Students who have taken SATs know the process: study, register for the test, take it, and wait in a state of nervous anticipation until the College Entrance Examination Board releases the score. But this time, students waited and waited and waited, never sure of the fate of their potentially crucial scores.

The scores in question were from the October SAT I/II and were scheduled to be released on the College Board Web site on Oct. 22. When test-takers tried to access the Web site on that day, though, they were unable to do so, as excessive traffic caused the site to crash.

Later that evening, sections of the site were restored, but only some scores were available. The full site re-launched during the subsequent weekend.

The site shutdown greatly agitated test-takers.

"I went online and saw that the site was down and it was just so frustrating," Jonathan Greenstein '05 said.

He, like many other students, decided to call up the College Board and pay a fee by credit card to receive scores. Checking scores online is free, and the College Board officially informs test-takers of their results through the mail about a month after the exam's administration.

However, the College Board said in an e-mail to college advisers that it would refund those charged for accessing scores via telephone.