During the 2012-2013 school year the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) and the American College Testing (ACT) exams are making efforts to end student cheating.  The new regulations require that students sign up prior to the assessment day to take the SAT and ACT.  Students are also now required to submit photos and information about themselves before their exams so that they can be properly identified.

Although proctors currently check student identification at the door, students have never been required to submit photo ID to College Board or the ACT organization.

“Students are desperate to do anything to get into these brand-name schools,” said history teacher and varsity basketball assistant coach Kenna Knost.  “Some students do not care about academic integrity because of their desperation, and hopefully this measure will make it more difficult for students like that to get away with cheating.”

This new rule has been installed in response to recent cheating scandals, in regard to the  SAT and ACT, in which several students paid others to take their tests.  In one example, a female student with a gender-neutral name paid a male student to take her SAT.  All students involved in these incidents were arrested.

“These are good regulations because now people will receive the grades that they deserve,” said junior Chris Sajkoski.  “I am working really hard to raise my test scores, so I am glad that others will not be able to cheat.”

Among the new information provided by students before the exam is gender identification. Test proctors will be able to ask for identification to check if the IDs match the pictures that they submitted before the test.

These changes already apply to both the SAT and ACT.  The educational community hopes this measure will decrease incidents of academic dishonesty.