At around 12:05 pm on Saturday, December 5th, 2022 the fire alarm went off during the December SAT at Cherry Hill High School East – allowing test takers access to their phones.

The fire alarm, set off due to a fog machine used during a theater performance practice in D Wing, interrupted the SAT during the 4th or 5th section, depending on the classroom the student was in. While the majority of students finished the entire test before the alarm went off, some did not complete the 4th section or begin the 5th section of the test.

After the fire department figured out the situation and decided that the school was safe, the students who did not finish section 4 of the test could go back to their classrooms to finish. Those that did not finish section 5 were given the choice to complete it since the section is optional. The problem, however, was that students could use their phones during the alarm, giving them the opportunity to theoretically look up answers.