Can anyone help me understand how adaptive testing PSAT works? I get the overall concept but I’m confused how scoring remains equitable if all the questions despite difficultly are worth the same. The way the adapting works, some students will end up taking a harder exam but the degree of difficulty is not factored into the score.
It is.
The adaptive SAT/PSAT is not adaptive in the sense each response determines what the next question will be. Instead it has two modules. Every takes the same first module (different questions but equivalent difficulty) if you do well, you get the harder second module, if you do poorly you get the easier one. If you get the easier module your score is essentially capped because you get fewer hard questions which are worth more. The threshold to get the harder module is a projected ~600, so there is room for missing the occasional question. Unlike the paper test, questions are weighted differently and missing an easy question will loose more points than if you miss a harder one.
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Thank you. I must have been reading about the previous version when I read all questions were worth the same. I appreciate the explanation.
Many students received their Digital PSAT scores today. My DD’s aren’t reporting yet. Can anyone tell me the average for Texas this year? I’m just wondering if the average went up or down from last year. Thanks.
Do you know what the average for TX was? I was trying to figure out for NJ. I don’t know if it went up or down but it surprised me that NJ averaged below the national average. Based on historical SI, I would not expect that.
My DS told me the average for Florida is 1000. National average went up to 990 from last year too (920 last year?). People are talking about grade inflation with the digital format.
It looks like the average is impacted by the participation. States with higher participation can have lower averages because everyone is taking it, while when there is low participation the it appears that its the stronger students who bothered with the test so the average ends up being higher.
I think we will have to, at a minimum, wait until the 16th. Compass Prep should update their estimates then. I am really hoping for no wild swings.
FWIW, the 7 year average for NJ is 966 (956 without the outlier 2021), and this year (so far) its 959, so mostly in line?
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Makes sense!
Are we sure the averages listed on the score report are limited to Fall 2023 tests? I thought they were an average of the past 3 years.
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may I ask where you’re finding these averages? Would like to look my state up
The average score is based on the actual test - it’s unclear if that means same date, same half of the month, same testing year. The percentiles are in relation to the previous 3 years.
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Thanks! I see the mean PSAT last year was 933 in my state, and the state average according to my kid’s score report this year is 952. But like you said, no clue who is included in that 952.
I think averages will be higher across the board. I think the new format is easier if no other reason than it no longer has long passages and is significantly shorter. This kid of change probably makes no difference for someone who was already scoring high but can be a big improvement for someone who struggled with the test. The floor is likely higher, which would raise the averages.
I haven’t seen my daughter’s full report yet. She’s a boarding school student and just sent me a couple screenshots from the info she received.
She’s a sophomore - scored 1300 which seems decent, especially given she did zero preparation.
The screenshot she sent me says her score is 98th percentile “among the following groups of 11th Grade test takers from the past three years.”
Frankly, I don’t comprehend what that means. “Following groups” does not have a descriptor - is it all 11th graders who took the test? And I’m not sure why they use a 3 year grouping to give a percentile, especially since from what I understand this year’s test is different.
I guess it doesn’t matter much since she’s a sophomore so this was really just for the experience, to get a baseline, and find out where to focus study efforts before she takes it again.
If she’s in 10th and her report says “among 11th grade test takers” then I would check that she’s correctly registered with College Board and they don’t think she’s in 11th now
I think she’s correctly registered. She was marked ineligible for National Merit consideration due to being a 10th grader.
I’ll have a better chance to look the report over when I see her this weekend!
Follow compassprep to get updates as more PSAT results come in. So far, looks like indexes will be going up, at least in states that aren’t already very high.
My 8th grader took the Digital PSAT 8/9 this Fall and the results we just got appear to be completely wrong. It’s really strange.
The details – he took the PSAT 8/9 at school. The results that show up in his account for the day he took the test are a 1520 on the actual PSAT (not the 8/9, which doesn’t even go to 1520).
There’s no way without test prep he test he would do that well on the english part, even if he somehow was given the wrong test.
I reached out to his school to confirm he was given the 8/9, and sent them a copy of his downloaded report to see if they see the same data.
Posting here because I’m wondering if the testing experts here have heard of such a thing? I will reach out to the College Board if the school doesn’t get answers, but I think it may take a while for them to get back to me.
Has anyone gotten the test results that were supposed to come out today, for tests taken in the latter half of October?
My kid has not, and I’m worried that his school somehow messed up submitting the tests, and we’re out of luck for the NMSQT unless we decide to pay for an SAT/ACT alternate entry, without even the data point of how well he did on the PSAT.
Kid finally checked the website instead of trusting the app College Board said would have the scores, and we do have scores now. sigh
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