No matter where you are in the world, coronavirus is surely affecting your life. When it comes to education, most schools have shut down and some are continuing with distance learning online. Exam season during coronavirus has been put on hold as a result. From students who were preparing for the SAT/ACT to those expected to take federal standardized tests, all schedules have shifted.
While some traditional college campuses have closed, online education is continuing as usual. In fact, many campuses are moving towards an online model to continue education. Yet, federal exams and College Board-administered exams are the most heavily impacted right now.
Here’s a breakdown of what coronavirus is, how it’s affecting education, and what you can expect when it comes to taking big exams in the coming months.
Coronavirus: Quick Info
The coronavirus is a virus that began in December 2019 in Wuhan, China. While the actual source of the virus is still not confirmed, it has since spread across the world. All countries and their governments are taking necessary precautions to help slow the spread. From social distancing recommendations to complete lockdowns, every person is having to shift their daily routine in one way or another.
Since the World Health Organization has defined coronavirus as a pandemic, the world is working together to try to contain this global health crisis. With its quick and exponential spread, many countries have shut down schools in the interest of public health.
Effects on Education
The biggest reason why schools have been shut down is to protect against community spread. Community spread happens when people pass diseases to one another without knowing where or how it happened. As people are not supposed to be gathering in groups or large crowds, a school is considered a dangerous place for the spread of the virus.
Additionally, people can contract the virus and not know they have it because they could be asymptomatic. Or, the symptoms may only appear within 14 days of being infected, so schools would not even know if students had it while they are spreading it to others. That’s why many schools are shutting down.
In turn, exam dates are being canceled or postponed until further notice.
Given the rapid reality of the virus’ exponential spread, here’s a look at the broad scope of next steps and expectations regarding major exams this school year:
SAT/ACT: The SAT and ACT have been postponed. The next ACT date was set for April 4 and has been pushed back to June 13. The SAT had dates available for May 2 and June 6. The May 2 date has since been canceled. The College Board reported that they will refund students who were scheduled for the May 2 test date.
AP Exams: The College Board in the U.S. expects students to take the AP exams in May. After surveying thousands of students around the nation, students feel the same desire to take the tests despite the current crisis. As such, the College Board is in the process of developing 45-minute online free response tests for all AP subjects. Starting on March 25, the College Board will also provide free online AP classes to review material before your online exam.
State Standardized Tests: In America, each state has its own set of standardized testing that are administered in public schools. These tests were scheduled for the start of April, but since the news of the coronavirus pandemic and school closings, many states have canceled their testing. Although this may be a lifted burden for teachers and students, the federal government requires states to complete these tests according to the Every Student Succeeds Act. The tests are meant to gauge how well schools are keeping up with required teaching.
As such, each state is allowed to apply for a waiver to release them from the requirement. The U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos has her team reviewing these waiver applications on a case-by-case basis.
How are Universities Handling the Pandemic?
Many traditional public and private universities have closed and/or are moving to online models of education. However, when it comes to traditional campuses, there is more than education at stake to consider. So many students rely on their university for housing and food, so it has opened up a new set of challenges.
The campuses are also putting up their best efforts to fight against the spread of the virus by increasing cleaning protocols and sharing ways that students can minimize social contact.
On the other hand, online schools like the University of the People remain in a different position. Since the school is completely online, everything is still business as usual. Despite the rapid changes that big institutions are facing, UoPeople is naturally able to adapt to a crisis like this because of its inherently digital setup.
Our model of online education and learning was initially designed in 2009 to give students from all over the world, no matter their financial situation or life circumstance, the chance to earn their higher education degree. For those seeking to continue expanding their education, now is as good a time as ever to learn about how to become a student at the University of the People!
Around the world, things are changing. But this doesn’t mean you can’t keep learning. If you are currently a student, you have likely found yourself studying at home more often than you may otherwise have been.
Some things to remember for optimal studying, time management, and stress-relief include:
Take breaks
Set your schedule according to your most productive times
Exercise regularly
Eat healthily
Communicate with friends and peers
Designate a study space
Here are some ideas to continue learning, even if you’re stuck inside:
The entire world is facing major changes because of the novel coronavirus. Institutions of private and public education have and continue to make adaptations to provide learning for students in these unprecedented times.
Given the need for social distancing, most major exams have been postponed or canceled until further notice. However, if you attend University of the People, exams will continue as expected.
If you have specific questions regarding any upcoming exams you may have scheduled, it is best to contact your school or the exam provider directly.
At UoPeople, our blog writers are thinkers, researchers, and experts dedicated to curating articles relevant to our mission: making higher education accessible to everyone. Read More
