Anyone have experience with handscoring?

<p>Has anyone out there ever had their test handscored? What were the results? Can they ever deduct from a score after handscoring?</p>

<p>I don't believe that ACT will ever reduce someone's score due to any kind of rescoring, including handscoring.</p>

<p>I've had it done, IMO, it isn't worth it. I believe that regardless to whether your score was wrong, they won't change it, because that would give them a horrible reputation and people would be questioning theire results from now on. I'd save the $25.</p>

<p>No, what would give them a horrible reputation is if they didn't correct someone's score when they knew it was wrong. I know of several cases of ACT correcting scores. But the vast majority of handscoring requests do not result in a change because scoring errors are extremely rare, while kids who just can't believe they didn't score higher are plentiful.</p>

<p>If you tested in December, April, or June, you're better off ordering the Test Information Release with a copy of your answer document and handscoring it yourself.</p>

<p>how much science does a person need to know in order to get a good score on the science part of the ACT? In what subjects as well. CAn someone pst what is needed in order to get a good score on the science section. Thank you.</p>

<p>Patrick, don't be bitter. Handscoring is reputable but unless you think there is a solid reason to get it, then don't. Lot's of people get their scores back thinking, "How did this happen. I know I did better." Then they get it hand-scored and they're wrong.</p>

<p>To be honest, I don't think they change your score anyhow. It must be a pain in the butt to change the score and mail out reports again. How do you know if they're lying? You don't.</p>

<p>
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How do you know if they're lying? You don't.

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Exactly. </p>

<p>
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No, what would give them a horrible reputation is if they didn't correct someone's score when they knew it was wrong.

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</p>

<h2>How would it ruin their reputation, no one would ever find out.</h2>

<p>The whole reason I believe they are wrong is because I received a 22 on the ACT. I had it handscored, and it wasn't changed. I was about 95% sure on all the questions I answered. On the science section, I finished with 15 minutes left and almost double checked all my answers. I end up getting my score back wit ha 20 on the Science, my worst section of all. On the flip side, a friend of mine who said he guessed on them all got a 33. Onside of that, on a previous test, the SAME situation happened with two of my friends. Now either it is a major coincidence, or ACT is reporting false scores. Maybe there is another person with the same name as me in the state of Colorado, and somehow we got mixed up, who knows!</p>

<p>
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To be honest, I don't think they change your score anyhow. It must be a pain in the butt to change the score and mail out reports again. How do you know if they're lying? You don't.

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Get real. A pain in the butt is when hundreds of thousands of students join a class-action lawsuit and sue a company with almost 50 years of reputable service into the ground for cheating its teenage customers. How do you know if they're lying? How about you ORDER YOUR TEST and answer document from the April, June, or December test date, and score it yourself.


Half the kids who took it did worse--what makes you so special?
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I was about 95% sure on all the questions I answered.

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Oh, well, if you were sure, I guess that changes everything.

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On the science section, I finished with 15 minutes left and almost double checked all my answers. I end up getting my score back wit ha 20 on the Science, my worst section of all. On the flip side, a friend of mine who said he guessed on them all got a 33.

[/quote]
Since the science section is mainly about reasoning, based on this post I'd say a 20 is about right. Anyone who gets a 33 and says they guessed on them all is being modest. I'd be modest too if I were talking to my friend who couldn't accept that he got a disappointing score. We'd all pity you, too, if only you'd quit insisting that you got screwed over.
[quote]
Onside of that, on a previous test, the SAME situation happened with two of my friends. Now either it is a major coincidence, or ACT is reporting false scores.

[/quote]
Wow, three people out of, like, everyone you know? Three self-important less-than-wunderkinder in one place? Impossible!</p>

<p>If ACT is reporting false scores, then it's a HUGE coincidence that about two million kids a year seem to think their scores are correct, that every college in the country (but one) seems to have reason to believe that ACT scores predict college success, and that ACT scores are highly correlated with high school coursework, GPA, SAT scores, and other measures of academic achievement. ACT must have a very sophisticated way of making up test scores that are so accurate (on average), that they're as good as the real thing!

[quote]
Maybe there is another person with the same name as me in the state of Colorado, and somehow we got mixed up, who knows!

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ACT must have found that other kid, peeled the barcode ID labels off your answer folders, and swapped them! </p>

<p>Patrick. According to your posting history, you got the same score on two tests, the April national test and the April Colorado state test. You can order your national test questions, scoring key, and a copy of your answer document, and score it yourself. You can have your teachers go over the questions to confirm the correct answers. You can post the questions you think you were cheated on to this board and we'll take a vote. You can write to ACT challenging any questions you think are incorrect or any of your correct answers that you think were not counted. Several times in the past, ACT has done mass rescoring based on questions that were thrown out. You could be a hero! If you can't afford the Test Information Release, I'll take up a collection here on the boards--I'm sure everyone would be interested in the results.</p>

<p>LMAO. Mrs. Ferguson that was brilliant.</p>

<p>A little harsh.</p>

<p>Mrs. F, thanks for the reply. It is funny you talk about this and say that stuff, when you really have no idea of the circumstance. It appears that you have it pinned down that you are going to backup the ACT, regardless whether you know they are right or not. I'm not going to bicker with someones mother about how the ACT works, it's just a waste of my time.</p>

<p>To the starter of this thread, let me repeat my above post:
"I've had it done, IMO, it isn't worth it. I believe that regardless to whether your score was wrong, they won't change it, because that would give them a horrible reputation and people would be questioning theire results from now on. I'd save the $25."
Also, why would they change it? They have nothing to gain and everything to lose.</p>

<p>
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It is funny you talk about this and say that stuff, when you really have no idea of the circumstance.

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I thought you'd been informing is of the circumstances regularly for the last two months. If there are circumstances you haven't mentioned that back up your opinion, please do share.
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It appears that you have it pinned down that you are going to backup the ACT, regardless whether you know they are right or not.

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I have no idea whether your particular test scores are accurate or not; I DO know that neither you nor I have any reason to believe that "regardless to whether your score was wrong, they won't change it." I do know that ACT sends corrected reports when scores are found to be incorrect through handscoring. I have seen the letters that go to kids and schools; I have seen the reports with "CORRECTED" printed in the corner. I would be glad to consider any evidence that arises supporting your position.
[quote]
Also, why would they change it? They have nothing to gain and everything to lose.

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You have it backwards. The evidence: sometimes they do change it, and haven't yet lost everything.</p>

<p>They have everything to lose by NOT making every effort to ensure the reliability of test scores. The accuracy of scoring is open to public scrutiny through Test Information Release. Producing inaccurate scores that correlate so highly with other information would be more difficult than simply scoring accurately, and would also be insanely risky; plus, the occasions when they have corrected scores would be inexplicable.</p>

<p>Mrs. Ferguson, I have seen you on these forums for awhile, and you have offered great advice, and I appreciate that. But your #9 post here is quite ridiculous. I don't want to waste anymore time with this after I complete this post, but here we go.

[quote]
Get real. A pain in the butt is when hundreds of thousands of students join a class-action lawsuit and sue a company with almost 50 years of reputable service into the ground for cheating its teenage customers. How do you know if they're lying? How about you ORDER YOUR TEST and answer document from the April, June, or December test date, and score it yourself.

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What teenager on this earth is going to file a lawsuit against ACT? Students can prove anything regardless to whether they were right or wrong.</p>

<p>
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Half the kids who took it did worse--what makes you so special?

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A 22 is ridiculous. As the national average is 19, that also includes the some odd million students who take it that are on the verge of dropping out, which drops the average considerably. I'd say the average for a "normal" student is at least a 22, maybe even 23.</p>

<p>
[quote]
Since the science section is mainly about reasoning, based on this post I'd say a 20 is about right. Anyone who gets a 33 and says they guessed on them all is being modest. I'd be modest too if I were talking to my friend who couldn't accept that he got a disappointing score. We'd all pity you, too, if only you'd quit insisting that you got screwed over.

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I guess you'd have to understand the situation. This is a student is really doesn't care. It isn't just a coincidence....</p>

<p>
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Patrick. According to your posting history, you got the same score on two tests, the April national test and the April Colorado state test. You can order your national test questions, scoring key, and a copy of your answer document, and score it yourself. You can have your teachers go over the questions to confirm the correct answers. You can post the questions you think you were cheated on to this board and we'll take a vote. You can write to ACT challenging any questions you think are incorrect or any of your correct answers that you think were not counted. Several times in the past, ACT has done mass rescoring based on questions that were thrown out. You could be a hero! If you can't afford the Test Information Release, I'll take up a collection here on the boards--I'm sure everyone would be interested in the results.

[/quote]

Both situations were completely different. On the national (8th) test, I was tired, halfway sick, and my head wasn't clear. Onside of that, it was considered one of the "harder" tests. On the 26th one, I was prepared. Had plenty of sleep, and practice. As far as how the questions were and certainty,there was no question that the 26th ACT was easier.</p>

<p>On a last note, ACT has the responsibility to report the correct scores, and I am sure they do MOST of the time. However, if you see at least one wrong scoring report, what makes you think it won't happen again? And having it handscored, they could easily just take the $25, pocket it, and send you a letter saying it was correct, regardless, and we (the person having the report re-scored) wouldn't be able to do anything or know whether they scored it again or not. The fact of the matter is that ACT can really do whatever they want without any issues. Maybe my school got some wrong reports, who knows. One of my thoughts is that my school did get some wrong reports and I was one of the few people that got a wrong report that was horrible. I have some friends who received 25's and 26's, and I wouldn't be suprised if they actually did better, but since they got a 25, or 26, they are happy, even if it is the wrong report. And as far as the coincidences go:

[quote]
Wow, three people out of, like, everyone you know? Three self-important less-than-wunderkinder in one place? Impossible!

[/quote]

Well, here is the full story. Feb 24th ( I think ) was a national date. Several of my friends took the test. They get the scores back in a few weeks, and say, "Science was best section (meaning highest scoring section), yet I pretty much guessed on every question because I didn't have time". That made me wonder, but not too much. Next thing you know, it happens again. And then again, on the 26th, yet I have a 20 on science and a friend who guesses gets a 33. I have taken multiple practice ACTs, and I have received 30+ on most of them. Sorry to say it, but that isn't a coincidence when you add all this up. There is no need to continue to bicker, so lets drop it here.</p>

<p>To the thread starter: this thread is just a longer version of the answer: "no, handscoring is not worth it IMO".</p>

<p>Patrickk--I see your point on why the reputation would go down for the ACT if they admitted that they made mistakes on certain peoples tests...however they do not show anywhere the % of people who had tests incorrectly graded...If they were to publish that information as a way to show off how percise their grading is (to make them more popular than the SAT's which just had all those grading issues) then i'd see your conspiracy idea because that would give them the motive to not correct incorrect tests.</p>

<p>Because they do not publish the statistics, they are very well open to the fact that they make mistakes.</p>