<p>The curves for the reasoning test are insane!!! For example, 1 math curve went 800,770,740... WHAT??!?!?!?! ONE dumb error (we are human after all) cost you 30 points! For writing, in one instance, 2 questions wrong resulted in a 100 point difference! What happened to the old math curve that went like 800,800,790,770,750,740,720,700,690 ect??? The old verbal curve that went like 800,800,800,800,790,780,760 (taken from a real test) I got a 700 math january and would have gotten a 660 march if I missed 1 less question (because the test has 6 less questions than before) They added algebra 2, so shouldn't the curve be nicer? I think the sat is slowly becoming a joke.</p>
<p>It's because that after the quantitative comparison was removed, they stopped being generous.</p>
<p>The reason that it was removed was that so many ppl were complaining that the QC was very misleading and confusing to many ppl, and most mistakes occurred in that section. I honestly, felt that QC was the easiest section on the SAT, but w/e.</p>
<p>Now that QC is gone, I guess that collegeboard thinks that silly mistakes should not be taken into consideration. I do not wholly agree with this idea, but we all have to live with it. After all on the 2004 PSAT the math curve went, 800 760 720 680</p>
<p>Oh, and by the way, many ppl did manage to get 800 with the new scale, so it's not impossible.</p>
<p>Not just math! I don't think that you get me!</p>
<p>I believe the scale is actually determined by how people do. Therefore, changes in the curve reflect general performance, not a diabolical College Board scheme.</p>
<p>The curve is not determined by how people do.</p>
<p>Yes, the curve is determined based on how people do. It is based on percentages that score certain scores. However, the SAT is still to be blamed b/c the math test (for top scorers) is a test that measures the ability to not make dumb mistakes. No one who misses 3 or less is truly challenged by the SAT Math.</p>
<p>However, I am very good at math reasoning & have missed 1 question in the 2 SAT's I have taken (790 & 800), so maybe that does mean something.</p>
<p>I suppose hypothetically the SAT math should have maybe 150 questions on it to prevent this curve BS.</p>
<p>does it really matter if the curve is hard? everybody else will just have lower tests scores too, and it all balances out in admissions. stop complaining.</p>
<p>not really. march's curve was much better</p>
<p>thats because it was probably more challenging</p>
<p>In the end it all balances out</p>
<p>no, the march test was harder so the curve,easier.</p>
<p>the collegeboard uses a bellcurve to represent the data, with aroun 500 being the median/mean. Each 100 up/down is one more SD away from median. So a 700 in math is 2SD away from median which should be around 95 percentile on a normal bell curve. They fit the raw score to a bell curve and thats how CollegeBoard determines the curve. This is also why it takes a while for them to release scores.</p>
<p>It takes them a while to release scores because they have hundred of thousands of tests to receive in the mail, open, scan through the machines, get the readers to read the essays, and then get them into the database. They also need a margin in case something goes wrong so they have time to fix it.</p>
<p>And they use that equating section to determine the difficulties of the exam and adjust the "curve" accordingly.</p>
<p>whoa....are you kidding me? writing 2 wrong = 100 point difference? no way that can't be. anyone have the scale?</p>
<p>anyway, I managed to get an 800 in math. I got a 650 in the may test and then 800 in June. (i made stupid mistakes in May =( )</p>
<p>Merudh123 is the perfect example. 800,650,800. That should not be!</p>
<p>the curve is not determined by a bell curve. on the collegeboard's site, it says that the performance of the people who take the test in the same sitting as you does not effect your score in any way whatsoever. instead, the board uses results from teh experimental section of the previous testing to determine the curve.</p>
<p>meru so you are done with sat 1?</p>
<p>yeah, I would say so. I might take verbal in november to go over 750...but iif not its all good.</p>
<p>I never knew there was a curve. Inflation.</p>
<p>are you saying that if someone took a march and may test and then took the june test, some questions would repeat because the experimental questions from earlier months would become the exact questions in the new one??? that doesn't seem right.. in that case people would discuss questions on this board and would know the answers right away when taking the test.. i dont think the SAT repeats questions in the same year.. if at all</p>
<p>They would most likely save the questions for a while and then reword them/change the numbers ect.</p>