After a season of standardized testing last spring which left many unable to take many SATs and ACTs and with significantly changed AP tests, students can expect this school year’s standardized testing to continue to be different from normal.
Though many universities throughout the nation have moved to being test-optional or test-blind in light of the difficulties facing many students, both the SAT and ACT are still being offered in-person in a limited capacity as many testing facilities are not currently open to testers. Regarding taking the SAT in the San Luis Obispo county region, Paso Robles High School and Arroyo Grande High School are both currently closed to testing. A full list of closed facilities can be found here. Furthermore, testers are required to wear a mask during testing, will be seated six feet apart, and will be given a short survey regarding any risk of exposure to or symptoms of COVID-19 they may have experienced. Full refunds and free transfers to different testing facilities will be offered.
The ACT is running under similar conditions. Precautions include requiring face coverings for test-takers and staff, having hand sanitizer and protective signage available, and issuing wellness checks for all staff. Like the SAT, full refunds can be requested as testing centers have experienced widespread closures. The ACT also reportedly has plans to institute an online ACT in 2021.
AP tests will also be affected. Although it is unknown what the state of affairs will be like in May of 2021, the College Board has confirmed that the current plan is to have tests cover all of the content of the year’s courses, unlike the 2020 tests. As students know, the online schedule at Morro Bay High School offers drastically less class time. At the moment, College Board is releasing “AP Daily” videos for each AP course, which allows students to receive any content which they might not be able to hear in class. AP Daily videos can be found in the AP Classroom for each course, which students can connect to through a code provided by their teacher.
