SAT and ACT working on at-home versions of tests for the fall

Students preparing to apply for college next year could face a radically different testing environment than their peers in the past due to the coronavirus outbreak.

The College Board announced Wednesday on its website that officials are developing a take-home version of the annual SAT exam for use in the event that schools do not reopen for on-site classes in the fall. ACT, the College Board’s main competitor, made a similar announcement, according to The New York Times.

Wednesday’s announcement comes as the College Board was forced to cancel the upcoming June SAT test dates, the latest string of testing cancellations this year. The College Board previously canceled makeup testing dates in March as well as April’s regular SAT tests.

“If it’s safe from a public health standpoint, we’ll provide weekend SAT administrations every month through the end of the calendar year, beginning in August,” the College Board said on its website. “This includes a new administration in September and the previously scheduled tests on August 29, October 3, November 7, and December 5.”

The uncertainty around testing dates can be especially frustrating for students, many of whom study for months ahead of their scheduled testing dates.

The College Board’s announcement also follows its decision to administer this year’s advanced placement tests from home, a decision that means far lower oversight than usual over tests that determine whether students will receive college credit for some high school classes.

In a statement on its website, the College Board added that it was calling on schools to ensure that they could provide the capacity necessary for all students to take the SAT once facilities reopen.

“For each administration, we’re preparing to significantly expand our capacity for students to take the SAT once schools reopen. We’re calling on our member schools and colleges, as well as local communities, to provide additional test center capacity so every student who wants to take the SAT can do so,” read the statement.