How the SAT has changed because of COVID-19

How the SAT has changed because of COVID-19

Meghan Maier, Writer

Because of the 2019-2020 school year ending abruptly last March, the class of 2021 was not able to take the SAT, which was postponed until Oct. 14. 

“The SAT that was given is actually the same SAT they were supposed to take last spring,” counselor Michelle Pietraszkewicz said. “Even the date on the front of the test will say April 2020.” 

Some students took the SAT previously as a junior at a different testing location. However, these students will be required to take the SAT along with the rest of the 2021 class.

“I think a few weeks before, a bunch of people got bumped off the list because they over-scheduled,” senior Abbey Banks said. “I took it at Lapeer High School and there were only 8 kids in the room I was in. We all had to wear masks except for when we were eating and during break. Before we could enter our rooms we were asked questions about COVID-19, for example, if we had been in contact with anyone sick or left the state.”

Because of COVID-19, changes had to be made to maintain a COVID-19 safe environment. 

“A change being made is that there will not be a pre-registration,” Pietraszkiewicz said. “This means that all of the pre-bubbling will not be done ahead of time; it will be done right in the testing room. The students also will be testing with the same people that are in their english class so they aren’t being exposed to others. Their seating charts from english will also be used so they are sitting around the same people, reducing exposure.”

Although there were some disadvantages to having to change to fit COVID-19 guidelines, there were also some advantages to these changes as well.

“Fewer people make it less nerve-wracking,” Banks said. “We were all pretty spaced out and with only eight people in a room, it made it less stressful. I don’t think there were many disadvantages other than not as many people being able to take it because of a smaller group of people.”

The class of 2022 will take their SAT on April 13, 2021. The class of 2021 took their test on Oct. 14 and freshmen took the PSAT on Oct. 15. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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