April is here and testing is near, but do not fear for there is still time to study before the test commences!

The upcoming SATs and PSATs will be held from the 13th to the 15th of April. All grade levels, except for seniors, will be testing on separate days. It’s important to note that only juniors take the SATs and the lower classes such as sophomores and freshmen take the PSATs. The first day of testing on the 13th is dedicated to only juniors, then it’s the sophomores on the 14th, and freshmen wrap it up on the 15th.

With the tests approaching, junior Keegan Kiger has thoughts on it.

“The SATs are not as intimidating as I thought they’d be. We’re given lots of time and resources to prepare which helps,” Kiger stated.

There’s no doubt that the thought of taking the SATs is stressful for other current and past juniors. Just as Kiger said, Air Academy provides good resources like prep seminars and encourages Kadets to use websites such as Khan Academy to better prepare for the tests.

Previously the SATs had more of an impact on college admissions since they could change the weight of any student’s chance at getting into college. Nowadays, most colleges around the United States, like Colorado College, no longer require students to have taken the SAT.

Those like sophomore Kaia Reyes are happy about the decision.

“I think it’s actually progressive that colleges will require SATs less and less because of how different people test and so much used to rely on those scores,” Reyes explained.

There used to be high standards when it came to the SATs. It was always expected for students to try to get a high or good enough score. Luckily that’s no longer something that Kadets need to worry too much about anymore.

However, that’s not the only recent change.

Although tests taken in previous years have been on paper, this year it will be different. Students will be taking the SAT or PSAT on laptops instead. However, it’s required that the laptop used must be the ones distributed by the school. So, where can this laptop be obtained? They can be checked out at the media center.

This change is quite divergent from the traditional pencil and paper, but does it affect Kadets?

“I don’t mind, it just saves paper and time,” Reyes said.

“I like paper more because I feel like it is less stressful, but either way is fine,” Kiger expressed.

There are definitely pros and cons to the test now being online. Conducting the test on a laptop is a more green solution, but the bad thing about it might be that problems might occur. For example, a student might’ve forgotten to charge it or an error could happen within the laptop.

As the SAT and PSAT approach, make sure to do any last-minute studying, check the testing dates, and obtain a school laptop. Even though the tests themselves no longer hold major importance, they still are a great way to show hard work and dedication to colleges.