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SAT or ACT? Re-bidding process raises questions for state college entrance exam-takers

FILE - In this photo taken Jan. 17, 2016, a student looks at questions during a college test preparation class at Holton Arms School in Bethesda, Md. The SAT exam will move from paper and pencil to a digital format, administrators announced Tuesday, Jan. 25, 2022, saying the shift will boost its relevancy as more colleges make standardized tests optional for admission. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
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AP
FILE - In this photo taken Jan. 17, 2016, a student looks at questions during a college test preparation class at Holton Arms School in Bethesda, Md. The SAT exam will move from paper and pencil to a digital format, administrators announced Tuesday, Jan. 25, 2022, saying the shift will boost its relevancy as more colleges make standardized tests optional for admission. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Kentucky students will begin school in the fall without knowing which college entrance exam they'll be taking.

Kentucky had made the switch from the ACT to the SAT as its preferred college entrance exam last year, but issues have emerged following the passage of Senate Bill 197 — a heavily-amended bill that gained approval in the waning days of the 2026 regular session.

More about the move to SAT

Language in the measure calls for the state to re-bid its contract for the exams. Rep. Tina Bojanowski was among those with questions ahead of the House vote.

"I'm just trying to work my head around whether or not the college entrance exams would have to align with our state standards or if they are just a college readiness exam," she said.

More questions have since followed.

The most pressing for students: With the contract back in play, which test will they be prepping for? Kentucky Education Commissioner Robbie Fletcher said the mandate "puts everyone a little bit at unease" as students head back to school in the fall.

But officials say a contract could be complete by as early as October.