As students dive into the 2020-21 school year, upperclassmen face the pressure of completing an important step in defining their future. That’s right, it’s the start of SAT season. However, like all things in 2020, the SAT testing procedures have undergone a few small changes.

Due to the threat of COVID-19, safety measures were put into place that varied according to location, and students had varying opinions in regards to this matter. 

Junior Rishab Desai recently took the SAT at Freedom High School.

“[My testing facility] had good procedures set up,” Desai said. “The staff made sure everyone was apart and that at no part of the test is your mask allowed to be off.  Also we all sat far apart.”

On the other hand, Katie Tribiano, a junior who recently took the SAT at Westfield High School, did not have the most comfortable test day experiences.

“I think the procedures they put into place, although good, were kinda annoying,” Tribiano said. “It made the wait to get into the testing facility even longer, and we had to wait outside the cold. It was also a little difficult to wear the mask the whole time testing.”

Overall, despite feelings of annoyance, the vast majority of students understood the necessity for these safety measures. Some students, like senior Nadia Stupec, even found ways to adapt.

“The biggest advice I would give someone taking the SAT right now is to practice doing the exam in a mask,” Stupec said. “I found this so helpful because I knew which type of mask worked for me, and how I would react to having my mask on while doing an exam.”