College Board suspends plan for SAT at home
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College Board, the organization that administers the SAT exam has decided to scrap at-home tests in the coming months and requested schools not to punish students who are not able to submit their SAT scores. In mid-April, College Board announced that it was developing a digital version of the SAT in case the lockdown continues for more time, as, this would make it difficult for the board to offer enough testing dates and centers. According to the College Board, the technology requirements for taking the SAT test would not be possible for every student. Students need three-hours of non-stop internet service to complete the multiple-choice exam. Almost 2.2 million students took the SAT test last year, so, there are technological challenges in developing a test that all the students can take it, which is the reason, the board decided to drop it.
Earlier candidates who took Advanced Placement exams faced technical hiccups and were not able to submit their answers via computers and mobile phones. The online AP tests were shortened this spring to 45 minutes each after schools were closed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. As the testing dates are irregular, the College Board has requested selective schools to extend their deadlines for students to submit SAT scores, and not punish candidates who are not able to take the test because of the Coronavirus.
In many places, demand for seats in testing sessions to be held in August and September exceeds the number of centers where the SAT Test will be held. Social distancing and other precautionary measures have also made the administration of tests at large-scale difficult.
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A large number of top colleges have waived SAT and ACT test requirements because of COVID-19. However, not all the universities have made SAT test scores optional for the next round of admissions. Top universities like Harvard and Stanford are asking for the SAT and ACT scores from prospective students.
The ACT testing organization has also said that it is planning to at-home tests if necessary. Registration for the SAT exam opened last week for students in the classes of 2020 and 2021 who do not have SAT scores but faced difficulties in signing up for the test. College Board and ACT have encountered various challenges in recent weeks.
Q: How many SAT exam centres are in India?
Located across 33 cities, there are around 129 designated SAT exam centres in India. Indian students registering for SAT exam can choose for any one of these test centres out of 120 based on their city and area of accommodation. The SAT centres in India are located at all possible cities and in possible areas of these cities too. Each SAT centre has a unique centre code which differentiates one test centre from the other. Students must exercise caution while choosing a SAT exam centre.
Q: If I don't meet the SAT cutoff, will I get disqualified for admission?
Some universities require a consolidated SAT cutoff while the other universities may resort their admission policies towards SAT sectional cutoffs. Either ways if something is in the applicant's favour, will drive him to qualify for the said university's admissions. But in case the applicant fails to meet either of the said circumstances, chances are that they disqualify for the admission. Thus, if mentioned, applicants should aim for the given SAT cutoff or slightly higher than the given cutoff.
Q: If a university is not test optional, is it still important to meet SAT cutoff?
In case the applicant is submitting SAT scores and the SAT cutoff is mentioned, then it is likely that the applicants will have to submit the SAT cutoff based on the given requirements. It is important to meet SAT cutoffs if the applicants have them mentioned in the admission requirements. Thus, if the applicant has not taken the test it becomes less important to submit these scores, but if the applicant feels that the scores will enhance their applications and give a better impression, then they should go for it.
Q: Since a lot of US universities have become test optional, is it easy to find their cutoffs?
Yes, since a lot of US universities have become test optional it may be difficult to find their cutoffs. But those who intend on submitting SAT scores despite the test optionality choice, can look up for previous year's SAT cutoffs on the official websites if available. This way the applicant will have an idea of what score is required and plan a strategy to aim for the said cutoff. The previous year's SAT cutoff will not however be the ideal support but it will just give the applicant an idea of what and how to aim for in SAT.
Q: What is the SAT cut-off for the best colleges in the world?
The SAT cutoff for best colleges in the world as ranked by QS for the year 2024 are as follows:
- University of Cambridge: 1460-1500
- University of Oxford: 1480 and above
- Harvard University: 1480-1580
- Stanford University: 1440-1505
- UCL: 1440 and above
- University of California Berkley: 1140-1530
- University of Chicago: 1510-1560
- Cornell University: 1470-1550
- Yale University: 1470-1490
- Princeton University: 1510-1560
This data is dynamic and is subject to change. Thus, please visit the official website for more details.
Q: Which all colleges in India, accept SAT scores and what is the cut-off requirement for the same?
Q: Do Australian universities release SAT cutoffs?
No, usually Australian universities do not release SAT cutoffs, and some of them may not require them also. Only a handful universities of Australia accept SAT scores from international students for admission. The ones who accept SAT scores, may or may not publish SAT cut-offs or minimum SAT score requirements. Even if some universities do that, they give it for a specific course and not for all courses offered at that level in the university in question. Thus, be careful while checking admission requirements.
Q: What was the SAT RW cutoff for top US universities in 2023?
The following are the SAT cutoffs for RW section for US universities for the year 2023:
| Top US Universities | SAT - Reading & Writing Cutoff |
|---|---|
| Harvard University | 710-770 |
| Stanford University | 700-770 |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) | 730-770 |
| University of California Berkeley (UCB) | 650-740 |
| University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) | 690 |
| Yale University | 740-800 |
Aishwarya is a professional Writer currently working as a Study Abroad Expert in the Editorial Team at Shiksha. She has over 5 years of experience and is skilled at creating Online Content with leveraged knowledge i... Read Full Bio
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