College placement tests SAT, ACT postponed due to coronavirus

The groups behind the two largest college placement exams in the U.S., the SAT and the ACT, announced Monday that they will reschedule or cancel future testing dates due to fears of the coronavirus.

Statements released on the websites of the ACT and the College Board, which administers the SAT, announced Monday that upcoming tests would be affected by nationwide guidance against Americans gathering in public, resulting in the postponement of the April 4 ACT exam and the cancellation of two upcoming SAT testing dates.

The College Board’s website said the upcoming makeup testing date of March 28 was canceled, as was the regular SAT testing date of May 2. Some prospective college students took the SAT this weekend despite health officials’ warnings about the spread of the coronavirus.

“Students who already registered for May, whose March test centers were closed, or who do not receive March scores because of any irregularities will receive refunds,” the College Board’s website reads. “In the coming days, College Board will share additional information and details directly with registered students and test centers.”

A notification on the ACT website warned visitors that the April 4 testing date has been rescheduled for June 13, while another testing date would be held a month later.

“The safety of students and test center staff is ACT’s top priority. ACT has rescheduled its April 4 national test date to June 13 across the U.S. in response to concerns about the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19). All students registered for the April 4 test date will receive an email from ACT in the next few days informing them of the postponement and instructions for free rescheduling to June 13 or a future national test date,” reads the ACT’s website.

Around 3 million students are estimated to take the SAT every year, while about 1.6 million take the ACT, according to statistics released by the two organizations.

The coronavirus outbreak, which was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization last week, has infected more than 170,000 people globally, including thousands in the U.S.