The Corona Virus and the ACT, SAT, GRE, GMAT, MCAT, DAT, & PCAT

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March 28: The (Lack of) Testing Update

For updated information on what high schools and colleges are up to, check here. Worried about admissions? I cover that here. Want to know the secret to getting ahead in the admissions battle? Here ya go. As always, I’m happy to answer any questions, so reach out.

SAT/ACT–June is the earliest most students can test. In the unlikely event that school resumes, I expect students will take the in-school SATs.

GMAT–The GMAT has announced it will roll out an at-home version of the exam starting in the middle of April. The new exam will be cheaper, how much cheaper is to be determined. The format will have the same number of items, structure, and scoring protocols.

GRE/TOEFL–The GRE and TOEFL are launching an in-home option. In fact, the GMAT’s option may be a bit rushed in response to the GRE’s launch. Their option will cost the same as the in-center GRE ~$200. There will be no essay on the in-home exam.

The in-home TOEFL is bigger news. It removes a barrier to international students matriculating in the fall of 2020. (Often, students take the TOEFL after they’ve been admitted).

The at-home GRE, GMAT, and TOEFL come with significant restrictions. Students must be alone. No food, drink, or headphones will be allowed. The exam must be taken on a PC with a Windows operating system. IOS computers, tablets, and phones are not permitted. There will be a proctor video conferencing with the student during the exam. Students must have a camera that can be rotated a full 360-degree view of the room, and the proctor will have remote access to the student’s computer. They will be able to take it over and poke around if they feel something is amiss. Right now, the ETS and GMAC are saying these are temporary measures, but I think they are likely to stay.

DAT & PCAT–Both exams are given at Prometric testing centers, which are closed in the US and Canada until at least the eighteenth of April. The April PCAT has been canceled. The PCAT is only offered seven times per year, and the next test date is not until July. The DAT follows a year-round schedule; once Prometric centers reopen, students should be able to find a slot reasonably quickly.

MCAT–The MCAT issued a wholesale cancellation of the March 27 and April 4th exam. Unlike the GRE, GMAT, and TOEFL, some testing centers (the MCAT is taken at Pearson testing centers) are still open. I expect them to cancel future dates and issue free reschedules. Pearson, surprisingly, has not issued a wholesale closure of their centers but most centers appear to be closed. Even if the MCAT does not cancel future dates, it is unlikely students will be able to test because test centers will be closed. At present, the MCAT has not announced any plans for home-based testing. Given the length of the exam and, in my opinion, a greater inducement to cheat, I doubt that the MCAT will go in-home.

Testing Links

Pearson Testing Centers (GMAT, MCAT, PCAT)

Thomson Prometric Centers (GRE, DAT)

Law School Admissions Council (LSAT)

College Board (PSAT & SAT)

ACT

March 20: Testing Update

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The testing picture is rapidly changing–I’ve had to update this article multiple times in the course of writing it. It will take time to settle out, but I wanted to give you what is known and useful advice on how to respond to the changes in the testing schedule. 

It’s worth noting that every test administration organization (ACT, College Board, LSAC, ETS, AAMC, and so on), is taking COVID-19 very seriously. Over 150 SAT sites were closed for the March 14 exam, and 17 countries had the exam canceled altogether. They’re moving decisively, and they are moving fast. For the March exam, the number of closed SAT centers more than doubled from 72 to 148. 

Graduate Entrance Exams and the Corona Virus

College students taking the GRE or DAT may be entirely unaffected, but this is becoming less likely. Because of the nature of these exams and how they are proctored cancellations tend to be from the bottom up and not wholesale date cancellations (as we’re beginning to see in other exams). Both exams are computer-based, given in small centers, and administered on an almost daily basis. Wholesale cancellations of these exams seems unlikely unless all Prometric centers are closed. 

There hasn’t been a lot of guidance on when the closed Prometric centers may reopen. If your center is closed, you may or may not be able to use a different center, if the center can administer your exam (likely for the DAT and GRE) and they have room for you (probably more problematic). Check your email frequently and check the testing websites (links at the end). Prepare to take your exam as scheduled. View any cancellation/reschedule as an opportunity to be better prepared. 

The GMAT, MCAT, and PCAT are proctored at Pearson testing centers. Yesterday, Pearson announced they would close all US and Canadian centers for 30 days starting March 17. 

The LSAT has the potential for the longest downtime because of how it is proctored and the infrequency of its administration: it is a paper test, given only 7 times a year, with a lot of potential lawyers in close quarters. Today, the LSAC–the administrator of the LSAT–canceled the March 20 exam. Students have been automatically enrolled in the April 25 exam. I think it is unlikely that the April exam is administered.

To date, students who have had their testing centers closed have been receiving refunds or free-registration for a future date. I anticipate this will continue for both the undergraduate and graduate school exams.

The SAT, ACT, and the Corona Virus

For the spring testing season, the SAT and ACT find the landscape similar to the LSAT. Both are  large, infrequent, paper administrations at hundreds of sites around the world. This is a model that lacks flexibility, and it will show. 

Those who take the exam in school, particularly you midwesterners who test in April, will likely have your test postponed–but it’s almost certain that the states will proctor it eventually (it’s already been paid for). It’s very likely that the in-school April SAT will be given as soon as students return to school.

Today, the College Board canceled the May SAT as well as the makeup for closed test centers on March 14. 

The ACT canceled the April exam and has rescheduled it for June 13. 

What Do I Do?

If you’re freaking out now, don’t. Remember that everyone has the same comparative disadvantage, so it all comes out in the wash. What will differentiate next year’s applicant pool is how they maximize the opportunity of this break in routine. This is an opportunity.

You have more time and flexibility now, bear down on your admissions exam, get caught up, get ahead, do more than you could have done otherwise. Find ways to get involved, take on independent projects, develop new skills. 

Above all, plan like you’re taking the exam on the date you’re supposed to and you won’t have that nagging anxiety of not knowing whether you will or won’t be testing. When there isn’t a lot of structure or direction, being prepared is of unparalleled value. 

One word of caution. You aren’t test-taking robots. You need a realistic and structured  study schedule. I have had dozens of students come to me for the LSAT or GMAT who have been out of college for a few years, working a job, and then–for whatever reason–found themselves unemployed and looking to go back to school. 

A lot of those students tell me “I’m going to study for eight hours a day since I don’t have work.” I say, “don’t.” They reiterate their commitment and discipline. Then I don’t see them for several weeks. What happened? They tried studying eight hours a day, got burnt out, and hid from the test until guilt brought them back. The less structure you have, the more important balance becomes. 

Take solace that cancellations and changes to the admissions calendar aren’t happening in a vacuum. Testing centers, test administrators, and universities all want to get back to business as usual, and they will be proactive about giving this admissions cycle as much normalcy as they can. 

Often, we can’t control what happens to us. We can control how we respond. Stay on target, be creative about your new flexibility, and trust that institutions are responding. 

I always answer questions for free, so drop me a contact form. We’re also opening up more hours during the day, and if you need a tutor, reach out and talk to us at no obligation. 

Testing Links

Pearson Testing Centers (GMAT, MCAT, PCAT)

Thomson Prometric Centers (GRE, DAT)

Law School Admissions Council (LSAT)

College Board (PSAT & SAT)

ACT