Thousands of Chinese and Korean students have to wait a bit longer for their SAT scores after allegations of widespread cheating have emerged.
The College Board announced on Thursday that it would be investigating the circumstances around the October 11 exam at test centers in China and South Korea. In a statement explaining the decision, the Educational Testing Service - which administers the exam for the College Board - denounced “organizations that seek to illegally obtain test materials for their own profit, to the ultimate detriment of all students.”
Other students who took the SAT that day received their scores earlier this week. The students affected by the investigation and subsequent delays received an email from the ETS explaining the decision. “[Y]our October 2014 SAT scores are delayed because they are under administrative review,” read the email. “This review is routinely performed on each test score in certain circumstances and may take up to four weeks. We hope you realize only accurate and valid test results are meaningful and helpful to their recipients.”
The delay in scores comes at a particularly bad time for Asian college applicants, as the Early Decision deadline for many colleges falls on November 1.
Many anxious college students turned to social media and message boards like College Confidential to vent their frustration and concern about the delays. “I just don't see why this so-called 'investigation' should take up such great a scale and time,” wrote one student. “Isn't the CB at least sensible enough to be aware of the application due dates?”