<p>I don't think going a bit past the time call is anything like being caught cheating etc. Chalk it up and move on.</p>
<p>It's troubling how uneven the proctoring is on these tests. Last spring, D said that she saw several kids in her room were going back to previous sections on the SAT and that the proctor did nothing.</p>
<p>I know this probably isn't what you want to hear, but challenging the administration of SAT and ACT exams is near to pointless. </p>
<p>I speak from personal experience. Last spring I took the SAT II, and I was screwed over by a mistake the invigilator made. She misread the clock, such that she wrote on the paper at the front of the room that I had 15 minutes more than I actually had. When she realized her mistake in the last 10 minutes, she simply wrote the "correct" time on a new paper, posted it, and took my test. True, I got the "right" amount of time, but it severly screwed up my pacing. I ended up not finishing a quarter of the test. I guess you could also say that I should have realized the mistake-- but in the hype of the exam (and the pressure) I wasn't in the position to be supervising the invigilator.</p>
<p>Regardless, the outcome is what I'm most frustrated with. I immediately talked to my college advisor (within an hour after the end of the exam). She said it was not a substantial mistake for an appeal. Nonetheless my parents and I felt that the test should be graded considering the mistake, so we called the college board. Quite helpful people. They said they'd consider these "adverse circumstances" and get back to us. Funny, I never heard from them again. I was the only test-taker that day (i'm international), so there was no one to back me up. No choice but to leave it.</p>
<p>I guess that was a long way of saying that these people do not care about any student, any "adverse circumstances", and don't want you to bother them. It's a huge bureaucracy, and a somewhat unfair system. Don't bother calling, move on.</p>
<p>chriscap - I am not surprised by what you say. As I mentioned earlier, I keep coming back to the problem that my son was not allowed to finish the test so that even if the answers were not voided (or were un-voided), he still does not have a completed test.</p>
<p>You should have had your score cancelled or demanded a refund rather than asking for special consideration in grading.</p>
<p>I seriously doubt that much can be done because it has to come down to the proctor's word vs that of your son. And because the proctor has no vested interest in the performance of any individual student and the student obviously does, how could the ACT overturn the action?</p>
<p>You should move on and look into options for a retake. I don't think any appeal or calls to ACT are going to get you anywhere. Assuming that ACT's policies are similar to College Board's, there is really nowhere to go with a confiscated incomplete test. </p>
<p>I say this because my wife recently proctored the PSAT, and she said they had several students who clearly wrote after time was called or went back to work on previous sections. Their instructions on how to deal with this were quite clear: Take away the test, remove the student from the room, and call their parents to come get them. Their test was over. End of story.</p>
<p>I would tell your son to chalk it up as a learning experience -- that test taking is taken very seriously, and he needs to be doubly certain that nothing he does could be even borderline; then focus him on the future and forget about things that can't be changed.</p>
<p>As a teacher who has proctored many, many state mandated tests, I can tell you that you probably won't be able to salvage the scores. His test was probably tagged "Do Not Score" due to the proctor's decision that he cheated. And yes, the proctor has the unilateral authority to excuse your son and invalidate his scores. Usually proctors don't accuse or excuse students unless they are certain there was a violation, though it's certainly possible (not probable) this proctor acted hastily.</p>
<p>To be honest, I think you should heed the advice of the posters who responded above. Whether your son cheated or not (and working past the allowed time is cheating), this episode is over. You really have no leg to stand on in challenging this because you weren't there and the proctor was. Moms always think their kids would never cheat...even me ; ), and the ACT folks know that.</p>
<p>If your son acted impulsively by working after time was called, he's probably learned his lesson and will never do it again. I'd just talk to him about the importance of academic honesty (and the appearance of academic honesty) and let it go. Everyone makes mistakes, even nice kids. </p>
<p>By the way, lots of kids try to squeek in a few extra seconds on high stakes timed tests. It's a common mistake. Try not to worry too much. Your son will probably do even better on the next test because he will be determined to redeem himself. Good luck.</p>
<p>Thanks to all of you for your advice. I fully understand the one-sidedness of my position and I don't really know how it can be changed since he did not finish the test. I am inclined to think that the proctor has the absolute last word and unless she changes her position (highly unlikely), there's no way to prove her wrong unless perhaps video cameras were in the classroom. As opposed to surreptitious video cameras as I am, that almost seems like a fair check on an unfair proctor. At a minimum, I feel an obligation to my son to make some inquiries.</p>
<p>The ACT will not do anything except maybe - if u yell hard enough - give him a retake oppurtunity free of charge.</p>
<p>They will NOT grade it special. The ACT may investigate - but in the end there is no way to prove either way so the proctor's word goes.</p>
<p>It sucks, but with all the emphasis on testing integrity they cannot make exceptions.</p>
<p>Sorry to hear about your son's case!</p>
<p>I tend to disagree with the above posters. Who hired this proctor? The school, or the ACT? Either way you need to speak to the person in charge, pronto. Even if the proctor honestly believes your son went over the allotted time, he should have still been allowed to complete the test, then the proctor could have filed whatever he/she needed to have the scores invalidated or indicate that he/she believed your son cheated. Then your son could protest and at least have a chance. By unilaterally throwing him out before he completed the exam she judged him without any chance for him to defend himself. ACT should have a policy on this, I'd love to know what it is. If the proctor didn't follow policy, they should never be hired again.</p>
<p>Beyond that, his best hope is to walk in to the SAT and re-take the ACT in December -- and I'd do it at a DIFFERENT location!</p>
<p>Not true lafalum ... they tell you before the test that any incidents of cheating, going over time alloted, etc will result in DISMISSAL from the testing center and cancellation of scores. The proctors tell you that at every administration for SAT, ACT, and SAT2's.</p>
<p>Either way you will have to take the test over again. The scores once canceled are permanently canceled.</p>
<p>Applies to graduate testing also.</p>
<p>Do follow through and make sure the score was cancelled. I don't think it would be graded at this point, but you never know. And once graded, you will not get it ungraded. Also, I know most schools take scores well past their application deadlines, so this may not be as critical as you think.</p>
<p>A friend's D accidentally did the SAT parts in the wrong order. The proctors were supposed to be checking, but didn't. This kid is the most upright human being imaginable. The whole test was thrown out.</p>
<p>My son was in a spelling bee in 5th grade and someone (coach for another team) thought he and a teammate were cheating because they gave each other "low fives" at one point. She thought they were using code. Really nuts.</p>
<p>I do think it's possible someone very intent on the test might not register the proctor calling time or might feel driven to complete an answer. I wouldn't call this cheating, though it might invalidate the test legitimately. It could be a learning experience about testing; doesn't mean any dishonest or bad intentions on the student's part, or the proctor's. We all need to learn these lessons sometimes. I'd be upset if it was my kid, but being upset could make things worse. Carry on as best you can to the next test.</p>
<p>you say he sat in the front? Hmmmm sounds like you could make the suggestion to not do this next week.</p>
<p>He sat in front, but it was pre-assigned seating. I can understand everyone's point of view. Underlying all of this is a curiousity if the proctor is someone who is not fair-minded or even-keeled. I have absolutely no idea one way or the other, but if she's too quick to judge, perhaps the hallway administrator would tell me so when I talk to her tomorrow and perhaps something could come of that. Believe me, I'm not at all optimistic. There's always the argument that I might save some student in the future from something similar, but honestly that's not foremost in my mind.</p>
<p>I have proctored the SAT and SAT II's. I have not proctored the ACT. ETS has specific guidelines to follow as far as administering the test. It is to provide for across the board consistency in scoring. I haven't proctored since last year, but I recall specific actions to be taken with respect to certain irregularities. This may not have been a call the proctor could make on their own. This dismissal may have been a test center policy.</p>
<p>Olivetti, I have a son who has "unusual" bodylanguage that has gotten him into trouble at times. He is what we used to call a "space cadet". Totally unaware of his surroundings. I don't know a more honest person, but he is very uncomfortable when questioned, and he looks suspicious at times for no reason--just the way he is. So I can see something like that happening to him. We are working with him to be more aware of situations and his actions and movements because there are so many times that his reactions or oblivion can be misinterpreted.</p>
<p>my S took some of these exams as walk-on. You can call the host school and sometimes get an idea of which location has the most seating or largest rooms assigned to the tests and then go to a school where the odds are greater that a test chair is open. Just get there early with your ID and check in hand. Details on their website.</p>