Makeup exam scheduled after last-minute SAT cancellation

Jillian Atelsek, The Frederick News-Post, Md.
Updated ·2 min read

Oct. 11—After a last-minute cancellation of a scheduled SAT administration at Gov. Thomas Johnson High School on Saturday, Frederick County Public Schools said a makeup exam would take place at the end of the month.

The cancellation, announced Friday, affected about 280 FCPS students who planned to take the test early Saturday morning. In a notice sent to the community, the district wrote that the cancellation was "due to the inability to staff administration" of the exam.

In an email to The Frederick News-Post, FCPS spokesperson Eric Louérs-Phillips wrote that SATs are administered by the nonprofit Educational Testing Service (ETS), whose protocol the district has "no authority over." ETS canceled the exam, he wrote.

"ETS advertises for, hires, trains, and establishes all protocol to administer these tests. Teachers from all over the state could elect to apply to be a test administrator or examiner at any location of their choosing. Again, their contract is with ETS," Louérs-Phillips wrote.

Asked why the exam was canceled, a spokesperson for ETS directed the News-Post to the College Board.

A spokesperson for College Board, in turn, wrote in an email that cancellation decisions are made by the test centers — the schools and facilities that host the exams.

It remains unclear why the exam was canceled.

On Wednesday, Louérs-Phillips said a makeup exam would be offered Oct. 28 at Urbana High School.

Students registered for Saturday's exam will receive a notice about the makeup test and can elect to participate or request to have their money refunded, Louérs-Phillips said.

He added that FCPS counselors contacted the University of Maryland to inform employees there about the cancellation and the makeup date.

It takes about three weeks from an exam for students to receive their score, Louérs-Phillips said. Students can explain the SAT cancellation on any early-decision applications — which for most universities are due Nov. 1 — and inform colleges that updated scores are forthcoming.

Susan Hackney, the parent of a senior at Urbana High School, said in an interview Tuesday that her daughter was one of the students signed up to take Saturday's SAT at TJ High.

She had already taken the test once, but wanted to see if she could get a better score, Hackney said. Her daughter studied and prepared for Saturday's test, she said.

Hackney said she was frustrated because even a slightly better SAT score could have boosted her daughter's chances at merit-based scholarships awarded during the early-decision period.

"We're kind of stuck," she said.

Follow Jillian Atelsek on Twitter: @jillian_atelsek