SAT goes back to 1,600 scale, makes other major changes

In order to see if the College Board equalizes from test to test, we'd have to see whether, say, 1400 was the same percentile in one test as it was in another.

 

Great. Thanks. So they do.

 

That's what I thought. I don't think you ever see your raw score. If you get a 680, for instance, that's already your scaled score. You don't really see how many you got right and wrong.

ETA: However, it does seem to put in play Guy's point about knowing which months are better to take the test. Another example of gaming the system through data mining.

 

OK, my bad. I just assumed it was a raw score.

 

Those kinds of things are pretty common. Kaplan is well known for its detection of patterns and teaches specific subject matter to those patterns. In some cases they have it nailed so completely that the test is almost like taking a re-test for the people involved. It wouldn't be at all out of character for them to have determined that you can stand out better by taking the test in a certain month.

 

The NYT story, and others, frequently note that the SAT isn't fair because higher income students are able to pay for test prep. And that's true.

But what I wish lower-income people would realize is that the best investment you could possibly make for your kids is college entrance test prep. For a few thousand bucks, you could get a return on your investment of tens and tens of thousands of dollars in scholarship money. Not to mention (I know this is a point of contention) the hundreds of thousands of dollars in career earnings you might gain by getting into a better school or better program.

People should stop giving small scholarships to poor kids and start paying for test prep books and courses.

I have the job I have today largely because I gamed a standardized test.

 

That's a few thousand bucks cash upfront, no loans, no payment schedule.

It's impossible.

 

I know. It's very frustrating. Most of them don't have checking accounts, let alone credit cards. And yet all that's standing between their kids and success is like $1,000 or so with an almost limitless return on investment.

 

A family that doesn't have $1,000 to cover rent is not going to be quick to spend it on test prep.

Fortunately, my kids' high school, which has a lot of low-income students, was able to put test-prep sessions on for $75. Still money out-of-pocket, but a lot more accessible.