Major Changes Announced for Spring 2020 AP, SAT, and ACT Exams

Lozano Smith Client News Brief
April 2020
Number 22

The administering of high school advanced placement (AP) exams, as well as the SAT and ACT college admission exams, has been altered for Spring 2020 in response to COVID-19.

Advanced Placement Exams

In light of the recent disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the College Board, the organization that administers the AP program and the SAT, is offering free online AP review classes as of March 25, 2020. AP students will also be able to take their AP exams online from any device, including computers, tablets, or smartphones. Students will also have the option of handwriting their responses and submitting a photo of them.

On April 3, 2020, the College Board made the full exam schedule available online, including local testing times for each AP course. Course-specific exam information, exam scoring, timing, and exam security are also posted on the College Board's website. The website also states that information regarding details for test day will be provided to AP students and educators in late April of 2020. The exams will be open book/open note and will emphasize content that most schools completed by March of 2020, before school closures. According to the College Board, colleges have expressed support for the online exam solution. Registered students also have the option of cancelling an exam at no charge.

The College Board has asked students who do not have access to the internet to contact them directly as the organization is working on developing solutions to help provide those students with access to the online programs.

SAT and ACT Exams

The College Board has canceled the May 2, 2020 administration of the SAT, and has cancelled makeup exam dates for past exams. Registered students will be refunded for the cost of the canceled exams. While the June 6, 2020 SAT has not been canceled yet, the College Board has expressed student and educator safety as its top priority, signaling the possibility of its cancelation depending on the status of the pandemic. The College Board is currently reviewing solutions for future testing opportunities to address increased testing demand due to the canceled SAT administrations.

The April 4, 2020 administration of the ACT was rescheduled to June 13, 2020, due to the pandemic. Students registered for the April 4, 2020 ACT may receive a refund and will not be automatically rescheduled to take the June 13, 2020 exam. According to the ACT organization, these registered students should receive an email with postponement information and instructions for free rescheduling of the exam.

Relevant Links

The College Board's exam schedule and course-specific exam information for each AP exam is available at the following link: https://apcoronavirusupdates.collegeboard.org/students/taking-ap-exams/ap-exam-schedule

Information regarding SAT and ACT administration is available at the following links:

SAT: https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/sat/register/test-center-closings

ACT: https://www.act.org/content/act/en/covid-19.html


Related Resources

The legal and practical realities of the current crisis are ever-changing. In our continued effort to equip public agencies with useful insights, we have compiled a suite of links to several resource and guidance documents and webpages available from the federal and state governments regarding COVID-19. You can access them here: http://www.lozanosmith.com/covid19.php.

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As the information contained herein is necessarily general, its application to a particular set of facts and circumstances may vary. For this reason, this News Brief does not constitute legal advice. We recommend that you consult with your counsel prior to acting on the information contained herein.