Reuters: How Asian test-prep companies swiftly exposed the brand-new SAT

Test Preparation
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That’s exactly what I’m saying. Why do you think they release tests three times a year? By law, ACT has to. Once a test is released, it’s permanently retired, never to be used again. But until it’s retired, the tests are recycled. Do a little Google research and see for yourself.

The April test recently given was given back in October 2013. Do a simple search. You’ll see.

If this is all news to you, then you’re seriously being misled. This is the testing system. Flawed? Perhaps. But this is what it is.

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@123field – the date given by @mmk2015 above is the same one I read. Apparently College Confidential now won’t even allow test-takers to mention the form codes of the tests they take (?), but there was discussion of this test recycling on Reddit.

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http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/20/us/recruiting-students-overseas-to-fill-seats-not-to-meet-standards.html

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How does Ga Tech know that the kid sitting in front of the computer on the skype call is really the kid applying for admission? Seems like he another way to cheat.

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@jgoggs Wow, It’s crazy to think that people who took the October 2013 ACT as freshman could have potentially received the same test this last test sitting. It’s highly doubtful they remembered their answers as it wasn’t released but wow just the prospect of taking the same exact test twice is gnarly in itself. I guess even in the U.S now recycling is becoming a prevalent issue in the validity and integrity of scores dang…

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The problem that is not going to be over come by any system is that the cheating companies pay people to take these exams and are paid to memorize just a couple of questions, then write them down and turn them in to the company paying them. As a result they can assemble the test pretty quickly that way whether it is paper, computer…

Even if you have one time tests, there is a limit to the number of questions you can have in the database as they need normed, etc. so that the scores can be comparable. There are not going to be an infinite number of questions out there as it takes time to validate each question. Yes you can arrange it so that you can’t look at your neighbor and cheat but there is no practical way to create 5 million different versions of the test (or however many test takers there are taking this thing each year).

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In complete agreement with some posts here!

Cheating on the ACT is very, very widespread in Asia, particularly in Korea.

http://www.gohackers.com/?c=sat/sat_info/act_qa&uid=391636

In this post here, written in Korean several days prior to the 2016 April ACT exam, allegations are made by a student that certain academies were selling advance copies of the April ACT exam in Korea for $30,000!

We are not just talking about a problem of recycling exams here, but of unscrupulous individuals obtaining actual copies of the exam days and weeks before the exam is even administered.

Translation of the post into English:

ACT는 더이상 공정한 시험이 아닙니다. The ACT is no longer a fair exam.

오늘 어떤 학원 다니는 제 친구에게 들었습니다. I heard from a friend today who attended a certain academy

3천만원에 9일 보는 시험 구입해서 그거만 돌리고 있다고 했고

일부 저에게 보여줬습니다. that it obtained a copy of the ACT exam to be administered on the 9th (April) for $30,000 and was only making the students solve that particular exam, which she showed me a portion of.

SAT도 시끌 하더니 ACT도? 이게 정상입니까? The SAT caused much chaos, and now the ACT? Is this normal?

어디 시험장 학교에서 빼돌렸는지 몰라도. I don’t know which test center or school this test was stolen from,

완전 허무하네요 but this is completely absurd.

이러다가 한국에서 ACT도 못보는거 아닌가요? At this rate, will we not be able to take the ACT in Korea anymore?

ACT보러 딴나라 가야되나요? Do we have to go to another country to take the ACT?

이따위로 더럽게 컨트롤되는게 뭔 시험이라고 With tests administered/controlled in such a despicable fashion, can we even call it a test?

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Hmm. In fact, the problem can be solved by single-use tests, and the CB does have the funds to do so (profit of $100 million last year, on the record as spending about $1 million to produce each test). You won’t need “5 million different versions,” just a different version for each sitting. Once again, the solution is clear: stop recycling tests and release every test to the public after it is administered.

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For those who are interested, Reuters has followed up with another article, this one about the reuse of compromised tests in the U.S.:

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-college-sat-usa-idUSKCN0XH1PJ

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If only the world recycled as much as the SAT/ACT. We would have so much less garbage and pollution.
:slight_smile:

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It is disappointing that these stories don’t seem to be reported on more widely. The media loves reporting about the increasing competitiveness of college admissions. This seems to dovetail nicely with those story lines. I don’t think College Board will change its ways without wider coverage.

I thought the quote “we listened, they listened” from the counselor in the article above was whether weak. Doesn’t feel like the counselors are really holding CBs feet to the fire.

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I agree @gettingschooled to some degree, but as someone who’s been ranting and raving about the perils of test recycling for about a decade, it’s incredibly encouraging to hear that same talking point from someone who actually has the ear of the College Board, which has shown zero zero zero interest in listening to the rest of us. A small reason for hope, at least.

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hahaha lmao this is hilarious what did you expect???

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I have a suggestion-- something easier to implement compared to other proposed solutions for controlling cheating.

Make the essay section MANDATORY instead of optional. Use the essay as a QC. Rather than create a whole new test, just create several dozen essay prompts for each test sitting-- so not everyone gets the same essay on test day. For the high scorers, check for whether there is a huge inconsistency in live essay writing ability vs “perfect” CR/Verbal scores.

Since not everyone will get the same essay, don’t report the essay score. Just use the essay as a writing sample to check the student’s ability.

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I’m not sure that’s a viable plan, @GMTplus7 – the skills on the essay don’t have much overlap with the skills in R or W MCQ sections. (Even more importan: the essay is the most game-able part of the test. Yes, even the new essay can be beaten with a well-made formula.)

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I expect that someday soon the SAT will be a CAT (computer adaptive test) like the GMAT or the GRE. It’s very, very hard to cheat on an adaptive computer exam.

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Khan academy, etc. is only accessible online, so I don’t see why they would have a problem with a computer test. The problem is that high schools don’t have the infrastructure to have dedicated computer workstations. It would have to be outsourced to dedicated computer testing centers.

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Too bad the recycled test materials don’t happen the other way around :wink:

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There have been several GMAT and GRE cheating scandals. CAT tests are not immune to cheating. Some cheating methods have included using imposters and groups passing on questions from the pool while they are still “live”.

While I am sure Bill Gates is throwing money at Khan Academy in part because he would love to see the SAT moved from paper to screens (preferably Surface Tablets), this would make the test less user-friendly for underprivileged students, and so would be probably be seen as giving the advantaged people another advantage.

I don’t think CB is going to go down that path now. I also wonder how many underprivileged students are using Khan Academy. According to a recent NY Times article about SAT prep in NYC public schools, the schools are bringing in live tutors. Khan Academy does not seem to be a satisfactory option for these students.

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Khan isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Few students have the patience to learn from a video instead of from a live tutor. The problem is that a video might take 5 minutes to watch, but there is only one small issue that needs clarification. For this reason, I prefer pictorial and/or text explanations to video explanations…they are much easier to skim through to find the needed information.