On Tuesday, the College Board announced that following the June 2021 administration of the SAT , the optional essay will be eliminated from the test. They also announced that the SAT Subject Tests will be eliminated immediately in the United States, and following the June administration in the rest of the world.
The College Board says:
there are other ways for students to demonstrate their mastery of essay writing” and suggests that the writing and language questions on the test are good enough indicators. As for the Subject Tests, they suggest that the AP tests will fill that gap: “the expanded reach of AP and its widespread availability for low-income students and students of color means the Subject Tests are no longer necessary for students to show what they know.
The New York Times, for one, is suspicious of this change. They said:
Critics saw the changes not as an attempt to streamline the test-taking process for students, as the College Board portrayed the decision, but as a way of placing greater importance on Advanced Placement tests, which the board also produces, as a way for the organization to remain relevant and financially viable.
Heck, they don’t seem to even like the SAT at all. They quote Jon Boeckenstedt from Oregon State University, who says:
The SAT and the subject exams are dying products on their last breaths, and I’m sure the costs of administering them are substantial.
Anyways, keep an eye out for the ACT to eliminate their essay in the near future.