CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE) has worked closely with College Board to establish an SAT School Day administration this fall for West Virginia students who will be seniors during the 2020-21 school year. This  administration of the exam will provide seniors who would have taken the state-provided SAT School Day in spring 2020 as juniors with an opportunity to obtain SAT scores in time to be submitted for college admissions and to qualify for the state’s PROMISE Scholarship.
 
The primary test date for the fall state-provided SAT School Day will be September 23, but counties may choose a test date of October 14. Both school-day test dates are followed by a 10-day window to administer tests to students who require accommodations. A makeup date is set for October 28. In addition to the state school-day test dates, the WVDE has provided counties with other options, including establishing a test site and using vouchers for seniors to test on a Saturday national test date in the fall.
 
“We worked closely with College Board to establish fall SAT testing to ensure that our students who missed out on the opportunity this past spring have the option of taking a free SAT this fall,” said West Virginia Superintendent of Schools W. Clayton Burch. “Students and their families can be rest assured that those who will be seniors in the coming school year will have access to this important resource.”
 
State Superintendent Burch suspended all statewide testing for spring 2020 following the March 13 closure of all West Virginia schools by Governor Jim Justice because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The U.S. Department of Education approved a request by the WVDE to waive federal testing, accountability and reporting requirements for spring 2020 in light of the disruption to learning caused by the pandemic. Support from county superintendents made it possible to find suitable 2020 fall dates as viable options statewide.
 
Only students who will be seniors in the 2020-21 school year will be eligible to take the state-provided SAT School Day this fall. Students who are in the 11th grade during the 2020-21 school year will take the regular state-provided SAT School Day in spring 2021 when federal- and state-required standardized testing is scheduled to resume.
 
Seniors who choose to participate in the fall state-provided SAT administration will be required to complete the SAT with Essay, the same as they would have taken in spring 2020. Students who have set up College Board online accounts will be able to access their scores in the online score report portal.
 
Students who will be seniors at nonpublic schools who had requested and been approved to participate in the SAT School Day in spring 2020 also will be eligible to participate in the fall test administration.
 
Homeschool students who will be seniors in the 2020-21 school year may participate in the free fall SAT administration, but home instructors must notify each county’s test coordinator of their students’ intent to sit for the test.
 
Schools will provide students and parents with specific information regarding their testing plans for this fall once they have been finalized.