<p>On the CR section of PSATs last year (haven't gotten 2012s yet) I got around a 55 or something then on a practice SAT test last spring I got a 580.
I've been taking practice SATs this winter and last week I got a 580 (pretty disappointed) but then this Monday I took one (to celebrate New Years! you know) and got a 640. a 60 point improvement? These are blue book practice tests so there legitimate. Did I get over a knowledge hump or did I just get lucky with a test filled with questions and vocab I know? </p>
<p>Or will I just not know until I take a bunch more and this is just a pointless post?........Nevertheless, let me know if you had similar results and they proved not to be a "fluke."</p>
<p>And when your done reading and answering this awesome thread, and you are craving more easy and soothing reads, chance me? It’s in my post I can’t copy links on my phone…sorry and thanks.</p>
<p>Each test is slightly different and this could explain the difference in scores. Also, since you’re more familiar with the test now, you probably spent less time trying to understand the format of the test and more time understanding the actual questions. Moreover, you were probably more prepared to take the more recent test due to focus, working conditions, etc.</p>
<p>60 points could be a fluke. It’s only a little outside the normal measurement error. Also, only the first three Blue Book tests have actual score scales. The last seven were never given as real tests and so have only approximate ranges, so they’re even less precise.</p>
<p>Up is always good, but don’t give yourself too much credit, especially if you have a long run of lower scores that are recent, and don’t beat yourself up too much if your next practice is lower. That’s just reversion to the mean.</p>
<p>That happened to me when studying for the Math 1 Subject test.
My scores were all around a 600 in the weeks prior to the test (actually mostly around a 580 or so) and the night before I took another practice test and got a 650.
Day of the test I got a 700. </p>
<p>This is completely different from studying for the CR section but it just goes to show that sometimes you will make a huge improvement, even if your methods have not changed.</p>
<p>In case anyone was wondering i just got my psat’s back from October and got a 64 in reading. (180 overall) So I guess I was all worked up for nothing.</p>