What To Do if You’re Accused of Cheating on the SAT

For an SAT-test taker, it’s a worst-case scenario no one wants to encounter: having your test flagged for possible cheating.  Each year, roughly 2500 students are informed that their scores are considered suspicious.  Knowing what to do if your legitimately-earned numbers are flagged can be the difference between keeping your scores and starting from scratch.

Why You Were Flagged

Being called out for cheating can happen at any point in the testing process, including during the exam, at the end exam, and after the exam has been submitted to the College Board for scoring.  While you may be familiar with the sorts of things that raise an eyebrow during the test (being caught looking at another student’s exam, using an electronic device, consulting notes, etc.), you may not realize some of the things that can “trip” a warning once the test is turned in.


There are several things that can cause the system to automatically flag your test while it’s being scored.  One is an unexpectedly large score increase.  If your score improved more than a few hundred points compared to a test taken within the last twenty months, expect a letter.  Another is an atypically high number of similar responses to a student using the same test format (there are usually several different formats in the room) seated near you.  The official terms and conditions for the SAT also includes things like “plagiarism, discrepant handwriting, unusual answer patterns” and even  “inconsistent performance on different parts of the test” as reasons to consider a score “invalid.”

Don’t Panic

Regardless of whether you’re notified of a problem by a proctor in the testing center or by a letter several weeks later, take heart–you aren’t going to be labeled as a cheater for life.  Your dream college will never be notified of the incident and you’ll almost always be given a combination of the following three options:

  1. Appeal the finding by providing evidence supporting your score.
  2. Retake the test for free to validate your score. (Even if you don’t match your exact score from the first test, if you’re within a reasonable range of it the first scores will be considered valid.)
  3. Have your scores canceled and your fees refunded.

Your Side of the Story

Even though the penalty for a suspicious test may seem tame (a lost score), if your efforts were completely on the up-and-up any implication of impropriety can still sting, and having to retake the test is an inconvenience at the very least.  While Option 1 may require waiting several months before a verdict is reached (making it less-than-ideal if deadlines are looming), if “proving your innocence” is of tantamount importance, consider including the following information in your response to the SAT:

  • Your transcript
  • Other standardized test scores that are consistent with your contested score (i.e. ACT and PSAT scores)
  • Signed statements from others who were in the testing room with you (students or even the proctor) saying they didn’t observe any suspicious behavior
  • Signed statement from a test preparation tutor indicating they have seen significant improvement in your scores
  • An invitation for them to compare your scratch work on the test booklet to the information on your scantron
  • Any information that might explain a lower previous test score, such as an illness or family tragedy

 

How to Prevent a Cheating Accusation

Much easier than contesting an invalid score is preventing one in the first place.  Following a few simple guidelines can help minimize the likelihood of your test being flagged:

  • Be careful about what you bring. Prevent misunderstandings with your proctor by leaving anything unnecessary at home–don’t let a stray pack of flashcards falling on the ground or a ringing cell phone in your bag stand between you and your score.
  • Don’t ever take a “throw-away” test. Even if you haven’t prepared for a test, resist the urge to treat it as a “practice” or to give up part way through when a test has gone worse than expected.  The higher all of your scores are, the less-likely a future stand-out score is to seem suspicious.
  • Do scratch work. Your answers are much less  likely to be found suspicious if you’ve shown work that supports them in your test booklet.
  • Trust your gut. Don’t look around at other students during the test–that’s a ticket for trouble–but if you get a feeling that something isn’t right and someone else is potentially cheating off your test, let a proctor know so they can address the concern before you both end up with flagged exams.


Your SAT test scores represent the work you’ve put not only specifically into test preparation, but into your education over the last several years, so any accusation that you didn’t earn them can be devastating.  Thankfully, when you receive a notice indicating a problem you’ll also be provided with a number of options to help you move forward.  Whether you choose to contest the call or retake the test for free, in almost all cases legitimate scores end up being validated and, while the experience may be unpleasant, the implications are rarely long-lasting.