The Impact of Coronavirus on ACT/SAT Testing

The coronavirus pandemic has impacted more than just the sports world—it’s also causing school closures and standardized test cancelations nationwide. For student-athletes, academics and athletics go hand in hand. College coaches are just as interested in potential recruits’ GPAs and test scores as they are in their athletic skills. However, with schools closed and struggling to develop online learning curriculums for students, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to stay on track academically.

Check out our tips for staying focused on your grades to finish the school year strong. Then, stay up to date with the latest information on school closures and SAT, ACT, AP and other standardized testing updates below.

NCAA Eligibility Update for High-School Seniors

On April 17, the NCAA Eligibility Center announced they would provide a one-time COVID-19 automatic eligibility waiver for incoming freshman student-athletes for the 2020-2021 academic year. This includes waiving the ACT/SAT standardized test score requirement for both Division 1 and Division 2 programs.

High school seniors with an expected spring/summer 2020 graduation date will be academically eligible to practice, compete and receive an athletic scholarship if they meet the following criteria:

Division 1
- Complete 10 NCAA-approved core course units before the start of their seventh semester, seven of which must be English, math or science
- Have a 2.3 core course GPA or higher
Division 2
- Complete 10 NCAA-approved core course units before the start of their seventh semester
- Have a 2.2 core course GPA or higher

Learn more about the NCAA Eligibility Center’s response to COVID-19 here.

Academic Resources

Staying on track academically is a must for student-athletes. College coaches want to make sure potential recruits are eligible to compete in college and that their grades stand on their own. Student-athletes who are impacted by school closures should:

Follow their school’s online learning curriculum—this means attending online classes, paying attention to lectures and staying on top of homework assignments. Learn more about

Check in with their high-school guidance counselor. While the NCAA has not released any updates on how COVID-19 will impact eligibility requirements for high-school athletes, make sure you’re taking the necessary courses and meeting or exceeding GPA requirements. NCSA’s Eligibility Center Checklist breaks down what you should be doing and when.

Utilize this extra time to study for upcoming tests. The one silver lining of standardized tests being canceled or postponed? More time to study. Recruits should set aside a few hours a week to prep for the ACT, SAT or AP tests.

Worried about how you’ll score on an upcoming AP, SAT or ACT test? Starting in early April, free online video lessons developed by AP teachers will be available on YouTube covering topics/skills taught in the final weeks of AP courses while Method Test Prep is offering FREE ACT/SAT mini-lessons on Facebook Live, every weekday at 11am CST.

SAT Information

The College Board is canceling its May 2 national test date for both the SAT and all SAT Subject Test exams. They are currently assessing the status of the June 6 national test date.

The College Board is also canceling the March 14 makeup exam originally scheduled for March 28. For the latest announcements around rescheduling or cancelations, click here.

ACT Information

The ACT has rescheduled its April 4 national test date to June 13. All students registered for the April 4 test date will receive information from the ACT with instructions on how to reschedule for the June 13 or future test dates. For more information, click here.

Advanced Placement (AP) Test Information

Traditional in-person AP exams will not take place. Instead, all AP students can choose to take a 45-minute online free-response exam at home or cancel their exam at no charge. The full exam schedule, example free-response questions and additional testing materials will be available by April 3.

The AP Program has developed test prep resources and potential solutions that would allow students impacted by school closures to study for and take their AP exams at home. Starting on March 25, students can attend free, live AP review courses taught by AP teachers nationwide.

Get the latest AP updates for schools impacted by coronavirus at AP Central.

Other Standardized Test Information

The Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test (PSAT 10) exams for the 2019-2020 school year are administered between February 24–March 27, 2020 and April 14–30, 2020. Districts impacted by school closures are choosing to cancel standardized tests, including state-specific assessment tests, for the remainder of the school year.

Original article can be found here.