According to test officials, the scoring issue was caused by the tests getting wet from the rain. The moisture caused the tests to expand, which led to the tests being misaligned in the scoring machine. The tests that were wrongly scored weren�t noticed at first because the entire process is automated. In early December, two students paid a fee to have tests rescored by hand. That process, which took a month, revealed the scoring mishap and resulted in rescoring all this year�s tests.

The College Board, administrators of the test, noted that since the SAT started in 1926, there has never been this type of error. The scope of the issue isn�t that large, however. The initial 4,600 tests that were found to have been scored incorrectly make up only .08 percent of the 450,000 SATs taken. Sixteen tests were underscored by 200 points or more. Ninety-five percent of the tests were off only by 10 to 90 points. All tests that were underscored will be corrected. There were 600 tests that were scored too high. Those will not be adjusted.

The second batch of tests that were found to have errors was a groups of 1600 that were set aside for a second look due to irregularities. Those tests are being rescored as well.

The contractor that scores the tests is looking at possible solutions to prevent this from happening again. The College Board thinks the system is reliable enough. The organization says that there is always at least one person from each sitting that requests hand scoring. This provides a safeguard against problems.