our state partners and many of our district partners have expressed interest in administering the SAT during the school day in the fall. Some states, like Michigan, have already announced fall testing. This is an important opportunity, as states and large districts who participate can provide the SAT for free to all their students. Specific information about state and district testing will be shared in the coming weeks. If students were scheduled to take the SAT as part of state-required testing, they can check with their school or district for updates.

We know students are anxious about how COVID-19 affects SAT test-taking and college applications. SAT is committed to giving students as many chances as we can to show their strengths to colleges, while relying on the guidance of public health officials. Throughout, they will continue to focus on students with fee waivers and those with accommodations.

In the unlikely event that schools do not reopen this fall, College Board will provide a digital SAT for home use. SAT would ensure that at-home testing is simple, secure, fair, accessible to all, and valid for use in college admissions. Like the paper test, a digital, remote version of the SAT would measure what students are learning in school and what they need to know to be successful in college.

To help students keep their college readiness skills sharp when many schools are closed, College Board and Khan Academy will continue to provide free resources online, including full-length practice tests and personalized learning tools.

Updated Customer Service Hours:
To better support you throughout this crisis, and in compliance with local, state, and federal safety regulations, College Board’s phone support hours are now 9 a.m.—6 p.m. ET, Monday—Friday.

Email: sat@info.collegeboard.org
Phone (domestic): 866-756-7346
Phone (international): +1-212-713-7789

Stay connected to the most up-to-date information about the SAT at the College Board website. 

Allison Green
Boston Tutoring Services