And I’ve called them twice about it and both times they’ve said that they’re using the experimental sections
One important thing–College Board is suggesting that if anyone gets a retest they cannot see the scores from the June 6 test. We have to challenge that as well. There is no reason to hide those scores if they truly are as statistically valid as the College Board claims. They are trying to discourage retesting because it is costly. But the students should not pay for the College Board’s mistake. Making this transparent is the only way for the College Board to rectify the mistake. We deserve to see the original scores even if we retest.
@TMRSAT where did you hear the College Board’s statement about the retest? And also I completely agree with you that we should be able to see our June 6th SAT scores even if we take a retest! I will add that to the petition immediately!
Also regarding the petition, if you could share it among friends, parents, on social media, that would be really great! Or even post it on the comment section of articles/FB posts about the SAT mistake. We have gotten 197 signatures in two days, but if we could get 500 or even 1000 I think that would make such a BIG statement!
NO WAY. WHO SAID THEY WERE GOING TO SCORE EXPERIMENTAL? How is this… IN ANY WAY FAIR? Scoring the experimental section just makes the test EVEN LESS STANDARDIZED. Oh, my God, Collegeboard. I’d rather have a group of teenagers run Collegeboard than you sloths with sinecures.
My son’s location caught the error, and we are hopping mad also, as he knows he did real well on that section…perhaps even perfect in the math.
This is the only shot for early application, and this is just not fair.
I am just so frazzled about this
I would think they would have to publicly disclose using the experimental in the scoring if that is not the standard practice for all SAT’s. I would wait and see if they make a statement regarding the issue. I would assume using experimentals in an actual score would invalidate the test if that is not the standard everyone else has been held up to. Perhaps some are misinformed over at CB?
I happened to be reading the Terms and Conditions as I registered for the subject tests in October 
and I noticed this (in which I see nothing about only grading part of the test). Assuming they were the same when we registered for the June test, it looks like this scoring plan may not exactly meet their own Terms and Conditions
from https://nsat.collegeboard.org/satweb/common/satreg/pdf/SATRegistrationTermsAndConditions.pdf
**Testing Irregularities **
Testing irregularities refer to problems or irregular circumstances or events associated with the administration of a test. When they occur, they may affect an individual or groups of test-takers. Such problems include, without limitation, administrative errors (e.g., improper timing, improper seating, accommodations not approved by the College Board, defective materials, and defective equipment), indication of possible preknowledge of secure test content, and other disruptions of test administrations (e.g., natural disasters and other emergencies).
When testing irregularities occur, ETS may cancel an administration or individual registrations, decline to score the test, or cancel the test score. ETS may do so whether or not the affected students caused the testing irregularities, benefited from them or engaged in misconduct. ETS is solely responsible for determining whether testing irregularities have occurred, and its decisions are final. When it is appropriate to do so, ETS gives affected test-takers the opportunity to take the test again as soon as possible, without charge. These remedies are the sole remedies available to test-takers as a result of testing irregularities. More information about makeup testing is given below.
@Newdle I don’t think that they can possibly be scoring the experimental sections. Students with accommodations don’t take experimental sections. Also, my experimental section was a normal writing section, not in any obvious way different from the other writing sections-- there’s no way that could factor into my CR/M scores. Also, since most of the experimental sections are in the new format, it wouldn’t make sense. Take everything you read on here with several large grains of salt, and if you’re really interested, call CB or tweet at them and ask them.
@pseudoprimal Thanks for the reply.
Another rant to Collegeboard:
CB can’t even provide reliable and consistent information. Calling will get you replies different than from emailing them. This is ridiculous. Ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous.
How can they count the experimental writing section when the two affected sections were critical reading and math? Whoever is spouting that nonsense at the CB is ridiculous. Seriously.
@cc30303 Well… it does seem that the CB has determined an irregularity has taken place or they would be scoring the original 10 sections already without issue. So does that mean that “these remedies ARE THE SOLE remedies available to test-takers as a result of testing irregularities” is not being adhered to? Again, I am surprised someone (with knowledge and authority on the issue) outside of the CB has not spoken publicly about this as of yet.
I’m still standing by my opinion Scoring the experimental creates a whole new problem. When many students realize that their current section is an experimental many of them will just skip it. This would results in a ton of zeros for a section across the nation.
A supervisor at the College Board told me over the phone that if anyone gets a retest they can never see their June 6 scores. They are trying to create a situation where no one will ever know whether the June 6 scores were really reliable or not. And they are trying to discourage the growing number of students requesting a retest. She also claimed that they are in fact scoring and counting the experimental section, which seems preposterous. The petition is not getting seen by enough people. Everyone needs to put it on vine, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, etc. even on the College Board’s Twitter. And post it as a comment to news stories about the SAT error. Every student needs to notify their college counselor and any tutor they might have had. This could turn into a large class action lawsuit if the College Board dioes not handle this in a manner that is fair to every student and free from any scoring doubt.
I’m curious, someone mentioned that they thought their son “did perfect on the math section” on the 6th.
Is there any way that if he does get an 800, a college would or could question it?
My son was taking an AP (one of several) in May, and they gave them an incorrect time warning, then corrected it. It is likely that his test and those of others were compromised.
To be honest, last year my friend’s daughter took an AP test where the ENTIRE ROOM had their score disqualified because one person was caught cheating. Her choices from the College Board were the following:
- get a full refund (and no score)
- don’t get a refund and take it again the next year for “free”
There was NOTHING my friend or her daughter could do - there was NO option to get her AP test scored, they essentially threw them out. Yes, that could be a few thousand dollars worth of AP credits not gotten, or a year of studying again for the same AP test.
So arguing over whether getting five minutes extra or not, or being under the false impression either way is NOTHING compared to the many individual instances. Like if the proctor gives 30 minutes extra for the entire test, poof, the AP tests are invalid.
Here is an example of AP scores being invalidated:
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_23693350/mills-high-schools-ap-test-scores-invalidated-students
I just don’t think the worried students and parents have a sense of the lack of enormity of the situation, because it is affecting them.
@ rhandco
Again, you are wrong.
Apparently you are not very knowledgeable about scholarships based on tests scores. My child already scored high enough on the ACT for some generous automatic scholarships. Additionally, I suggest you visit the NMSF posts to get more info on qualifying SAT scores to confirm eligibility for NMSF scholarships. For those thousands of students who will become NMSF, they only need a 1950 on the SAT to qualify.
@TMRSAT … can you clarify a bit? How and When were SAT takers offered and option to retake the test? The next SAT test is a scheduled Oct test? Has this been sent privately from CB to the students? I read you can cancel your score if you are unsure, but never read about a retest. Is that private information for SAT takers only?
@Chrysanthemum14, I agree it does create a huge problem for many students because when I got an additional writing section I didn’t take it as seriously because it was in a totally different format! It was 18 questions and similar to the act writing section. Grading the experimental creates so many inconsistencies and doesn’t even make sense because the test becomes less standardized!
It’s really not possible to use the experimental section in scoring. Perhaps those on the phone at CB have been told to say it will be scored and counted, meaning “scored as usual and counted as usual.” Everyone has a different experimental section, and this would not make sense. My guess is that those manning the phones have no idea what’s going on.
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