SAT Called Off in 3 Countries

The College Board last week called off plans to give the SAT on Saturday in Egypt, Morocco and Saudi Arabia.

A statement from the College Board said that the test was canceled in those countries and at "a few select test centers in other countries" based on a "test security matter."

"The College Board and its test administration and security provider, Education Testing Service (ETS), are committed to insuring that all test takers have the same opportunity to demonstrate their abilities and that the scores we deliver to universities are accurate and valid," the statement said.

The College Board plans to reschedule the tests.

Robert Schaeffer of FairTest: National Center for Fair & Open Testing, which is a long-standing critic of the College Board, released a statement saying FairTest had last week "received a tip from a source in the Middle East that an advance copy of the international version of the March 9 SAT was available for sale." Schaeffer added that "once again, the College Board and its test security contractor ETS have demonstrated the weakness of their global exam security system."

The College Board and other test providers have been forced to call off international administrations of their tests numerous times due to security issues. In other cases, the College Board has been criticized after reports that stolen tests -- generally sold outside the United States -- have given some test takers an unfair advantage.