College Prep Testing and COVID-19

The novel coronavirus has transformed our daily lives significantly, and its impact upon the college admissions process will be felt for years to come.

However, many of the changes can be experienced as opportunities for students who are ready to optimize circumstances.

Utilize this time to prep!

The SAT and ACT will both be offered in socially-distant environments this fall. We can expect to see:

• Increased space between test-takers
• Temperature checks upon entry
• More entrances and exits at testing locations to allow for well-spaced registration
• The addition of more testing centers

This fall, the goal will be to maximize the number of available seats at every test administration by spreading test-takers amongst many more test sites than usual. Rather than 20 students per classroom, there might be eight.

The challenge will be accommodating the normal volume of test-takers as well as those who have been rescheduled from the spring and summer test dates that have been canceled.

What can you do to increase your chances of securing a place?

By registering now for upcoming tests, you can reserve your spot. If the test is rescheduled, you will ensure priority registration at the first available test that is offered.

If socially-distant test administration proves unmanageable due to logistics or becomes an impossibility due to virus resurgence, both the ACT and the SAT will be offered as at-home, online tests.

While the details of this remain vague at this point, the tests could be proctored by webcam either in their entirety or for a portion of the exam. Given the sheer volume of this effort, the latter seems more likely and perhaps would involve one “live” section taken in front of the camera for proctor supervision, with the remainder of the test completed unsupervised.

The spring AP exams are being administered in an abbreviated format and are unproctored—this will likely serve as the litmus test for at-home standardized testing administration.

If it is executed successfully, we can expect to see the same approach for the SAT and ACT.

While we watch and wait, now is the time to prepare for fall testing, regardless of when and how it will be offered.

Discouraged by a difficult spring semester, many students are struggling to complete their coursework independently and will opt out of test prep this summer.

Large zoom classes have proven difficult to follow for all ages of students, and the sudden transition from the classroom to online has been jarring students and teachers alike.

However, individual instruction doesn’t resemble the online classroom experience so many have become disengaged from over the past few months. It is important to understand that one-on-one tutoring will net stronger, reliable results because it is personal and customized to the student’s specific strengths and schedule.

Partnering with tutors that have always offered lessons virtually with a proven record of success is a great choice for the preparation rising juniors and seniors need to pursue to be ready for the fall.

Click here to learn more about our test prep services!