In the beginning of the ‘25 school year, many juniors and seniors pursuing further education in college were informed about the switch from the ACT to SAT. The Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) announced they were awarded a four-year contract to administer the SAT in the spring of 2026. The contract will also save the state up to $350,000 annually.
The SAT has only two sections – reading and math. However, the ACT has four – English, reading, math, and science, which became optional. The SAT provides fewer questions with longer time for each. The time is also shorter than the ACT, delaying about 40 minutes. With that in mind, the test is also adaptive, meaning modules will adjust due to the performance. Students will need to account for the scoring. The ACT varies from 1-36, while the SAT varies from 400-1600.
Last school year, class of 2026 was the last class to experience the testing format of the ACT. During the fall, winter, and spring, students spend a day taking CERT (College equipped readiness tool), a platform that gives students practice questions and resources, similar to the testing format of the ACT. Due to the familiarity, the platform helps students transition. Atherton used to give seniors the opportunity to retake the ACT for free. However, the assessment has changed to the SAT, leaving seniors to take the test on their own, having to pay the pricey fee.
Ms. Allen, Atherton’s assessment coordinator, gave insight on how teachers help students prepare for the switch.
“I think both students and teachers are handling the switch extremely well. We learned about the transition right before the school year began, and teachers immediately started digging into the new test and finding resources to support students,” Allen said.
“Many of our students were already comfortable with SAT-style questions because a large portion take the PSAT each year. We’re also launching some additional supports for juniors in January to help them feel even more confident.”
Grayson Schoenfeld (11) will be taking the SAT this upcoming spring. Schoenfeld shared which assessment he looks forward to more and will benefit him.
“It feels a bit weird because I’ve spent so much of high school and even some of my teachers in middle school were like are you gonna take the ACT one day. So it felt a bit odd to switch from that so abruptly especially like the year that I’m taking it but I’m kind of thankful because it’s been easier honestly,” Schoenfeld said.
As a result, the switch seems to be going smoothly with the help of the staff and the CERT platform. Underclassmen will have another session in the spring, while the juniors will be taking the SAT.
