Hey fam, I've been going through my SAT materials and there are so many terms (like raw score, percentile, conversion tables, etc.) that I'm having trouble wrapping my head around. Can anyone break down what these all mean in simpler language?
Absolutely, let's break it down!
- Raw Score: This is the simplest to understand - it's just the number of questions you got right on the test. No penalty for the ones you got wrong or left blank, only the correct ones count.
- Conversion Tables: Now, the conversion tables are used to take that raw score and turn it into what's called a 'scaled score'. The College Board does this because the difficulty of the test can vary from one test date to another, so they use a statistical process to ensure scores are comparable across different test versions.
- Scaled Score: Your raw score is converted to a scaled score that ranges between 200 and 800 points for each section (Math and Evidence-Based Reading & Writing). This is done to ensure that a score of let's say 600 means the same level of performance regardless of when the test was taken.
- Percentile: This one’s all about comparison. Your percentile score tells you the percentage of test takers that you scored higher than. For example, if you're in the 85th percentile, that means your score is better than 85% of the people who took the test. It gives you a good idea of how you performed relative to other students.
Remember, while your scores are important, they're just one part of your college applications. Colleges look at a lot of other factors too, like your grades, extracurriculars, essays, and more. Happy studying!
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