Always Have a Testing Plan B

Because Plan A doesn't always work out

The Ides of March came early for college admissions tests this year. The March 8 SAT was beset with technical difficulties, undermining the best efforts of many test takers. Today’s in-school ACT glitched as well, which means schools and students will need to try again next week. Important tests have always been plagued by a host of possible problems from proctor error to site problems to utterly random interruptions—nobody expects a deer attack during the SAT, right? That said, the move to digital testing only exacerbates the potential for exam day debacles.

Test takers should know exactly what they can and should do to manage their test experience and, with hope, avert some of the expected impediments to a secure, standardized experience: start here and follow the other links for details.

But students should also hedge their bets by ensuring that their entire application process doesn’t depend on a single test date goes smoothly. On any given test administration, some experiences are compromised and some tests are rendered invalid, often through no fault of affected students. That has always been the case and will likely get worse, thanks to the complexity of digital testing.

So accept reality and begin testing early enough to allow for attempts on subsequent test dates. Retesting is a natural part of the process anyway, especially in the superscore era. Planning for multiple test dates that fit within both your busy schedule and application deadlines protects your downside while lowering the stress attached to any single exam experience.

Consider the following recommendations when determining your Plan A and B test dates:

• I find that testing as early as makes sense in 11th grade—ideally by December—takes a lot of pressure off students likely to engage in selective admissions.

• The SAT and ACT often occur at intervals of one or two months, so there’s always a test coming up soon.

• Never plan to test during important extracurricular activities or seasons.

• Never plan to test during May or June if you are sitting for multiple AP exams.

• Never ever just take an official test just to find out your baseline. Every official test should count, which means you should prepare for it.

A little planning combined with the right amount of prep goes a long way towards making sure that you are ready to test when the opportunity presents itself and only mildly inconvenienced if a scheduled date is postponed. Even better, those who prepare well often find that they never even need to exercise Plan B!

(Not sure what your plan should be? Get in touch and I’ll help you figure it out!)