So I just received the test booklet along with my scratch work and comparisons to someone who they think I cheated off along with a seating chart. Some of the problems I didn’t have scratch work because I simply didn’t need it, other times I can tell the problems I did in my calc and they’re using it against me that in the last grid in I had no scratch work. Along with that they showed a kid who happened to be sitting a seat up and the the left of me, who got a 2350, and they’re comparing my answers to his. But they’re saying since we both got an 800 and that we had the same answers yet I had minimal scratch work. If both of us got an 800 then yeah we’re gonna have the same answers obviously but They’re using against me the fact I didn’t have scratch work for every problem especially one of the grid ins I did in my calculator
I have a few suggestions that I hope might benefit you. Were there any math sections of the test on which your scratch work DID correlate with the answers you selected? If so, this demonstrates your math skills on an area of the test where there is no suspicion. How much memory do graphing calculators store? Would there be a way that someone with a tech background could access a digital record of the calculations your calculator performed? Also, check and see if any of the grid-in answers could have been entered in either fraction or decimal form. If so, it’s possible that you entered your answers in a different format than this other student. Take a look at the practice tests you took during your SAT prep class. Were the math questions on these practice tests similar in format to the questions you answered on the SAT? If so, the parallel practice test questions are evidence that you had already mastered the specific skills tested on the official SAT. Finally, is it possible there might be a security camera in the classroom where you took the test? Even though obtaining footage from test day would likely be difficult, it wouldn’t hurt if you could tell the College Board that they’re free to look at the video footage.
Sadly I use the same calculator for my tests in school and have cleared the memory for my math tests so I don’t think I’d be able to get anything from there. Only the hallways have se
Security cameras
How are the tests suppose to be distributed in the sat? Are they all the same, are they suppose to alternate with each column/row?
Sorry to hear that. I think that they are going to offer you to take the test again. Yeah is kind of weird that someone who was on your left have the same score. The best thing for you is to take the test again. You have time to refresh your memory.
What does your actual test show in terms of selecting the answers? Did you circle the answers before filling the scantron? If you circled answers differently from the bubbling, your chances are minimal. On the other hand, if you happened to circle the right answers without “scratch work” to support, your chances increase. You can claim that all your practices have allowed you to rely on mental calculations and the calculator.
You are not the first student who does not have extensive scratch work.
Obviously take it again and again. An 800 point increase is really unusual. The best I have helped someone get as a tutor is from 23 to 31 on the ACT, which is about 500 points on the SAT, and that student got extra time for a disability the latter time, which is a huge advantage with time pressure on the ACT.
Would be interested in your grade, ACTs, and SAT IIs. Are they consistent with 1420 or 2220?
Sorry, you made an 1000 point improvement. That is really unusual. Maybe you can share your method.
Can you retake the test? Although if you have all the practice tests from the summer that should help if they show phenomenal improvement. Easiest is to retake test.
Remember you can improve as long as your dedication and practice is hard. Many students don’t take the SAT because they aren’t prepared to get high scores. So the best thing is to take some practice in serious conditions and see your scores. If you like them, take the test.
The scratch work nonsense and accusations of your answers being similar to others in the classroom are standard excuses ETS makes to arbitrarily cancel the scores of ethnic minorities, mainly those of Asian origin, but unsurprisingly, I guess they are targeting African-American and Mexican students as well.
Under no circumstances will you win any type of appeal, even if you decide to take legal action.
You can send teacher recommendations extolling your exemplary behavior, transcripts that showcase a perfect GPA, receipts that prove you took an expensive 8-week preparatory course and scored similarly each time, lengthy explanations as to why you did badly on the PSAT or why your scratch work shows inconsistencies, etc.
Your only option, sadly, is to heed the advice of others here and opt for a re-test. The good thing, however, is that you can score up to a 100 points less on the retest than your recent score, and your original score will hold.
Great luck!
Like thousands of others who had significant score increases from a recent SAT or past PSAT, you probably can understand why they would flag your score based on such a large increase of scores.
What you’re have difficulty understanding (and rightly so) is what all this nonsense about scratch work inconsistencies and similar answers to others is about.
That’s the thing you have to understand. There is no point in trying to understand why ETS is making such absurd accusations. They do it because they have determined to cancel your scores based solely on the fact that they do not believe large score increases are possible in most cases and are using safeguards to protect themselves in case you really do have a valid reason.
Trust me. Been there. Done that.
Wise words @AlfredoKim.
In the old days, we just took the test cold turkey. I know it’s hard to believe, but somehow, we survived.
Hahaha @JustOneDad. Now students should prepare hard to don’t get on this kind of situation. If you do well on the first, then you will not have this kind of problems.
I remember those days. Competition was a lot less fierce back then haha.
Yes. Get a letter from your prep center testifying to your performance there.
I had a student go up 700 points between two SAT tests and was accused. I wrote a letter and he was cleared.
When you start at 1200, the first 500’point increase is normal if you practice regularly. The next 500 requires technique and guidance but is totally doable…based on your score improvement alone, .i believe that you didn’t cheat…
As for answer patterns…whose to say your neighbor didn’t cheat off you?
Just wanted to inform everyone the appeal didn’t work. They said I am going to either
- Take it and verify the scores as mentioned above
2.cancel the score and refund my fee
3.Go to arbitration for another appeal - Send the scores out to colleges but with a warning that I may have cheated
I’m assuming most of you guys will say take it and verify the score, however they said they will give me 4 tests dates if I choose this option. Does anyone know how far from now the test dates will be?
Look for the months I think March, May, June. It is better to take the test. You have prepared so hard. Practice and take some practice tests to be in form. Good Luck @kylerodriguez25.