Kendall Posted June 7, 2015 Share Posted June 7, 2015 My son took the SAT today. He said there were some tests printed wrong. They had the wrong time at the top of section 8 and 9. Not all of the tests in the room, but some of them. That caused a delay between those sections, but he didn't have trouble finishing section 8 even though his said 25 minutes. Just wondered if anyone else had issues today. He felt good about the test and had time for all of the questions (unlike the ACT!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kim in Appalachia Posted June 7, 2015 Share Posted June 7, 2015 This was my dd's first time taking the SAT. She's taken the ACT three times. She felt like the math was much easier than the ACT. She thought there was tons of grammar, without anything thing else. She didn't mention the essay, but writing is not an issue for her, math is. She hadn't done any practice SAT stuff, she's only ever done ACT materials, so this was a switch for her. She took it to see if the score would be slightly better than her ACT score. She was very nervous before the test began, but she has severe test anxiety. I couldn't go with her (I took my boys to a swim meet), and I was a little worried the next call I'd get would be from a hospital saying she had a severe panic attack. :( But she made it to the start of the test, then was fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emzhengjiu Posted June 7, 2015 Share Posted June 7, 2015 My daughter was able to finish all the sections thankfully! She said she thought the math was about as she expected it to be but the language arts sections were easier. Her group of students had to be moved from their original classroom to another because of air conditioning problems in the original room. The proctor checked with the College Board before moving the kids. This is her first time taking the SAT. She'll likely take it again in the fall along with the ACT. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrixieB Posted June 7, 2015 Share Posted June 7, 2015 My dd said the same thing about one of the sections having a different amount of time printed in the book. She said it didn't cause her any problems. In fact, she was quite positive after the test, which is not her typical response. She said she felt she did well overall; the math was easier than she expected. I think it's because she spent a lot of time reviewing math and learning new topics during the past few months. Also writing the ACT essay in April gave her some practice writing under pressure so she said she felt prepared for the SAT essay. I hope her scores back up her feelings. :) If not, she'll have a second try in the fall. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joules Posted June 7, 2015 Share Posted June 7, 2015 Same timing issue here. I know it was a bit disruptive as the proctors figured out what to do. I think it was nationwide. From reading at college confidential, it looks like some proctors messed up and gave the 25 minutes instead. I'm really wondering if we will get their scores in a timely manner. Besides that I haven't heard anything about the test except relief that it is over. Of course, the ACT is next week for him, so "over" is relative. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Handmaiden Posted June 7, 2015 Share Posted June 7, 2015 My son felt he did the best he's ever done on yesterday's SAT. I was thankful to hear that because he did hours and hours of test prep this time, unlike his first go around. He also mentioned the timing anomaly - his friend, who was in the same room, had 25 printed on his booklet, but he did not. However, the proctor gave them the 20 minutes as per proctor instructions. We too are following the CC threads and wondering what CB will do. We are hoping that they don't cancel all the scores! Joules -same here! My son was ready to celebrate until I reminded him about next Sat's ACT. :scared: :willy_nilly: THEN it will finally be over, and we can celebrate! :cheers2: 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Handmaiden Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 Update: College Board's response Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emzhengjiu Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 The proctor for my daughter's group used the correct times for each section. So, what happens if the test is considered invalid? Will the kids have to wait until fall or will there be another test administered this summer? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Handmaiden Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 The more I think about it, I cannot imagine CB canceling scores for the entire nation. Not only would that be a PR disaster of epic proportions for them, but it would also be a logistical nightmare. How would they find enough testing sites since most schools will be closed for the summer? Would they find enough teachers available to proctor? Would the students even be available on the alternate testing date? A lot of high schoolers may be busy with summer activities that they've already planned far in advance. My rising senior has a busy summer, and the last thing he'd want to do is to plan for a retake. The only scenario I can imagine is their offering students a free optional retake in the fall. Someone said that proctors were supposed to record the starting and ending times for each section of the test, so maybe CB will use that info to determine a solution. I hope that they will find a resolution that satisfies everyone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrixieB Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 The more I think about it, I cannot imagine CB canceling scores for the entire nation. Not only would that be a PR disaster of epic proportions for them, but it would also be a logistical nightmare. How would they find enough testing sites since most schools will be closed for the summer? Would they find enough teachers available to proctor? Would the students even be available on the alternate testing date? A lot of high schoolers may be busy with summer activities that they've already planned far in advance. My rising senior has a busy summer, and the last thing he'd want to do is to plan for a retake. The only scenario I can imagine is their offering students a free optional retake in the fall. Someone said that proctors were supposed to record the starting and ending times for each section of the test, so maybe CB will use that info to determine a solution. I hope that they will find a resolution that satisfies everyone. I, too, can't imagine CB canceling all those scores. Even if they offered a free retake, it could be too late for students who need this session's scores for admission to whatever. And if they had to refund everybody who couldn't make the retake date... $$$$... Dd said her proctor used the correct time of 20 minutes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Handmaiden Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 I'm really, really glad we changed testing sites for this sitting. My son said that the previous high school where he took a subject test was rather disorganized and didn't seem to have knowledgeable proctors. I wonder how they handled Saturday's anomaly? I don't even want to imagine how things went at the private school that hosted him for his AP Chem exam. The proctor there was awful. She had her head down the entire time, correcting papers, and didn't do anything to stop students from talking while the test was still going on. :-( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Handmaiden Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 News has now hit mainstream media... Washington Post: Students find key error on SATs given across U.S. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tsuga Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 I bet they will let students choose whether to keep their scores or re-take it for free in the near future. Anyway, that's what they ought to do. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Handmaiden Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 Tsuga - I agree. That's how they handled an anomaly for one of my son's previous tests. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Handmaiden Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 Some CC posters made a good point - the students who were given the extra five minutes probably threw the curve off. Think of a student who had 20 minutes but ran out of time and didn't finish all the problems. And compare him to someone in the next room who did finish the problems because he had more time. So let's see if CB can figure out an equitable solution. A separate curve? A retake for those testers? Not sure. What a mess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joules Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 I bet they will let students choose whether to keep their scores or re-take it for free in the near future. Anyway, that's what they ought to do. I wonder if they'll let us see the scores before we choose. If ds's score is "good enough," I really don't want to put him through that again. Maybe the ACT scores will be really, really good, and we won't have to think about it anymore. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emzhengjiu Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 I just hope a decision is made soon! Depending on her scores, my DD knows she may retake the test in the fall, but to be left hanging is stressful. The testing time were correct for her group. She didn't even realize there was a problem until I asked her. None of the students raised the issue. At this point, she just wants to know how she did. Edited to add that I'm frustrated because she left feeling very good about how she did. Now this! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8filltheheart Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 How about the students pacing themselves according to the time that they thought they had even if the proctor stopped the test on time? I'm not sure how just what the proctor did mattered unless students knew the time difference before they actually started. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emzhengjiu Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 In my daughter's classroom, the proctor wrote the starting and ending times on the blackboard in the front of the classroom. But I agree with the pacing issue. My daughter wore a watch so she could make sure she was pacing herself properly. Five minutes makes a huge difference on a 20 minute test. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Handmaiden Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 My son said that the proctor wrote the time (20 min) on the board. Just as that section started, a student saw 25 min in his booklet, raised his hand, and questioned the proctor. Other students insisted that it was supposed to be 20 min, and the proctor said to carry on. Eight, I agree. Students who have been diligently working on practice tests should be familiar with the times for each section. The latest on SATgate - CB has been tweeting this morning, "We will provide more information when it's available" (along with the link in #8 above) and "June scores will be released starting June 25th." I'm hopeful that we will get my son's scores as scheduled and be able to look at the SAT in the rear view mirror!In other news, the LA Times is reporting "Police continue search for missing girl thought to be overwhelmed by SAT." 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrixieB Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 My son said that the proctor wrote the time (20 min) on the board. Just as that section started, a student saw 25 min in his booklet, raised his hand, and questioned the proctor. Other students insisted that it was supposed to be 20 min, and the proctor said to carry on. Eight, I agree. Students who have been diligently working on practice tests should be familiar with the times for each section. The latest on SATgate - CB has been tweeting this morning, "We will provide more information when it's available" (along with the link in #8 above) and "June scores will be released starting June 25th." I'm hopeful that we will get my son's scores as scheduled and be able to look at the SAT in the rear view mirror! In other news, the LA Times is reporting "Police continue search for missing girl thought to be overwhelmed by SAT." Substituting dd for ds :) hoping for the same thing here! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1Togo Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 Oh my, I just joined this thread to write that dd felt good about the SAT -- finished all math sections and the writing prompt wasn't wonky. She will be crushed if all her prep work was for naught. The kids in her group caught the error, and the proctor handled it. Smooth sailing except for waiting for a father to go home for his daughter's id. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unsinkable Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 All I heard about the test was there was a question that referenced the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey. So we had to watch it on Sunday. DS probably wouldn't have noticed any timing situation problems. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unsinkable Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 My son said that the proctor wrote the time (20 min) on the board. Just as that section started, a student saw 25 min in his booklet, raised his hand, and questioned the proctor. Other students insisted that it was supposed to be 20 min, and the proctor said to carry on. Eight, I agree. Students who have been diligently working on practice tests should be familiar with the times for each section. The latest on SATgate - CB has been tweeting this morning, "We will provide more information when it's available" (along with the link in #8 above) and "June scores will be released starting June 25th." I'm hopeful that we will get my son's scores as scheduled and be able to look at the SAT in the rear view mirror! In other news, the LA Times is reporting "Police continue search for missing girl thought to be overwhelmed by SAT." Oh dear God. That poor girl. :crying: I hope she gets safely home and finds some peace. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emzhengjiu Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 Yay! The 2 20 minute sections will not be graded, but reliable scores will still be reported during the usual time frame! Doing the happy dance here! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrixieB Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 Yay! The 2 20 minute sections will not be graded, but reliable scores will still be reported during the usual time frame! Doing the happy dance here! Link?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emzhengjiu Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 Same as in post #8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrixieB Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 Same as in post #8 I should have thought about that before I posted. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Handmaiden Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 While I'm relieved my son won't have to retake, he's not happy about the update. He says a single error will hurt a lot more, and he may not make his goal score.It's a bummer because his test room followed protocol.I guess it's wait and see... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emzhengjiu Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 While I'm relieved my son won't have to retake, he's not happy about the update. He says a single error will hurt a lot more, and he may not make his goal score. It's a bummer because his test room followed protocol. I guess it's wait and see... Good point. I'm happier than my daughter because I know how tough it would be to reschedule a make-up test this summer. She is very confident that she did well on the 2 sections that will be thrown out. Her test room also followed protocol. She's bummed because she wanted to know the score on all the sections. But overall, I'm happy! This is her first time taking the SAT so it will be a benchmark score. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joules Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 While I'm relieved my son won't have to retake, he's not happy about the update. He says a single error will hurt a lot more, and he may not make his goal score. It's a bummer because his test room followed protocol. I guess it's wait and see... Those are my thoughts exactly. Mine got in the groove as the test went on. I bet the errors at the beginning will count for more now. I don't see any way that these scores will be comparable to the scores of the students that tested in May, yet they will be compared to those for scholarships and admissions. This is only the second time ds has taken it and with EA, it will be his last. I don't think he'll make his target either. I'm putting my hopes on the ACT this Saturday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emzhengjiu Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 I'm not so happy now! Maybe a retest would have been fairer. What do you guys think, should we contact the College Board with this concern? They might offer a free retest??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emzhengjiu Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 Does anyone know if the discarded section(s) were math or English? My daughter said both English and Math. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Handmaiden Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 Kinsa - Yep, both Math & CR. The two most important sections for admissions and scholarships. Emz - I think a lot of students are already lobbying for a free retake. I just don't know how they would manage the logistics of a retake during the summer when schools are closed and proctors may be hard to find. Kids could retake it in the fall, but my S is so DONE with test prep and wants to focus on apps now. Joules - Me too! I'm so glad I signed him up for the ACT at the last minute. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1Togo Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 Dd says one section was English and one section was math, and the sections were not in the beginning. She isn't thrilled with this solution, but she doesn't want to retest this summer. Since this was her first SAT, she wanted a baseline, so she can decide on direction for the fall tests. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Handmaiden Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 In an act of optimism, I decided to take advantage of the free score reports that come with registration. Just sent them off to my son's safety schools. We might as well save some money! :001_smile: If anyone is interested in doing the same, the deadline is 6/15. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joules Posted June 9, 2015 Share Posted June 9, 2015 I'm not so happy now! Maybe a retest would have been fairer. What do you guys think, should we contact the College Board with this concern? They might offer a free retest???I'm just not sure. I guess it will be up to ds. I hoped his score would come up at least some. Now I can't help but wonder if colleges will look at this test the same for scholarships or if it will be:"Well, of course, that score is higher, he didn't have to include the end sections when everyone is tired." On the other hand, he's probably too beat for a retake this summer. He has to take subject tests in October, so he has no other opportunity for EA. I will say that if his scores don't improve over last year, I'm going to want my money back! ETA: Actually I would like a refund for this whole mess either way, but I wouldn't feel right about it if we used the score. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8filltheheart Posted June 9, 2015 Share Posted June 9, 2015 Keep in mind that the SAT is not scored as correct vs incorrect and getting a score. It is scored on a curve. It won't be seen as a higher score bc they weren't tired, but it may mean a more brutal curve making it harder to make a good score**if** the norm is the difference between higher scoring first sections and lowere scoring later sections. (I don't know if that is a statistical reality or not.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unsinkable Posted June 9, 2015 Share Posted June 9, 2015 For anyone who was concerned about the girl who ran away, she's been found safe. Thank goodness. I hope she can get some help. http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/general-news/20150608/family-missing-san-marino-student-found-safe 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joules Posted June 9, 2015 Share Posted June 9, 2015 For anyone who was concerned about the girl who ran away, she's been found safe. Thank goodness. I hope she can get some help. http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/general-news/20150608/family-missing-san-marino-student-found-safe That's wonderful. I know, seeing so many kids coming out of the SAT so stressed, how hard it can be. I hope her parents can be supportive and get her through this. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swimmermom3 Posted June 9, 2015 Share Posted June 9, 2015 No SAT, but SAT Subject tests. The local high school has 2800 students. Ds said that at the end of the first subject test, 75% of the test takers left. At the end of the second test, he had the room to himself to take the third test. That made him happy. :D 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Handmaiden Posted June 9, 2015 Share Posted June 9, 2015 Relieved to hear the missing girl was found. Poor parents...I can imagine their worry!The latest update on SATgate - CB is only going to throw out one section, not both, and it will depend on which test booklet the student had. So section 8 will not be scored for some students and section 9 won't be scored for others. Sorting the students into one of the two categories sounds like a big undertaking with nearly half a million test takers. I sure hope they don't mess up the scoring algorithms! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrixieB Posted June 10, 2015 Share Posted June 10, 2015 Relieved to hear the missing girl was found. Poor parents...I can imagine their worry! The latest update on SATgate - CB is only going to throw out one section, not both, and it will depend on which test booklet the student had. So section 8 will not be scored for some students and section 9 won't be scored for others. Sorting the students into one of the two categories sounds like a big undertaking with nearly half a million test takers. I sure hope they don't mess up the scoring algorithms! This is the first I have heard about this scenario. Everything else I read makes it sound like two sections from each student's test will be thrown out. Is it really only each student's section with the incorrectly printed time that will be thrown out? Meaning, my kid's section 8 would be thrown out, but not her section 9 which was printed correctly in her booklet? While another kid in the same room would have his section 9 thrown out, but not his section 8? ETA: Yeah, I am obsessing about this... I guess it's because I'm so irritated about the whole thing. How hard is it to do a little proofreading? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Handmaiden Posted June 10, 2015 Share Posted June 10, 2015 I might have spoken too soon. Gosh, it's getting confusing. Apparently CB has been tweeting one thing and posting another on their website. Some people are getting scripted explanations over the phone, and everyone's in turmoil over the contradictions. I think we will take a break from the CC drama and just hang tight! :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8filltheheart Posted June 10, 2015 Share Posted June 10, 2015 ETA: How hard is it to do a little proofreading?. The irony. This one little line highlights the absurdity of our high stakes testing society. Somehow kids who know how to skim and locate answers rapidly are "better" and "brighter" and supposedly "creme de la creme." Proofreading, thoroughness, taking time for accuracy means you are "less than." I'm not sure when speed and 3hr testing endurance became one of the most important barometers of academic success according to the PTB, but I sure believe that that idiocy is part of our broken system of what defines quality education and an educated populace. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joules Posted June 10, 2015 Share Posted June 10, 2015 . The irony. This one little line highlights the absurdity of our high stakes testing society. Somehow kids who know how to skim and locate answers rapidly are "better" and "brighter" and supposedly "creme de la creme." Proofreading, thoroughness, taking time for accuracy means you are "less than." I'm not sure when speed and 3hr testing endurance became one of the most important barometers of academic success according to the PTB, but I sure believe that that idiocy is part of our broken system of what defines quality education and an educated populace. It's actually 3 hours and 45 minutes now! It is so frustrating. With "unaccredited" grades, it seems like the only way to get a merit scholarship for us, so he's pulled out all the stops reviewing these past couple of weeks. Unfortunately now, he seems too disheartened and exhausted to do the same for the ACT (maybe he can take it again in Sept.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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