Scores are out today for students who took the June 6 SAT, which contained a printing error, and College Board officials are issuing additional assurances that an abbreviated test is reliable. Still, some students continue to petition the testing organization for a retake and release of their full test results.
Two of the ten test sections were dropped from scoring after students were given conflicting information about the time allotted because of a misprint in the testing booklet that indicated students had 25 minutes, rather than 20 minutes.
The College Board said a comprehensive review and statistical analysis showed that the scores for the shorter test were shown to be sufficiently reliable—meaning they show technical consistency over repeated administration of the test, in a statement released today. The scored sections had the same distribution of content and skills as the full-length test, and therefore are reflective of the overall SAT content specifications. Admissions directors contacted by the College Board have expressed confidence in the integrity of the June score, according to officials for the New York City-based testing organization.
Students petitioning the College Board to allow for a free retest and access to the entire SAT from June have garnered over 1,100 signatures. Last week, the College Board told students affected by the June 6 testing error that the registration fee for the Oct. SAT could be waived.
However, the New York high school students behind the petition said they are not satisfied with the College Board’s response.
Many students will have a conflict with the Oct. 3 SAT because they plan to take the SAT subject tests that day, said Courtney Noll, one of the students who posted the petition, in a phone interview today. “We are not going to stop until the College Board gives a retest before October,” she said. For those students who did get the right amount of time on the June administration of the SAT, the petitioners suggest they should be able to have the complete test scored. “Because there are so many variables, one solution does not work for everyone,” said Courtney.
Aiming for admission to Ivy League schools, Courtney knows getting a high SAT score is critical to getting in and she is “very leery” of the scores from the abbreviated test. She’s been too nervous to check her score today, but says even if she is satisfied with her performance she intends to be a voice for other students who didn’t do as well. Courtney plans to contact admissions offices where she applies to explain the situation, if needed, to help her prospects.
The College Board posted a video from James Montoya, vice president for higher education, and a Q&A with Jack Buckley, senior vice president for research, both with College Board, to reiterate the organization’s response.