The article from the New York Times poorly frames the SAT and ACT's initiatives to potentially test at home. This is not that students "have" to take the test at home, but rather that they "get" the opportunity to take a test they have been preparing for usually at least one year.
The test is not immune to security issues - ones they can anticipate before they become a problem. Neither is the SAT is not a perfect measure of ability. Ultimately, though, the SAT has been a critical linchpin of US college admissions for decades. Your author considers himself one of its detractors, but also sees its value to students who possess the highest academic ambition.
Those who would scrap the at-home SAT because of fears of inequality are likely overlooking that these inequalities are already baked into the test. The test is more strongly correlated with socio-economic background than any academic measure. Those who are likely to be disadvantaged because of lack of technology access are already the types of kids who are already priced out of the system. For these students, much larger probes at the issue of educational opportunity and outcome are required.
For the general SAT taking cohort, having the option to test at home is an undeniable positive when considering the alternative of test cancellation.
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