College Board has announced that as of June 2021, they will discontinue the SAT Subject Tests, as well as drop the optional SAT Essay. Their focus is to continue to reduce the demand on students and move the SAT to a more digital friendly format. This decision comes on the heels of a very difficult year for students all across the country. Varying state COVID-19 regulations caused widespread test center closures, and months of stressful rescheduling for thousands of students. When it became clear that not enough high school students could safely take the exam, most U.S. colleges made the move to make all standardized tests optional in the admissions process. Addressing these new test changes, College Board cites that the widespread availability and expanded reach of AP exams means students don’t need the subject tests to show what they know. Similarly, they claim that the optional essay isn’t the most predictive way to assess a student’s preparedness in writing and editing, and that the tasks in the SAT Reading, Writing, and Language section are more effective measurements.
So while the SAT most likely won’t be required by US colleges until the end of the pandemic, it might look a little different when it returns.
To stay up to date with news from College Board, registering for exams, and check testing center availability, visit the College Board website.