Covid19- SAT IB AP? Which tests are canceled? Q&A

Which tests are canceled because of Covid19?

Q&A about standard exams, AP, SAT, IB tests for 2020 and what it means for students

As schools in Miami Dade are scheduled to be closed until at least April 15 because of the coronavirus outbreak, Nathalie Ponak, founder of Planet College and Manager of Acadomia answers some of your questions:

 

Q:What happens to the FSA and other State Standardized Tests for 2020?

A: The standardized tests have been canceled statewide. Governor DeSantis said that “Requirements for graduation, promotion and final course grades will be evaluated as though the assessments did not exist,”. So students will not be impacted by the lack of testing and will be probably be considered as having passed them for graduation purposes. Third graders will be promoted to 4^th. Seniors will be able to graduate even if they don’t have Algebra 1 and Grade English validated.

 

Q: What about the SAT or the ACT?

A: The College Board who administers the SAT and the SAT Subject tests has partially canceled the March session and completely the May one. For now you can register for the June 6 SAT. It is very likely that this one will also be canceled so students should consider registering for the August test date or October. We anticipate that the College Board may add new dates to satisfy the need for space in the test centers. We will keep you informed.

The April ACT was canceled. The June 13 ACT is maintained for the moment. Next test dates of July and September may be more likely.

We can expect universities to put less emphasis on test scores for the graduating class of 2021. However that means the selection will be more focused on grades. So students will have to do well at the beginning of Senior year. And should you manage to test and do well you may have an advantage.

As of March 23, there is no information on how the lack of SAT/ACT tests will impact the Bright Futures Program.

 

Q: What is happening with AP tests?

A: The College Board for now plans to have an online format.

• “Traditional face-to-face exam administrations will not take place. Students will take a 45-minute online free-response exam at home. 
• Some students may want to take the exam sooner rather than later, while the content is still fresh. Other students may want more time to practice. For each AP subject, there will be 2 different testing dates.  
• The full exam schedule, specific free-response question types that will be on each AP Exam, and additional testing details will be available by April 3.

 

Q: What will the AP exams cover, should I worry about not understanding the latest chapters?

A:They indicate they will focus the testing on the part of the program that was supposed to be covered before March 15. You can check the units covered at this website: https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/about-ap/news-changes/coronavirus-update

Should the exams be completely canceled some universities and colleges may give credit based on the grade in the class rather than the score at the AP test.

 

Q: I hear IB exams are canceled, what happens to my IB diploma or IB predicted?

A: For the first time in its history, the IBO has canceled all exams worldwide for 2020. Students will be awarded their Diploma based on their grades and IA, IEs. “The student will be awarded a Diploma or a Course Certificate which reflects their standard of work. This is based on student’s coursework and the established assessment expertise, rigor and quality control already built into the programmes” indicates the IBO on its website. It means that they will release results on July 5 as planned to give a grade to all students who were testing out this year.

Again for Juniors it means you will have an IB score based on your current grades and IB predicted by your teacher. That will count towards earning your Diploma.