SAT requirement suspended for UC and Cal State schools

With the continuing spread of COVID-19, numerous standardized tests have been canceled or modified for the rest of the 2020 school year. For example, Advanced Placement exams in May have been changed to a streamlined, all-online format; several testing dates for exams, such as the SAT and ACT, have been canceled and rescheduled for the beginning of the 2020 school year. As a result, the Universities of California and the California State Colleges, as well as 1,000 other schools, are not requiring the submission of SAT or ACT scores for fall 2021 admissions. 

These test cancellations have arisen from the stay-at-home orders that are being enforced in several states and countries. To help flatten out the curve of coronavirus cases, people are being encouraged to stay at home and avoid gathering in large groups. The traditional environment for standardized testing is largely discouraged and is not safe at this time. 

The suspension of the requirement of the SAT and/or ACT is new territory for nearly all U.S. colleges. The SAT has been required for admissions, for some schools, since the 1930s. Even though the submission of these test scores is not required, many schools are encouraging that students submit their scores if they can to increase their chances of acceptance.