SAT tests - I have questions...

[mlktwins]

My boys are taking their first SAT test on the 28th.  They are doing a practice test on Tuesday.  Is anyone able to tell me how long breaks are during the actual test?  Between which sections do they occur?  Do they need a fancy calculator?

Thank you!  

[Arcadia]

10 mins between section 1 & 2. 5 mins between section 3 & 4

”SAT School Day Standard Test Administrator manual 2020-2021”

https://drive.google.com/file/d/19T7hRwnntBKTCJv5QDe-p9XC62IqGfi2/view
 

A scientific calculator is good enough.

[NittanyJen]

3 hours ago, mlktwins said:

My boys are taking their first SAT test on the 28th.  They are doing a practice test on Tuesday.  Is anyone able to tell me how long breaks are during the actual test?  Between which sections do they occur?  Do they need a fancy calculator?

Thank you!  

And unless something has changed since the last time I checked— they have to use regular #2 pencils— mechanical pencils are not permitted, nor are phones or any type of smart watch/internet connected device. Leave the Fitbit/Apple Watch etc home!

[Arcadia]

22 minutes ago, NittanyJen said:

And unless something has changed since the last time I checked— they have to use regular #2 pencils— mechanical pencils are not permitted, nor are phones or any type of smart watch/internet connected device. Leave the Fitbit/Apple Watch etc home!

Cellphones are allowed. They have to be powered off and the room proctors/invigilators would either collect the cellphones or tell the students to place them under their chairs. Kids were calling their parents and elder siblings for the ride home. Smart watches are of course not allowed. 

[Roadrunner]

Ours just got cancelled. I am exasperated. 

[freesia]

Just now, Roadrunner said:

Ours just got cancelled. I am exasperated. 

Oh, no!

[freesia]

22 hours ago, mlktwins said:

My boys are taking their first SAT test on the 28th.  They are doing a practice test on Tuesday.  Is anyone able to tell me how long breaks are during the actual test?  Between which sections do they occur?  Do they need a fancy calculator?

Thank you!  

There is a list of allowable calculators on the College Board site.  If they haven't used a graphing calculator though, I woudn't have them use it just for this test.  It can be helpful, but isn't strictly necessary. (And one of dd's friends calculator's batteries died and he did pretty well anyway.)

[mlktwins]

3 minutes ago, Roadrunner said:

Ours just got cancelled. I am exasperated. 

How were you notified?  I'm so sorry!!!

 

[Roadrunner]

22 minutes ago, mlktwins said:

How were you notified?  I'm so sorry!!!

 

Refund. 
that’s it 

[mlktwins]

7 minutes ago, Roadrunner said:

Refund. 
that’s it 

Oh No!  That is horrible!  I'm trying to remember how I paid.  I will try and look!  What state are you in again (if you want to share)?

I paid by Paypal and no refund yet.  But...I will keep checking!  Boys will be upset with me if I have them do a practice test tomorrow and it gets cancelled!

Edited August 9, 2021 by mlktwins

[Roadrunner]

2 minutes ago, mlktwins said:

Oh No!  That is horrible!  I'm trying to remember how I paid.  I will try and look!  What state are you in again (if you want to share)?

I paid by Paypal and no refund yet.  But...I will keep checking!  Boys will be upset with me if I have them do a practice test tomorrow and it gets cancelled!

I am in CA. I don’t understand what is happening. Schools are opening up. I just got a refund by PayPal. Shocked. 

[mlktwins]

8 minutes ago, Roadrunner said:

I am in CA. I don’t understand what is happening. Schools are opening up. I just got a refund by PayPal. Shocked. 

I'm in VA.  Schools are opening here too - start on 8/23!  

[Roadrunner]

And it won’t let me register for anything else. I wonder if something is technically wrong. 

[Arcadia]

53 minutes ago, mlktwins said:

How were you notified?  

So far one school is listed for VA https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/sat/register/test-center-closings
“APPOMATTOX HIGH SCHOOL

Location: Appomattox, Virginia

Test Date: August 28, 2021

Center Code: 47131

Notes: This test center is closed. All registrations will be canceled and refunded.”

 

30 minutes ago, Roadrunner said:

Refund. 
that’s it 

California isn’t even listed in the SAT cancellation page yet. The states listed so far are Michigan, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin.

[Roadrunner]

2 minutes ago, Arcadia said:

So far one school is listed for VA https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/sat/register/test-center-closings
“APPOMATTOX HIGH SCHOOL

Location: Appomattox, Virginia

Test Date: August 28, 2021

Center Code: 47131

Notes: This test center is closed. All registrations will be canceled and refunded.”

 

California isn’t even listed in the SAT cancellation page yet. The states listed so far are Michigan, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin.

So why did they refund me????

When my DS logs in, it says cancelled in his registration. Is there a chance this is a mistake? 
 

Edited August 9, 2021 by Roadrunner

[Arcadia]

Just now, Roadrunner said:

So why did they refund me????

There were more schools that canceled then what was listed on the webpage for last academic year. If your child’s online test status says cancelled, then the school district coordinator probably notified CollegeBoard. Easiest way to get an answer would be to call the school since CollegeBoard phone lines tend to have long waiting time. 

[Roadrunner]

Just now, Arcadia said:

There were more schools that canceled then what was listed on the webpage for last academic year. If your child’s online test status says cancelled, then the school district coordinator probably notified CollegeBoard. Easiest way to get an answer would be to call the school since CollegeBoard phone lines tend to have long waiting time. 

Why am I unable to register for anything else? I am going to call CB so at least I could register for another date.

Do you have any idea which schools are least likely to cancel? I am willing to travel to Bay Area and beyond at this point. 😞 

[Arcadia]

14 minutes ago, Roadrunner said:

Do you have any idea which schools are least likely to cancel? I am willing to travel to Bay Area and beyond at this point. 😞 

Bay Area now have signs saying mask indoors for all including people who are vaccinated. Schools are starting back this week. I have no idea which schools won’t cancel. My county case rates are going up.

[Roadrunner]

5 minutes ago, Arcadia said:

Bay Area now have signs saying mask indoors for all including people who are vaccinated. Schools are starting back this week. I have no idea which schools won’t cancel. My county case rates are going up.

Yet my kid started school in person. That’s what is surprising. Schools are open. With masks indoors. But open. Aggggggg. 
I think I am just going to drive to NV. 

[mlktwins]

14 hours ago, Roadrunner said:

Yet my kid started school in person. That’s what is surprising. Schools are open. With masks indoors. But open. Aggggggg. 
I think I am just going to drive to NV. 

There are now 5 schools in CA showing testing centers are closed.  So far 2 schools in VA.  Did you get ahold of anyone this morning?

 

[Roadrunner]

1 hour ago, mlktwins said:

There are now 5 schools in CA showing testing centers are closed.  So far 2 schools in VA.  Did you get ahold of anyone this morning?

 

I just went ahead and registered for Oct and March. I have a looooong drive in Oct, but it is what it is. Super annoying. So far they have cancelled four of his tests. 

[NittanyJen]

Yikes. Now I’ll be checking daily between now and the end of August. He already had his last subject test cancelled twice before they finally announced there would be no more subject tests, ever. I just want this to go smoothly so we can finish those college apps ASAP and enjoy his senior year.

[crazyforlatin]

On 8/10/2021 at 7:26 AM, Roadrunner said:

I just went ahead and registered for Oct and March. I have a looooong drive in Oct, but it is what it is. Super annoying. So far they have cancelled four of his tests. 

Long drive here too, for me, though 20 miles may seem like nothing for most people, I almost want to just cancel March exam in order to not drive and try signing up for next summer/fall. We've taken the SAT previously in middle school and it was just 2 miles away. Not one school in the city was showing up, so either everyone beat me to it, and I did sign up kind of late, or none are offered. DD is a rising junior, so I think we're supposed to take one before the summer, and if the score is good enough, stop there, or take another one in the fall. 

[Roadrunner]

57 minutes ago, crazyforlatin said:

Long drive here too, for me, though 20 miles may seem like nothing for most people, I almost want to just cancel March exam in order to not drive and try signing up for next summer/fall. We've taken the SAT previously in middle school and it was just 2 miles away. Not one school in the city was showing up, so either everyone beat me to it, and I did sign up kind of late, or none are offered. DD is a rising junior, so I think we're supposed to take one before the summer, and if the score is good enough, stop there, or take another one in the fall. 

We drive 20 miles one way daily just to get to music lessons and such.

SAT is going to be an overnight trip. 😞 

[Arcadia]

1 hour ago, crazyforlatin said:

Long drive here too, for me, though 20 miles may seem like nothing for most people, I almost want to just cancel March exam in order to not drive and try signing up for next summer/fall. We've taken the SAT previously in middle school and it was just 2 miles away. Not one school in the city was showing up, so either everyone beat me to it, and I did sign up kind of late, or none are offered. DD is a rising junior, so I think we're supposed to take one before the summer, and if the score is good enough, stop there, or take another one in the fall. 

 

48 minutes ago, Roadrunner said:

We drive 20 miles one way daily just to get to music lessons and such.

SAT is going to be an overnight trip. 😞 

We drove more than 120 miles to Sacramento for CHSPE. Luckily they have morning and afternoon time slots or we would have needed to book a hotel room. 

I am tempted to use DS15 (rising junior) SAT score from 2017 instead of going through the hassle again. CollegeBoard still owes me one refund for the March test. My district is hosting the school day testing in March. They do not host Saturday SAT. So far only two test centers are showing up for San Jose, none for Palo Alto, Sunnyvale, Mountain View.

List of states with test center closing has expanded from yesterday to:

Arizona
California
Connecticut
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Louisiana
Michigan
New Jersey
New York
Ohio
Oregon
Texas
Virginia
Washington
Wisconsin

 

[RootAnn]

I get it, @crazyforlatin. Our usual ACT site is just over a mile away, but eldest & I did an overnight trip to get access to the SAT for National Merit (before they took the ACT as a confirming score). It just isn't offered rurally here. 

I have to call tomorrow to see about getting my dd#3 a PSAT spot this fall if the school dd#1 took it at is even going to offer it.

[ElizabethB]

On 8/9/2021 at 4:48 PM, Roadrunner said:

Yet my kid started school in person. That’s what is surprising. Schools are open. With masks indoors. But open. Aggggggg. 
I think I am just going to drive to NV. 

You have to register in the first 5 minutes, everyone in CA is signing up for anything within a 200 mile radius of CA. You might be better off driving to Idaho or flying to visit friends in a state like Utah, Texas, Oklahoma, Alabama, etc.

[Roadrunner]

17 minutes ago, ElizabethB said:

You have to register in the first 5 minutes, everyone in CA is signing up for anything within a 200 mile radius of CA. You might be better off driving to Idaho or flying to visit friends in a state like Utah, Texas, Oklahoma, Alabama, etc.

I was registered for the August exam. They cancelled it. 
the problem for me is not the registration. It’s the fact that this is a fourth cancelled exam. What is the point of registering on this state anymore? 😞 

[fourisenough]

2 hours ago, RootAnn said:

I get it, @crazyforlatin. Our usual ACT site is just over a mile away, but eldest & I did an overnight trip to get access to the SAT for National Merit (before they took the ACT as a confirming score). It just isn't offered rurally here. 

I have to call tomorrow to see about getting my dd#3 a PSAT spot this fall if the school dd#1 took it at is even going to offer it.

Wait, what? ACT score can be used for National Merit?! What is cut-off score? How did I not know this?

[ElizabethB]

1 hour ago, Roadrunner said:

I was registered for the August exam. They cancelled it. 
the problem for me is not the registration. It’s the fact that this is a fourth cancelled exam. What is the point of registering on this state anymore? 😞 

No, I mean you have to register in the first 5 minutes to get a test anywhere within 200 miles of CA.

[Roadrunner]

10 minutes ago, ElizabethB said:

No, I mean you have to register in the first 5 minutes to get a test anywhere within 200 miles of CA.

🙂 sort of. I god a spot in October in state. August is gone. There are plenty of spots in March in state. 

[crazyforlatin]

9 minutes ago, Roadrunner said:

🙂 sort of. I god a spot in October in state. August is gone. There are plenty of spots in March in state. 

In state still could be too far for me 😂

 

[Lucy the Valiant]

For those who keep having trouble registering / getting canceled, if your public school offers a School Day Administration of the SAT, they might let your home schooled students sit for that exam. My juniors were able to take it April 2021 in person, on a Wednesday, at our local school's in-house administration. YMMV, of course.

 

[RootAnn]

10 hours ago, fourisenough said:

Wait, what? ACT score can be used for National Merit?! What is cut-off score? How did I not know this?

Not for the qualifying PSAT score, just for the confirming (SAT) score. But I guess you didn't even need that due to Covid, "IMPORTANT NOTICE: Due to the global pandemic and the resulting lack of available test administrations, SAT and ACT scores will not be required or considered for Finalist standing in the 2021 National Merit Scholarship Program.

[Arcadia]

South Carolina and Tennessee have been added to the states with closed test centers.

[Arcadia]

16 hours ago, crazyforlatin said:

In state still could be too far for me 😂

DS15 picked the June date at the Jesuit school less than 10 miles driving distance away. He has taken a SAT subject test there before. He was annoyed about having to take a photo this time so he submitted a grouchy selfie 🤣

[crazyforlatin]

4 hours ago, Arcadia said:

DS15 picked the June date at the Jesuit school less than 10 miles driving distance away. He has taken a SAT subject test there before. He was annoyed about having to take a photo this time so he submitted a grouchy selfie 🤣

Did you guys just registered?

[Arcadia]

3 minutes ago, crazyforlatin said:

Did you guys just registered?

Yes. At 11:20am today. You know which school I am referring to 🙂

[crazyforlatin]

Just now, Arcadia said:

Yes. At 11:20am today. You know which school I am referring to 🙂

Too far for us 😜 but I just looked again to see if something opened up, and every spot requires taking the highway. 
 

Is there an advantage of taking March over June or vice versa? I mean dd would have more time to study for June but that’s also AP tests unless those are more back in May. Last month March seemed far away, but not anymore at this point 🥺 

Why would someone choose March over June?

[Arcadia]

2 minutes ago, crazyforlatin said:

Too far for us 😜 but I just looked again to see if something opened up, and every spot requires taking the highway. 
 

Is there an advantage of taking March over June or vice versa? I mean dd would have more time to study for June but that’s also AP tests unless those are more back in May. Last month March seemed far away, but not anymore at this point 🥺 

Why would someone choose March over June?

He is not taking any AP exams next year. Also they have always try to take the June SAT because its after AP exams and also their Saturday German class would be on summer break. I think whether to take in March or June is down to preference. Some did opt for March so they can retake in May or June if they are not happy with their scores. The next exam date after June is August and you have to wait for the SAT registration for 2022/23 to open up.

A friend's child who is an uprising junior is taking the December test on the Saturday test date and the March test in public school weekday testing.

[NittanyJen]

 

Update: after reading through all of the responses to my question (thank you everyone!) I went back to the College Board website, and found the following: “You must provide a photo when you sign up for the SAT. New this year, the photo won't be part of your admission ticket.”

My son’s photo didn’t print on his SAT admission ticket. Should I be concerned? Or did they change this because everyone will be wearing a mask anyway?

Edited August 14, 2021 by NittanyJen
I actually went and looked up the answer :X

[freesia]

8 minutes ago, NittanyJen said:

My son’s photo didn’t print on his SAT admission ticket. Should I be concerned? Or did they change this because everyone will be wearing a mask anyway?

Yes. It needs a picture to match with his ID. My Ds needed it in June. Maybe it didn’t upload properly?  Or was rejected. 

[NittanyJen]

3 minutes ago, freesia said:

Yes. It needs a picture to match with his ID. My Ds needed it in June. Maybe it didn’t upload properly?  Or was rejected. 

Thanks for the advice— I’ll make sure he checks again. I know when he registered it showed the picture he used last time and accepted it, but he has printed his ticket twice, and no photo. Maybe I’ll peek and see if there’s a place to upload a new one.

Edited August 13, 2021 by NittanyJen

[freesia]

1 minute ago, NittanyJen said:

Thanks for the advice— I’ll make sure he checks again. I know when he registered it showed the picture he used last time and accepted it, but he has printed his ticket twice, and no photo. Maybe I’ll peek and see if there’s a place to upload a new one.

I think there’s a preview of what you are printing. It should show what the ticket looks like. My older two used the same picture multiple times. That is so odd. 

[Arcadia]

1 hour ago, NittanyJen said:

My son’s photo didn’t print on his SAT admission ticket. Should I be concerned? Or did they change this because everyone will be wearing a mask anyway?

 

1 hour ago, freesia said:

Yes. It needs a picture to match with his ID. My Ds needed it in June. Maybe it didn’t upload properly?  Or was rejected. 

No photos this time. My kid registered for June and his ticket was different than previous years.

ETA:

The ticket no longer has the box where the photo goes. 

Edited August 14, 2021 by Arcadia

[NittanyJen]

14 hours ago, Arcadia said:

 

No photos this time. My kid registered for June and his ticket was different than previous years.

ETA:

The ticket no longer has the box where the photo goes. 

When all else fails, look up the official answer! You are correct!

From the College Board website:

”You must provide a photo when you sign up for the SAT. New this year, the photo won't be part of your admission ticket. However, the test coordinator or proctor will still be able to view the photo and check it against your photo ID on test day to ensure security.”

[ElizabethB]

On 8/12/2021 at 5:15 PM, crazyforlatin said:

Too far for us 😜 but I just looked again to see if something opened up, and every spot requires taking the highway. 
 

Is there an advantage of taking March over June or vice versa? I mean dd would have more time to study for June but that’s also AP tests unless those are more back in May. Last month March seemed far away, but not anymore at this point 🥺 

Why would someone choose March over June?

March has a QAS, you get to see what questions you missed and the full questions for the whole test for an extra $18. The QAS tests are October, March, and May, they are very helpful for the future if you might need to take it again. It's online and you can order after the fact and get them if you  won't know if you need them until after you see the score. I'm just curious either way even if it's the last time.

[mlktwins]

So far, we are still ago for next Saturday!  Last time they took a subject test, I had to get a form (from College Board) with a picture of them notarized because they didn't have a school ID.  They both just got their learner's permit.  They can use those for SAT entrance, correct?

Also, curious how your kiddos practice test scores were in relation to their actual scores?  

[Arcadia]

1 hour ago, mlktwins said:

 They both just got their learner's permit.  They can use those for SAT entrance, correct?

Also, curious how your kiddos practice test scores were in relation to their actual scores?  

The learner’s permit are from DMV and counted as a govt issued ID. 
My dear introverts do better in actual exams regardless of SAT, ACT or AP as long as its a classroom setting. They love to see humans when taking exams and treat exams like social gatherings. Also they know its the real deal so they put more effort. They want the exams to be once and done.

[mlktwins]

2 hours ago, Arcadia said:

The learner’s permit are from DMV and counted as a govt issued ID. 
My dear introverts do better in actual exams regardless of SAT, ACT or AP as long as its a classroom setting. They love to see humans when taking exams and treat exams like social gatherings. Also they know its the real deal so they put more effort. They want the exams to be once and done.

Thank you!  We will see what my introverts do -- LOL.  They are doing ok on practice tests, with no prep, and would be very pleased if they did as well on the real test.  We shall see.