Like many other events that would warrant a large gathering of people, many Bay Area administrations of the March 14 SAT were cancelled due to COVID-19. 

On March 13, the CollegeBoard sent an email to certain students taking the March SAT, confirming that their test was cancelled and that they would be refunded. Fremont High School and Lincoln High School were two such locations, where many Lynbrook students registered to take the exam due to their convenient location. In response to these cancellations, some centers offered make-ups at a later date or sent students to another location, while others required the students to reschedule their test. 

Students had mixed reactions when notified that their test had been cancelled. Some worried about when they would get the chance to take the test again

“I don’t think the cancellation of the SAT was beneficial, because I thought I was ready to take it and I know many of my friends felt ready to take it, but now we have to wait,” said junior Matthew Lu. 

Others felt that the cancellation was not a significant setback.

“At first I was angry and disappointed because I would have to reschedule to May while some other test centers at the time were still open, but I eventually accepted that I couldn’t do anything about it,” said junior Aileen Mi. “Overall, I think I am benefitting from the cancellation because when May comes around I’ll probably be even more confident in my abilities and not be nervous while taking the test.”

Prior to the SAT date, the SAT website stated that most students would be notified directly of closings, except in some cases where the center was closed on short notice. A list of closed testing centers was also available online, though it came with the disclaimer that it would be updated as quickly as possible, but not immediately. However, despite the CollegeBoard’s efforts, students were frustrated by the lack of clarity regarding the situation. 

“The cancelation was very confusing, especially because it was so abrupt, but I got help from some friends who were taking it at the same center,” said junior Vishma Raj, who had planned to take the SAT at Lincoln High School. “It was especially confusing that some centers offered make-ups, but mine did not. My test was canceled on Friday during second period, and I wish they would have cancelled earlier so I wouldn’t have been worrying about the SAT only for it to be cancelled.”

As stated in the email sent by the College Board, students must reschedule their SAT test to a future test date if they still wish to take it. Many students are debating whether or not to reschedule due to the uncertainty regarding the intensity of the COVID-19 outbreak and the potential for future test cancellations. It is unclear how long the virus will continue to cause postponements and cancellations; thus while registration remains open, the status of future test dates is unclear.