SAT will not score section with printing error

A entire section from SAT tests taken last Saturday will not be scored thanks to a printing error

SAT test preparation books sit on a shelf at a Barnes and Noble store (Mario Tama/Getty Images)

The College Board, the group that administers the SAT test, learned of the error on Saturday in either section 8 or 9 of the test, depending on the edition of the test being taken. The printed instructions for students indicated that 25 minutes was to be allotted for the section. The test's manual and script, however, allows only 20 minutes, causing confusion for test proctors and students.

"After a comprehensive review and statistical analysis, the College Board and ETS have determined that the affected sections will not be scored and we will still be able to provide reliable scores for all students who took the SAT on June 6," reads a statement issued by The College Board. "We expect to deliver scores within the usual time frame."

Tutoring manager James S. Murphy of the Princeton Review tells the Washington Post he believes the error could dilute the results because students will be scored on just 38 questions. “The moral of the story is high-stakes, timed tests with small scoring increments that are relied on too much by colleges are a bad idea," says Murphy.

The College Board explains that the test scores will still be valid because "the SAT is designed to collect enough information to provide valid and reliable scores even with an additional unscored section" even if there is an interruption to the test such as a power outage or disruptive behavior. "If one of the three sections is jeopardized, the correlation among sections is sufficient to be able to deliver reliable scores."

SAT tests taken on Sunday were not affected.