<p>Has anyone else had a problem with uploading a photo to register for the Oct. 6 SAT?</p>
<p>We have tried repeatedly, with photos that meet their requirements re: size & number of pixels/resolution, and keep getting a message that says that the resolution doesn't meet their requirements. </p>
<p>Aside from this technical difficulty, I don't understand how this process is going to be more effective at preventing cheating than checking official I.D. would be. If it's good enough for the TSA, it should be good enough for the SAT!</p>
<p>Replying to myself here. Increasing the resolution to way beyond the stated requirements worked, finally. That said, I think they have some work to do on their website to make the process more straightforward.</p>
<p>Just ran across this new requirement yesterday, what a pain! I haven’t finished registration for dds Oct test simply because of this idiot photo upload. Seriously, they should find a way for someone to just actually CHECK the photo id when the kid shows up instead of this additional photo upload.</p>
<p>The extra security doesn’t come from just uploading a picture: a student could upload the photo of the hired test taker.</p>
<p>However, SAT scores will now be sent to corresponding high schools, with the picture attached to each score, so that someone could check each score/name with the picture in the case of suspected cheating.</p>
<p>"A registration data repository will be created containing the information and photo provided by the test-taker at the time of registration and used to produce the photo admission ticket required for test center admittance. High schools, colleges and universities, and other institutions that receive SAT scores will have access to the repository, as will the ETS Office of Testing Integrity. The registration data repository will not include test scores. "</p>
<p>My son also had initial problems with the upload, but he quickly fixed it. Where he had problems was printing out the ticket. The photo was printing out too large. He finally had to make a copy of the page, send it to my Mac and then I printed it out.</p>
<p>What are these kids going to do as it gets closer to the registration cut-off date? It’s already a hassle for the kids to fill out all of the junk the SAT asks of the students. I agree that the paid test taker can upload the photo if the student doesn’t take his school photo ID.</p>
<p>Yeah that requirement doesn’t make much sense. Just upload the photo of someone else, and don’t report your scores to your high school. I don’t see any way that this helps security, other than making cheaters plan further in advance. This is why I’m glad I have my testing out of the way.</p>
<p>Edit: I just read the whole thing and you’re required to report your high school, but it still won’t work unless someone at the high school is actually checking that. Also, everyone is going to have to show 2 types of ID about 20 times during the test. Not to mention, they’re expanding the written statement. For those of you who are unfamiliar with this, it’s this long contract that each SAT taker is required to copy word for word in CURSIVE. It’s basically the hardest part of the test. When I took it it was a paragraph, I wonder how long it is now, but that’s going to be an even bigger hassle lolololol.</p>
<p>I guess theoretically the school you attend could check the photo against your student ID photo when you show up on campus, and figure out if you sent someone else to write the SAT for you (and then kick you out).</p>
<p>Yeah I guess it’ll be somewhat effective, but not infallible. I’m still laughing that they expanded the contract thing, I mean it isn’t enough for us to sign it, they make us recopy the entire paragraph in cursive (which nobody actually remembers, last time my proctor said to just “make the letters connect” if you couldn’t write cursive ahahahaha). Sooo glad I’m done with this silliness.</p>
<p>It may be an attempt to create a deterrent in that those considering cheating by having someone else take the test for them may be deterred by the possibility of someone at the high school checking the photo.</p>
<p>One concern that some people may have is that college and other SAT users access to the SAT registration data (including photos) repository can be used to negate the “decline to state” option for race and ethnicity self-identification. (It is obvious why colleges and other SAT users are allowed access to this data, but the possibility of using it to negate the “decline to state” option for race and ethnicity is an additional effect.)</p>
<p>^I would imagine that admissions offices will have policies to only access these pictures once a student has been admitted. I think a control like this is long overdue. A bit more of a hassle to register, but if it deters and helps catch cheats, it is worth it.</p>
<p>I do think having the photos going to both the HS and the colleges you send scores to would be a deterrent, even if the schools aren’t checking enough to catch everyone.</p>
<p>Since many colleges do consider racial/ethnic status in admissions, that would not be a given at all colleges.</p>
<p>Indeed, it is possible that college admissions offices could also use the picture to make judgements like “applicant says that s/he is [URM], but does not look [URM] in the SAT picture, so s/he probably was not as much of a target of anti-[URM] discrimination that s/he had to overcome, nor will s/he add to the visible diversity on campus”.</p>
<p>My daughter used the latest iPone to take her picture. The one she took with a regular small camera didn’t have enough pixels. The picture that is printed on the admission ticket doesn’t look like her because it’s so faded.</p>
<p>I’d be a little nervous about skipping it – if he shows up with a non-photo admission ticket and the people checking tickets don’t know/believe that it’s optional, he could have a problem.</p>
<p>It is indeed correct that it is not required for the October test. I called the SAT people (College Board) and they told me that. It is not on the website, but they told me that they encourage it but that it is not required for the Oct. test. I got the impression that it WILL be required for tests after the October one.</p>