<p>I took the SAT last weekend. On the first section, the proctor called time up five minutes early. After the second section, the proctor said, "oops, there was a timing error. you have three more minutes on the first section. go back and finish your essay." I = ****ed. I finished the essay, but conclusion is only one sentence long. I wrote collegeboard an e-mail to complain but have not gotten reply. Is cancelling the only option? What should I do? anyone esle with some anger to vent?</p>
<p>At least your proctor did not take away your watch then say, "I'm the only timekeeper here."</p>
<p>haha did that seriously happen? that sucks man. only thing that happened to me was that i had eaten this juicy asian pear during break(weird choice, I know), and then i'm doing math on my calculator and suddenly my stomach starts grumbling really loud so everyone can hear it. It was really embarrassing, but nevertheless, a good bedtime story.</p>
<p>Our test centre was in a tropical country, where the only method of cooling the room down is using rackety electrical fans.</p>
<p>Guess when the electricity went out. <em>sigh</em></p>
<p>The desks were wobbly, wooden and rickety; the proctor persisted in calling time three to five minutes early (and no 'go back and finish'!), and there was a high-school marching band practicing nearby.</p>
<p>It's a wonder I got anything right on that test.</p>
<p>geez, I must seem like a crybaby compared to your experience. You should do something about that, you know. Did you contact collegeboard? Their phone people aren't very friendly, though.</p>
<p>Collegeboard's phone staff are awful, and the cost of international phone doesn't help all that much either.</p>
<p>I believe they've closed that test centre down, though.</p>
<p>I challenge CB on their questions and file appeals for my students on a regular basis, and my bet is that nothing will come of your appeal.</p>
<p>Please understand that I am not blaming you here, but had you filled out a complaint at the end of the test, then you may see some action. Even then it is ambiguous as to what they would even do, assuming they admitted their error.</p>
<p>Next time, bring a watch and if that happens again you can instantly state that the proctor is wrong. It may mess up the test for everyone else, but at least CB will be forced to do something about such an issue.</p>
<p>I have been in tests where students complained about the noise, the temperature, etc. Usually the proctors will work their asses off to fix the situation, but if you complain after the test, you will just hear CYA (Cover your ass) statements from everyone.</p>
<p>Sorry for delivering the bad news.</p>
<p>So Chris_CEEAE, what do you advise I do since my watch was taken away by my proctor? (See my post above for more details).</p>
<p>Jenz, I didn't think you were serious. I'm pretty sure you're allowed to keep your watch unless it beeps.
Chris, are you a teacher? After calling Collegeboard and talking to a lady who sounded like a monotone robot, I was sort of skeptical that CB would do anything but ignore me. The lady said CB would wait to see if anyone else would complain. Frankly, I don't trust all the looney's in my generation to care enough about the SATs to complain about three minutes. Oh, well. It's not like a totally flunked. Maybe I would have gotten 5-6, but now maybe only 4-5 on essay, which will cost me like 30 points on writing section. sigh. but scores aren't out yet and the fight's not over...
p.s. I am rather confident of my math skillls, and there was one math question on that test that was really ambiguous. maybe I might challenge it. How do you go about doing that? What usually happens?<br>
You're right, I should have protested right when it happened. I chickened out. Maybe if i had, others might have jumped onboard to suppport me.</p>
<p>Noldo, where are u from? How common is it for people living in other countries to take the SAT? I'm assuming you want to come to the US?</p>
<p>I'm from India, and it's pretty common around here for students to take the SAT -- there's an enormous Indian exodus to American universities. (And yes, I do want to come to the US this autumn.)</p>
<p>Hmm, interesting case.</p>
<p>Is there anyway to get in touch with that proctor now? If you can contact him, you need to have him state why he took away your watch. </p>
<p>If your watch was making a repetitive sound or something similar, even if he only says it did, then you are pretty much @#%&ed, but if you can get him to say that he wanted to be the only one keeping time, then you have a good case.</p>
<p>If it happens again, your best bet is to notify the site administrator immediately. I mean ask the proctor to contact the supervisor because you were told that you were allowed to wear a silent watch. If the proctor wont help you, state that you disagree with his statement and that you want to speak with the site supervisor to verify his statement. Honestly, he will proabably just back down so dont be an ass about it and he will probably seat you in the back or front but let you use the watch.</p>
<p>OR he could just be a giant douche, what do I know?</p>
<p>JohnC613,</p>
<p>Not a teacher, but I tutor and take the test whenever possible, though I try to take it at an out-of-the-way test center, so I dont take a seat of someone who really needs to take it.</p>
<p>To challenge any individual question, you really need to remember it well, and then contact CB about your appeal, do you remember the question? </p>
<p>Honestly, nothing will likely come of it, CB is juggling so many problems that they are not about to admit an error. I dont mean to be harsh, but I wouldnt expect much, especially a week after the test.</p>
<p>Also, WS questions are the most likely to be granted on appeal. Usually happens at least once a year to me, but lately CB has stoned me.</p>
<p>Im a diabetic, and my overprotective mom signed me up to be in the students with disabilities room...and I was the ONLY one in the room going by the real test time...the rest of the kids got extra time for having ADD or ADHD...really don't have a problem with that...but the fact that I was writing my essay, and listening to the proctor explain the math directions to the other students made it really hard to concentrate. Plus, she kept on reading the directions to me, then realize that they were for the other students...so it was probably just as hard for them to concentrate...but at least they got that extra time. PLUS, a girl was supposed to come, and we waited 45 minutes, and she never even showed up...so I walked out of there about an hour after everyone else in the other rooms.</p>
<p>i took my sat in a tent in the middle of a field without fans or anything else..we could hear the cars go by and it was hot and humid it sucked really badd!!!!!!</p>
<p>We need to write "The Jungle" Upton Sinclair style, not about meat-packing indsutry but about the horrors of the standardized testing business.</p>
<p>^johnc lol...</p>
<p>I finally got a reply from Collegeboard. They, of course, apologized in their professional style, and offered me two options:
1. Score the test.
2. Cancel and get refund.</p>
<p>This is reasonable after all and what I expected would happen after CB would finally get around to me.</p>
<p>So, not exactly a lived-happily-ever-after ending (CB is so sorry that they offer to give me a free 2400), but I guess there's nothing more that can be done.</p>
<p>^^^ free 2400?? Did you seriously expect that?</p>