ACT RELEASES JUNE SITE LIST AND POLICIES

While the College Board cancelled the June SAT outright on April 15, the ACT, Inc. chose to take a more tailored approach, making the decision on a test center by test center basis. Now, after weeks of anticipation, the ACT, Inc. has finally released its list of testing sites that will be closed for the June 13 ACT. So, how did the organization’s more nuanced approach to cancellations work?  Where, if anywhere, will students be taking the ACT next month?

We cross-referenced the ACT’s list of cancellations with the list of all planned June sites and determined that at a national level, thirty three percent of scheduled test centers will be open. Here is the information we pulled listed by test center, and here’s an interactive map we’ve created to showcase the states with higher rates of available test centers. Scroll over a state to see its percentage of open test centers:

Here are the data by state and US territory alphabetically and then ranked according to their percentage of open testing sites:

Percentage of open testing sites by state, sorted alphabetically

Grand Total	2644	1284	3928	33%
State	Closed	Open	Grand Total	% Open
AK	6	1	7	14%
AL	78	57	135	42%
AR	63	72	135	53%
AS		1	1	100%
AZ	25	13	38	34%
CA	115	20	135	15%
CO	30	13	43	30%
CT	23	3	26	12%
DC		1	1	100%
DE	3		3	0%
FL	173	101	274	37%
GA	83	28	111	25%
GU	2		2	0%
HI	5	2	7	29%
IA	43	42	85	49%
ID	10	18	28	64%
IL	108	21	129	16%
IN	45	8	53	15%
KS	45	44	89	49%
KY	101	41	142	29%
LA	53	89	142	63%
MA	26		26	0%
MD	32	3	35	9%
ME	6		6	0%
MH		1	1	100%
MI	77	24	101	24%
MN	95	21	116	18%
MO	102	106	208	51%
MP	1		1	0%
MS	57	51	108	47%
MT	12	7	19	37%
NC	36	23	59	39%
ND	6	7	13	54%
NE	36	21	57	37%
NH	4		4	0%
NJ	70	5	75	7%
NM	17	18	35	51%
NV	10	6	16	38%
NY	188	15	203	7%
OH	176	42	218	19%
OK	43	57	100	57%
OR	12	2	14	14%
PA	59	15	74	20%
PR	3		3	0%
PW	1		1	0%
RI	3	1	4	25%
SC	30	10	40	25%
SD	15	20	35	57%
TN	91	63	154	41%
TX	199	98	297	33%
UT	17	36	53	68%
VA	26	12	38	32%
VI	1	2	3	67%
VT	9		9	0%
WA	32	7	39	18%
WI	106	1	107	1%
WV	30	23	53	43%
WY	5	12	17	71%

 

States and territories ranked by percentage of open testing centers

State	Closed	Open	Grand Total	% Open
DE	3		3	0%
GU	2		2	0%
MA	26		26	0%
ME	6		6	0%
MP	1		1	0%
NH	4		4	0%
PR	3		3	0%
PW	1		1	0%
VT	9		9	0%
WI	106	1	107	1%
NJ	70	5	75	7%
NY	188	15	203	7%
MD	32	3	35	9%
CT	23	3	26	12%
AK	6	1	7	14%
OR	12	2	14	14%
CA	115	20	135	15%
IN	45	8	53	15%
IL	108	21	129	16%
WA	32	7	39	18%
MN	95	21	116	18%
OH	176	42	218	19%
PA	59	15	74	20%
MI	77	24	101	24%
RI	3	1	4	25%
SC	30	10	40	25%
GA	83	28	111	25%
HI	5	2	7	29%
KY	101	41	142	29%
CO	30	13	43	30%
VA	26	12	38	32%
TX	199	98	297	33%
AZ	25	13	38	34%
MT	12	7	19	37%
NE	36	21	57	37%
FL	173	101	274	37%
NV	10	6	16	38%
NC	36	23	59	39%
TN	91	63	154	41%
AL	78	57	135	42%
WV	30	23	53	43%
MS	57	51	108	47%
IA	43	42	85	49%
KS	45	44	89	49%
MO	102	106	208	51%
NM	17	18	35	51%
AR	63	72	135	53%
ND	6	7	13	54%
OK	43	57	100	57%
SD	15	20	35	57%
LA	53	89	142	63%
ID	10	18	28	64%
VI	1	2	3	67%
UT	17	36	53	68%
WY	5	12	17	71%
AS		1	1	100%
DC		1	1	100%
MH		1	1	100%
Grand Total	2644	1284	3928	33%

 

Students will be disproportionately affected across the country. No students in Massachusetts will be able to sit for a June ACT. In Wisconsin, a single test center of the 107 scheduled will be open. In New York, the state hardest hit by the pandemic, a mere 15 of their 203 sites are open. States with fewer than 10 percent of sites open include New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and Wisconsin.

Other states will be able to accommodate many more students. Wyoming will have an open rate of 71%, with 12 of its 17 sites open. States with over half of their test centers open include Missouri, New Mexico, Arkansas, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Louisiana, Idaho, Utah, and Wyoming. These states generally experienced fewer cases of and fatalities from Covid 19, with the exception of Louisiana.

Testing Policies

In addition to its list of cancellations, the ACT unveiled this FAQ page with important information for students and families about what they can expect if taking the ACT during the pandemic. Here’s what you need to know:

Social distancing guidelines 

ACT, Inc. will be following the social distancing guidelines recommended by the CDC. It has released the following information on how it intends to ensure the safety of students and testing administrators.

Policies and procedures have been updated following guidance from local officials and CDC guidance to provide social distancing guidelines to test centers. The guidelines have been provided to June test centers that include instructions to, but not limited to: 

• Making hand sanitizer available 
• Placing COVID-19 related signage, including floor signage to maintain six feet distances at key locations such as check-in and seating arrangements 
• Requiring Health screenings and wellness checks on both testing staff and examinees on test day.
• Requirements to wear Personal Protective Equipment (gloves and masks) on test day. [Source: http://www.act.org/content/act/en/covid-19.html]

This would indicate that students are supposed to maintain a 6-foot distance from other testers and are encouraged to wear masks. These are the guidelines, so it may be up to individual testing sites whether or not they enforce these guidelines with fidelity.

Students are allowed to wear masks and other protective equipment that they bring

• No personal protective equipment (PPE) will be provided by the test center. Examinees are encouraged to bring their own mask, personal hand sanitizer, and other PPE.
• Examinees will be asked to temporarily remove masks for inspection and full facial confirmation as part of test security protocols at check-in.
• Gloves and hand sanitizer are acceptable to have on test day and in the testing room. Gloves, and other PPE are subject to inspection. [Source: http://www.act.org/content/act/en/covid-19.html]

Students don’t have to wear masks, but they are encouraged to do so. Some students may find it challenging to wear a mask for the duration of the testing administration; however, others may feel compelled to do so for their protection and for the protection of others. Enforcement of the guidelines may vary by test site and proctor.

Students will be screened for Covid 19 symptoms and risk factors before being allowed to test

Examinees will be asked the following health and wellness questions during check-in. If an examinee affirms any of the following, they will not be admitted, and may make a test date change at no cost.

• Have you tested positive for the virus that causes COVID-19 in the last 14 days? 
• Have you had any of these symptoms in the last 14 days?
  Fever greater than 100 degrees , Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath, Cough
  Chills , Muscle pain, Sore throat, New loss of taste or smell 
• Are you experiencing fever, difficulty breathing or shortness of breath, a cough, chills, muscle pain, sore throat, or new loss of taste or smell at this time? 
• Have you been in close contact with someone displaying these known symptoms of COVID-19? 
• Have you been in close contact with someone diagnosed with COVID-19 or who has tested positive for the virus that causes COVID-19 in the last 14 days? 
• Have you traveled outside the country or to any high-risk locations in the last 14 days or been in close contact with someone who traveled to high-risk locations in the past 14 days? [Source: http://www.act.org/content/act/en/covid-19.html]

Social distancing has eliminated seats at testing sites and displaced registered students

Even at test centers that are proceeding with the June test, social distancing guidelines have led to some students with registrations being displaced because of capacity constraints:

There were instances in which a test center had to reduce their capacity due to social distancing guidelines determined by the CDC or state or local officials and it caused some students to be displaced. ACT prioritized students in 12th grade, followed by students in 11th grade, and then looked at the order in which a student registered for the ACT test. This decision was not made lightly, and ACT apologizes for any inconvenience this may have caused. [Source: http://www.act.org/content/act/en/covid-19.html]

So rising seniors had the best chance of retaining a seat, followed by rising juniors, prioritized by the dates they registered for the tests. ACT, Inc. hasn’t said how many students were affected by reduced test center capacities, so we don’t know whether displacements of this type were widespread or relatively uncommon.

Students do not have the option of standing by for the June test

If you are not registered in advance, you will not be able to secure a seat on test-day. There is no standby for June.

For students who are unable to test in June, the ACT will not automatically register them for a subsequent test date; they must do it themselves.

ACT cannot automatically re-register students. Students should follow the instructions emailed to them by ACT to change their registration. If students are unable to make a change, please contact ACT Customer Care directly for assistance. If students do not wish to re-register for a future test date, students can call ACT Customer Care to obtain a refund of their June registration fees. [Source: http://www.act.org/content/act/en/covid-19.html]

Affected students who have lost their seat need to reach out promptly to the ACT to register for a future test date.

According to Reddit, one student who called in after learning of his test site’s cancellation was informed that the options available were 1) find another test center; 2) switch to July; or 3) receive a refund. It is highly unlikely that students in many regions of the country will be able to find available test centers with open seats for June given the social distancing guidelines. July may be the next best option.

What about the June 20th make-up date?

The ACT has wiped any mention of the June 20th make-up test date from its Frequently Asked Questions page. It doesn’t seem the June 20th date will be a major factor in allowing more students to test.

What does this mean for students?

Students across the country have been affected by the widespread closures of test sites and the reduction of seats due to social distancing. Although 33% of sites remain open for June, we have to assume that fewer than 33% of registered students will be able to test. Many of the states with the greatest populations and larger testing centers have been hardest hit by the closures. And we don’t know what percentage of students were displaced by social distancing. It’s fair to estimate that only one in four registered students will actually take the test in June. That means we are pushing the bottleneck along to July. If the ACT has to accommodate 75% of June testers in July, this will be a mighty challenge. The ACT is working to secure access to larger facilities, particularly college campuses with much larger classrooms, in order to handle the backlog.

This level of closures puts increasing pressure on ACT, Inc. to release a timeline for its remote testing option, set to arrive in the fall or early winter, or offer additional test dates beyond September, October and December. As the College Board has added a September date for the SAT, it seems like a natural move for the ACT to add a test date in August or November.

The broad closures may also lead to more colleges adopting test-optional admissions policies for the class of 2021, particularly for colleges who draw heavily from regions where testing is largely unavailable.

Adjusting to the new realities

Given the widespread closures, students will need to make adjustments to their test preparation. Students who had been relying upon June must plan on a later date, ideally July or September. Rising juniors in many markets may have to wait until later in the fall to complete their testing, as rising seniors will have priority for seats.

If the ACT, Inc. administers a remote ACT in the fall, that will enable them to clear the testing bottleneck completely. Absent that option, students will need to pay attention to registration deadlines and the availability of seats in local testing sites. According to ACT, Inc. CEO Marten Roorda, the July 18 test will be available to more students. June was always going to be more challenging. Although the College Board opted to completely cancel the June administration of the SAT, the ACT, Inc. chose to administer the test where it could safely do so. This was always going to mean that the testing opportunities available across the country would not be uniform. Allowing some students to test was the pragmatic solution, but it may strike some as being unfair to those students who cannot test.

Students waiting to test should continue to prepare, though in a modified fashion. Continue to review relevant prep materials, though clearly with less intensity than if you were preparing for June. Students will have more time to prepare for the next official test, and research shows that students who put in more time preparing for these tests end up with higher scores.

Each subsequent test date should allow a larger portion of students across the country to complete their admissions tests. June was always going to be tough. The July ACT should allow more students to test, and the August SAT should accommodate even more students. By the fall, the vast majority of high schools and colleges in most markets across the country will likely have students on campus. At that time, administering these tests should be significantly easier. Continue to plan for your best testing outcome, even if you’ll have to wait longer than initially anticipated.