By Keshan Huang
The Mirror
Editor-in-Chief
By Tyler Jung
The Mirror Staff
The changes are being made to address the current problem of smuggled official SAT tests and cheating that occurs around the world.
FEATURE
Locking Down the SAT
January 24, 2017
FEATURE: College Board plans to heighten test security because of cheating problems.
The College Board is making new reforms to heighten SAT test security due to cheating in previous years.
Changes include reducing international testing dates—four test-taking dates, instead of the normal six—decreasing the opportunities for the test material to be stolen. The new schedule will be effective for the 2017-2019 school years.
The changes are being made to address the current problem of smuggled official SAT tests and cheating that occurs around the world.
Cases of illegal possession of SAT test content and downloads have caused the College Board to cancel many test dates, most notably in China and Macau in January of 2016.
These changes are also in response to the University of Pittsburgh cheating scandal in 2015, where Han Tong, a former student, pled guilty to paying Chinese imposters to take his exams.
Other adjustments will include increasing test supervisor staff in test centers, making it easier for them to send reports of suspected cheating. An increase in audits of test centers will also ease the process of reporting such behavior.
The College Board is always searching for ways to improve test security and ensure legitimate scores are reported for every student test taker.