Mechanical pencils not allowed on the SAT?

I heard that mechanical pencils are not allowed on the SAT. Is that true? And if it is, why aren't we allowed to use them?

Yes, mechanical pencils are not allowed on the SAT. The College Board prohibits the use of mechanical pencils during the test due to a few reasons:

1. Standardization: By having all students use traditional wooden #2 pencils, it creates a level playing field so that everyone is using the same type of writing instrument. This prevents any potential issues related to using different types of lead, which could affect the scanning of the answer sheet.

2. Scoring process: Traditional wooden #2 pencils use graphite, which is easily read by the scanning machines used to score the SAT answer sheets. While some mechanical pencils may use similar graphite, others use a different type of lead that might not be as easily recognized by the scanning machines, leading to potential inaccuracies during the scoring process.

3. Test security: Mechanical pencils can have built-in erasers, which could potentially be replaced with a small cheat sheet or other illicit materials. By banning mechanical pencils, the College Board eliminates one potential avenue for cheating.

To ensure that you are following the rules and to avoid any issues on test day, make sure to bring sharpened wooden #2 pencils with erasers. As the SAT is now fully digital, you'll most likely need pencils only for working out problems on scratch paper, but it's still important to be prepared with the correct materials.