​Since 2020, the percentage of high school seniors submitting admissions test scores from the ACT or SAT as part of their college applications has dropped to just under 50% in 2023 as most schools adopted “test-optional” policies.
 
While test optional policies have empowered students to control more of their own destiny, they have also created a confusing landscape where families struggle to understand what “test optional” really means within the context of each school. While some schools embraced the new position, many just used the label and continued to prioritize applicants with scores, but few were transparent about their exact position or what they really wanted.

Advanced Placement (AP) exams begin in May at high schools across the country. Exam weeks for 2023 are May 1-5 and May 8-12.
 
Like 2022, all AP exams have returned to full-length, multi-part tests taken at school. For 2023, students can expect a potential mix of paper and digital AP exam formats, depending on their classes and school preference.

With millions of students enrolled in Advance Placement courses, the College Board had to scramble last year to provide a test solution in May with most schools closed and students learning remotely.

​Those expectations were never realistic, and the resulting exams, which were provided via a new online platform that relied on heavy-handed security and delivered unreliable performance, left many students frustrated or even unable to complete their exams. Exams were shortened and only covered a limited amount of material, and many wondered if colleges would even accept the scores (they did).

Fast forward to spring 2021 – the College Board has implemented many new changes for this year to improve the experience, but how each of your exams are administered this year will likely depend on the decisions of one person, and you will not have a say.

In an unexpected announcement in mid-January, the College Board said it will cease all SAT Subject Tests immediately in the United States and that it will no longer offer the written essay portion of the SAT college admissions test.

You have questions—we have the answers.

With Advanced Placement courses a core part of many student’s college application plans, we understand the concern about the administration of AP tests and how students can perform in spite of the present circumstances.
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Note: We have updated our original post to reflect the new information released by the College Board on April 3.

​You have questions—we have the answers.
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One of the lesser known parts of the college admissions application puzzle are SAT Subject Tests. Because of the nebulous requirements for these college entrance exams at many schools, we often get asked what these tests are and if students need to worry about them for their applications.

Our answer: if you are applying to top-tier schools, most will want you to submit some combination of SAT Subject Tests, but only MIT still requires these tests to apply. For most other schools, the test scores can serve as an independent validation that your good grades in a subject were earned in a comprehensive course.