The College Board announced in January that the SAT Subject Tests (formerly called “Achievement Tests,” then “SAT IIs”), as well as the optional writing section on the SAT, would no longer be offered in the United States. The College Board will continue to administer the Subject Tests and SAT with essay to international students through June 2021.
The Subject Tests were one-hour exams that assessed students’ knowledge of particular subjects, such as Chemistry, World History, or French. There were 20 SAT Subject Tests in five general subject areas: English, History, Science, Mathematics, and Languages.
Even before the coronavirus pandemic, fewer and fewer universities required the exams for admission. Only five colleges required the Subject Tests and 12 colleges recommended them. But with many universities halting or permanently removing standardized test requirements for the high school classes of 2021 and 2022, given the challenge of scheduling tests with Covid-19 restrictions, students stopped taking the Subject Tests. Since 2010, the number of Subject Tests administered has decreased by about 45%. Only about 10% of seniors took Subject Tests each year.
According to Compass Education Group, the “College Board is focusing resources on their popular AP program and on the race against ACT to move testing online in ways that are secure, equitable, and more efficient.”
