College Board announced on Jan. 19 that it will no longer be offering the SAT subject tests or optional essays in order to “simplify demands on students.”

The AP, or Advanced Placement, program has been more widely offered to low-income students, along with students of color, so College Board feels that the SAT subject tests are unnecessary, and that AP courses and tests are competent in demonstrating the required knowledge. Any family that has already paid for the subject tests will be given a refund.

Students living internationally will have the opportunity to take the subject tests up until May and June of 2021, but can also request a cancellation and full refund.

Along with the subject tests, College Board has said that the Reading and Writing portions on the SAT allow students to show their writing proficiency without an additional essay. However, the essay will still be offered until the June 2021 SAT. Students who have already signed up for the essay for a spring test can cancel it for a full refund.

This means that seats originally going to students taking the subject tests can be offered as SAT spots, and College Board is continuing to make the test more flexible and add more administrators, especially if the COVID-19 pandemic significantly affects testing in the spring.