Five years after pandemic disruptions, SAT and ACT participation has not recovered to pre-COVID levels. The ACT recorded about 1.38 million test-takers in 2025 versus 1.78 million in 2019; roughly 2 million students took the SAT in 2025 compared with 2.22 million in 2019. Average scores remain below pre-pandemic marks. Testing organizations and researchers attribute the sustained decline to colleges’ long-term shift toward test-optional admissions policies, a structural pullback in ACT participation predating the pandemic, and changes in student and institutional behavior. College Board noted scores remain “substantially lower” than 2019 averages. For admissions leaders and enrollment planners, continued low participation affects yield modeling, transfer and merit-aid strategies, and how institutions assess preparedness across incoming classes.