Is the SAT cancelled in Dubai?
It’s official…
The College Board has cancelled the March and May 2020 SATs in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and the rest of the UAE because of the coronavirus.
1. Do NOT drive to Oman to take the test.
The SAT may still be happening in Oman because the country isn’t affected by the coronavirus, but you can’t take it there. You would have had to have registered to take the SAT there already. It would not be possible for you to change your test center to one in Oman at this point either.
Besides, if you are taking the March or May 2020 SATs, your college deadlines won’t be until November 2020 or later, so you have time to take the SAT in August or October. That’s even if you are doing SAT Subject Tests as well.
2. Register for the May 2020 exam IMMEDIATELY! (Update below)
UPDATE: The May 2020 SAT has been cancelled all around the world as well. The June SAT will only take place in the USA, not in countries outside of America. Find the next SAT on the College Board’s website.
It is very likely that once flu season is over, schools will reopen and things will go back to somewhat normal.
Therefore, the May SAT will probably still happen.(Nevermind…)
You need to register to take it immediately, so that you beat the rush of people rescheduling their March exams. It is possible that there will be a shortage of SAT seats in Dubai for the next exam, so you want to be sure you get yours.
But, “What about my refund?” you ask.
You will receive a full refund for the SAT from the College Board. However, it takes them up to 6 weeks to issue the refunds, so the registration deadline for the next exam would have already passed by the time you receive your refund.
It is better to spend the money to take the next SAT now, and get refunded later.
But, “What about my May exams?” you ask.
Well, if anything, the school closures across the UAE give you more time to prepare for both. If you continue your SAT and exam preparation, you will be in good shape to sit for both.
Which brings us to our next point…
3. Keep going with your SAT prep even though the SAT is cancelled in Dubai!
Day 1 – Full length practice test
- The whole test with all 4 sections
- In one sitting with minimal breaks
- Timed according to the section timing on the test
Day 2 – Score and review the test thoroughly
- You’ll be tempted to do this on day 1 but don’t
- Check the test with the short answers and use the scoring chart to figure out your score
- Go through each section of the test and really analyze why your answer is wrong and the correct answer is right
- Reading = try to find the support for the correct answer in the passage and underline the words that make answers wrong
- Writing = try to identify the grammar error and find the clues that lead you to the correct answer
- Math = rework incorrect answers to completion. Do it over and over until you get the correct answer.
Day 3 – Review
- Revise any concepts related to incorrect answers, so that you make sure you’ve got the right way
- For APPLY ME students, go back to your strategy notes and review the concepts
Day 4 – Chill
- Gotta let all that knowledge marinate!
4. Do at least 4 full length tests.
Since you’ve got plenty of time now, you need to focus on working as many problems as possible, so you get inside the mind of the SAT.
Here are links to all the best tests online:
8 free official practice tests from the College Board
Done these already?
Get Kaplan’s SAT 8 Practice Tests or the Princeton Review’s 10 Practice Tests for the SAT. You should be able to get both of them from Borders or Kinokuniya in Dubai Mall.
No matter what…keep prepping right up to the May SAT.
Now get to work!
