1,400 students impacted by day-of SAT cancellation in Oakland
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Technical difficulties that led to the sudden cancellation Saturday of an SAT test in Oakland impacted around 1,400 students.
Why it matters: The cancellation has resurrected concerns about the new digital SAT amid an ongoing shortage of testing centers and raises questions about accountability, equity and troubleshooting when it comes to the online exam, which is offered globally seven times each year and administered by College Board.
State of play: Students traveled to the Marriott Hotel in Oakland on Saturday to take the SAT, which is now entirely online but must be done at test sites. Students pay a base registration fee of $60.
- In interviews with multiple news outlets, students said they couldn't access the exam and that the system kept displaying a "loading" message.
- An unspecified issue with the Wi-Fi reportedly kept them waiting for hours.
What they're saying: "It's a monopoly. It's not like you can take the test from somebody else," Brian Davis, the father of an impacted student, told ABC7 News.
- "You're stuck. And so they have no accountability," Davis added, referring to College Board. "They treat these students very poorly. And no one is holding them to account."
- There are currently no seats left for the next available test date — Aug. 24 — within 100 miles of San Francisco, which means impacted students will likely have to take the exam after the academic year has already started.
The other side: College Board issued an apology and said in an emailed statement that students impacted by the Wi-Fi disruption will receive a full refund.
- Because student demand continues to exceed capacity, College Board said it has contracted with vendors to oversee testing at hotels and other locations.
- The organization will "revisit vendor processes to ensure students do not encounter problems moving forward."
The big picture: The number of SAT centers in California this year is less than half of pre-pandemic figures, according to the College Board. A local SAT tutor told KQED that getting a seat was harder than getting tickets for a Taylor Swift concert.
- Many testing centers closed permanently during COVID. Colleges' decisions to drop standardized test requirements — including the University of California — also led to lower demand.
- "California students who can't take the test because of lack of access will miss out on admission opportunities" and financial aid, Bay Area high school student Sebastian Gillmore, who is traveling to Dallas to take the SAT, wrote in an opinion for the Los Angeles Times last week.
What we're watching: The shortage will likely become even more pronounced as many universities move to reinstate standardized testing mandates.