Educational Testing Service, in Princeton, N.J., canceled the scores of about 24,000 people who had taken the Graduate Record Exam on October 23. The company said it had mistakenly reused a 2005 test and feared the results would be compromised.
In an e-mail to students on October 29, ETS said it needed to void the results because it placed "great importance on the validity of GRE scores."
"It’s not a simple mistake. It’s a disaster for Chinese students," said Wang Xun, a linguistics graduate student at Peking University who hopes to get a Ph.D. in the United States.
The Chronicle.com reports ETS has offered students the choice of a special test on November 20; a spot at the next scheduled GRE in June; or a refund of the RMB1,460 (US$219.8) fee. In addition, the company set up a web site and a toll-free telephone number to assist students.