College Board addresses SAT test security issues

2017.02.22
College Board addresses SAT test security issues Image

The College Board announced yesterday that they are cracking down on SAT cheating, putting new security measures in place for the SAT both domestically and internationally. Mainly, they are looking for test prep companies who are illegally copying and distributing tests to their clients, and will be stopping those found guilty of cheating from taking the test again. They are asking schools to get involved in the identification of those who have tried to gain an unfair advantage on the SAT, and encouraging students to report suspicious activity as well. "Rigorous and innovative statistical analyses" will also be applied to help identify those who may be cheating.

It has been known for some time that certain individuals have been finding ways to cheat at certain test centers. Students have reported irregularities, like some students being permitted to bring in programmable calculators (which are expressly forbidden). There are stories of surrogate test-takers with fake IDs.

What this means for you

Perhaps most immediately, the June 2017 SAT test date is officially cancelled at all international test centers. So if you were planning to take the SAT then, you need to get a new plan. There is no international test in August either (only this year), so this could really cause problems for international test takers. For the next couple of years, College Board plans to decrease the number of international SAT administrations to four, with an additional November date for SAT Subject tests only.

In the wake of leaked tests last year, this move by College Board is not that surprising. The ACT also had to cancel a test last year, after it was found that their tests were also leaked. In this digital age, widespread cheating is becoming easier, and the pressure of getting into college is pushing more people to take advantage. Unfortunately, everyone has to suffer as a result, especially everyone overseas, for now.

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