College Board steps up SAT security against AI cheating and leaks

In short: The College Board is tightening SAT security as AI-based cheating tools, question leaks, and time zone schemes spread.

What's going on

The College Board, which runs the SAT and Advanced Placement exams, says it is working on new ways to protect tests from modern cheating. The pressure has grown as more students take the SAT on computers and as cheating tools become easier to buy and use.

One recent case involved “Auto SAT,” a tool advertised for $499. It used AI, meaning software that can generate answers and suggestions like a very fast helper, to show answers on a student’s screen during the exam. The College Board said it got a copy of the software, tested it, changed parts of the test design and code to make the tool less effective, and pursued legal action against the developer.

The College Board is also dealing with digital SAT questions showing up online after exams. Copies of recently used questions have appeared on social media and on websites based outside the United States. Moving the SAT online was meant to reduce leaks, and the test already gives different students different questions, but the College Board says the risk has not gone away.

What to watch

The reporting points to actions already underway, like more test center audits, investigations with law enforcement, and penalties such as canceling scores or banning test takers. In some test sessions outside the US, the College Board also collects biometric data, like facial images and typing patterns, to confirm who is taking the test (like checking both an ID card and a signature). Next, watch for how the College Board handles “time zone” cheating, where people try to get questions early by using differences in exam times across countries.

Source: NYTimes