So what is the verdict? Just curious as to general impressions from people that took it in June as well as today…
Very difficult reading section according to my D. She felt good about the other sections but didn’t say whether she thought they were more difficult than June.
Apparently, the most common version for Aug 2018 was a reused test, given both last October internationally and as a rare version in the US in June 2017. So, the difficulty level was probably consistent with most of last year (Aug 2017-May 2018).
@evergreen5 is right. The document from China, administered last year, (reading/writing) has been making the rounds. From what I hear (from China), that section was not average difficulty but harder. I imagine the curve will be better this time around.
Not everyone tested today for SAT have the same questions? There are different sets in different locations?
DS thinks math is easy and writing part is harder.
An added wrinkle: there are anecdotal reports of large numbers of Asian nationals having flown to the US for the August test (because there isn’t an August test date internationally and for college tours).
While College Board has long reused tests, it seems as though that typically happens only when it was given to a small number of students for the first administration. It would be interesting to know how often a version is reused that had already been administered to the majority of takers for a given date, whether domestic or international. I wonder if this is the first time this has happened with a New SAT.
There were a few other anecdotes of test forms less common today (for August 2018) that were administered previously in the US. I saw at least one where a student took today the test that was the most common US version last November.
Indeed, it sounds as though no one had a fresh test for August 2018. In case more evidence were needed to impugn the quality of College Board’s work product…
@makemesmart There are always multiple versions, sometimes even within the same room. Usually, there is one form that is given to most and then a few less-common ones.
DS knows someone who took the SAT today who came home and saw the Oct 2017 Intl SAT and said the one he took today is the same as the 10/2017 that he saw online.
I read a discussion on another forum discussing many Asians that took the test that had either already taken this test or they had used it as a practice test. College Board needs to improve…
My D noted that she saw quite a few test takers with Chinese passports at her test site.
This is definitely not the case. The CB has always recycled tests that were taken by tons of students (and really, what administration is given to only “a small number of students”?)
I guess if all the passport kids get 1600s we will know there is a bigger problem.
@marvin100 Sorry, by small number, I meant small proportion, the less common forms. But yes, after I posted I remembered that even this spring, the April school day administration became the May international (although I don’t remember reading anything like the whole test leaking prior).
@Center I agree that ultimately this is an issue of score integrity. While some of the passport kids may have legitimately sat for the official test last Oct, and I saw more than one photo of this test in a Chinese practice book, those kids may not be the only ones with prior exposure. The test was also on the internet somewhere, i.e., it could have been anywhere. I wonder whether CB has given up trying to keep tests from circulating; surely CB has a security department that tracks these things. I suppose reuse presents two separate issues, one being the chances of the same student sitting the same form twice, and two being leakage and subsequent circulation.
It is really all very interesting and alarming. Yet I cant help but wonder–with all of the technology available cant CB track what version of a test someone has taken previously, to ensure that a student can never get the same test? Leakage and circulation is a separate problem of course.
D said that the reading section was more difficult, writing was very easy (she typically misses 1 or 2 in this section), and math was of average difficulty. After the June fiasco, we’re just hoping for normal scoring.
I thought the reading, writing, and math no-calc sections were easier than in June, and that math with calculator was a little harder.
Definitely agree that the reading and writing sections were more challenging than normal. For the most part, however, both math sections were incredibly easy
Across the board? I doubt it. Will the CB flag tests with drastic improvement for additional scrutiny? Maybe. But the CB brought this whole damn mess on themselves by recycling tests, IMO.
It will be totally unfair for kids who know nothing about the test used was done internationally priviously and then have it annulled, and of course it is also unfair to be “curved” with people who had done this exact same test in practice. I hope the real number of people who really “benefited” from having access to the 8/25 SAT to be small enough to not impact the curves.
Recycling previous tests are understandable but recycling a test that was used less than a year ago is baffling to say the least.
Recycling questions is understandable. Recycling an entire test verbatim is inexcusable, IMO. Considering the CB charges for everything short of sending them an email (which may come in the future 
) they should have enough cash on hand to pay for new test development.
As a side note, one of my high school classmates used to/still does write many of the questions for the test.