SAT Timing Issue

Test Preparation
1

<p>This morning I took the SAT and had several issues with my proctor. I'm hoping that some of the posters here have seen situations similar to mine and know how the Collegeboard will address the problems.</p>

<p>During the writing portion of the test our room was given around fifteen minutes instead of twenty five minutes to complete the essay. I was timing the test with my own watch and noticed something was off, and several other people watching the clock on the wall (the one that the proctor used) thought that the timing was incorrect. I thought that I might have misread my watch, but after the test several people mentioned how short the essay section had felt, and how the timing had seemed off. The consensus was that we were given about fifteen minutes; I wrote the start times of the essay section and the second section in my test booklet, and they were less than twenty minutes apart.</p>

<p>Other parts of the testing were also erratic; we signed the statement on the back of our answer sheets after taking the first two sections, and we had a strange break schedule. We had the regular breaks after sections 1 and 2 and sections 3 and 4, and were told during the second break that it would be our last break. Then after section 5, our proctor told us that we could take a break if we wanted. A minute later, she told us that if we were ready then we could begin and immediately started us on the fifth section. We had no breaks afterwards. </p>

<p>Here's the catch: I think that I did quite well on the multiple choice in all sections, and I want to keep my scores in critical reading and math. Is there any way the Collegeboard could let me rescore the writing section only? My essay had two fairly strong examples and I finished, so it wasn't completely terrible, but it certainly wasn't my best work and I don't expect to get anything over a 10. If I notify the Collegeboard, will they give me the choice to keep my scores, or will they just cancel them? If I keep the scores, worst case scenario I get a bad essay score, retake the test and use superscoring to keep my other sections. I'm worried that notifying the Collegeboard will do more harm than good. So, what do you think? What is the Collegeboard policy for an issue like this?</p>

2

<p>i think its horrible that your proctor did that, i thought i had it bad when my proctor took all of 2 minutes for the form filling part… but i think if you notify collegeboard they really have no option other than just cancelling everyone’s score</p>

3

<p>I think ahm19 is right, if you notify Collegeboard, they have to cancel everyone’s scores for the entire test.</p>

4

<p>oh my god! your case sounds exactly like mine! our mean old proctors calculated the wrong times and gave us less time on the essay and the last writing section. They also gave us weird breaks and signed the handwriting verification thing after section 2.
But i will call anyways because I’m pretty sure they won’t cancel the scores.</p>

5

<p>The certification box is SUPPOSED to be done after section 2. </p>

<p>Breaks are after sections 2, 4, and 6. The box is always done after you return from the first break.</p>

6

<p>Alright, good to know! I wasn’t sure when it was supposed to be done, but other groups at the testing center actually did it before starting, so I assumed that was the correct time.</p>

<p>Another question, is there a specific starting time? Our group just started when everyone was seated, but other groups in the testing center waited until 9 to begin.</p>

7

<p>That is odd that other groups did it first. Perhaps the people you spoke with were confused with all the preliminary stuff on the front cover of the answer sheet, as there is an additional statement to read and sign there. It doesn’t really matter when it’s done, obviously, but in the script it is after the break following section 2. </p>

<p>Never heard of waiting till 9 AM to get started.</p>