The April 4th ACT and the May 2nd SAT exams have been canceled as a result of the rapid spread of COVID-19. 

The cancellations come amid stay-at-home orders in 45 states and a move to online classes for a majority of schools across the nation. 

The College Board, the organization responsible for the administration of the SAT exam, also cancelled March 28th makeup tests for the March 14th exam. The March 14th exam had been cancelled in many locations, including at all CUSD sites, due to COVID-19. 

All students who had testing cancelled will receive full refunds from the College Board and will receive an email in the coming days regarding how to collect them. The next testing opportunity for the SAT is scheduled for June 6th, although that date may be subject to cancellation depending on the progression of COVID-19. 

Students that were scheduled to take the April 4th ACT will receive an email and will have the opportunity to receive a refund or be rescheduled for the June 13th exam for free. 

In response to these changes, some colleges are adopting new policies for the Class of 2021 to accommodate the lack of an opportunity to take either the SAT or ACT, a common admission requirement.

The University of California announced Wednesday that they were suspending SAT and ACT requirements for the Class of 2021 for all nine of their campuses, but made clear that these changes are not permanent. 

“This modification to the test requirement is not intended as an admissions policy shift but is rather a temporary accommodation driven by the current extraordinary circumstances,” said the University of California on their website. 

Other colleges are dropping testing requirements, including Boston University, Case Western University, and Oregon State University. 

Still, many students had spent a lot of time studying for these tests, only to see them cancelled. The spring dates that have been cancelled have often been popular for juniors as they offer an opportunity to boost previous scores and still allow students another chance before college applications are due.

“I was frustrated because I spent around 13 hours practicing for it on Khan Academy in the prior two weeks before the test,” said junior Justin Fletcher, who was planning on taking the SAT for the second time on March 14th. “I also got a really good score on a practice test so I was excited to hopefully translate that onto the real test.”

Students are encouraged to contact the College Board and ACT help centers with any questions regarding payment or future testing availability, but both organizations warn that wait times may be higher than normal.