The organizer of US's SAT college-entrance exam said its recent decision to cancel June's international tests is an attempt to fight against cheating, noting that they are considering adding more test sittings in May’s examination to ease the panic of students.

The US College Board announced on Thursday the cancellation of this June’s overseas tests in regions including China’s Hong Kong and Macao Special Administrative Regions, China’s Taiwan, Singapore, and Thailand, to where tens of thousands of students flock to take the exam.

Along with fewer test sittings, examinations in the coming two years will only be held four times per year -- in March, May, October, and November -- at international venues, two times fewer than before.

“This is the most powerful and direct way to fight against cheating,” said an official from the board. “Those who have registered for the SAT in June will be refunded, or they can apply for the tests in May and the registration deadline is April 7.”

The organizer added that they are considering adding more sittings in May's tests, but have not decided how many and where to allocate them.

It is very expensive and time-consuming to design a set of test questions, therefore some questions in the exams are bound to be repeated.

The College Board said reducing the number of tests means less repetition of the questions and will reduce the possibility of question disclosure.

“The move will greatly influence the students’ preparation work for school application,” said Hu Xiaoyue, who works for an agency that specializes in helping Chinese students study in the US.

The students need to get an SAT score before the end of June, as the deadline to apply for Ivy League universities is around November and December, Hu said.

Now that the tests in June have been scrapped, test sittings in May have become in high demand.

Hu offered three suggestions to help Chinese students who aspired to study in the US but got affected by the cancellation.

First, the students can consider going to the US and sit for the SAT there in June, he said. This way, they will also have the opportunity to visit their ideal universities.

Secondly, those who have registered for the tests in June would better apply for the slot in May.

Thirdly, students can also choose to take ACT. The ACT test measures high school students' general educational development and their capability to complete college-level work with multiple choice tests covering four skill areas: English, mathematics, reading and science.

Chinese students make up the biggest population of international students in the US. According to a report by the Institute of International Education, more than one million Chinese students studied in US colleges and universities in the school year of 2015-2016 -- three times the number of Indian students who make up the second largest group of international students in the US.