High scores on BB, low scores on Real SAT? Please look!

<p>Hi everyone, I have been a longtime lurker on CC and had a quick question.</p>

<p>Now, the best way to study for SAT's is to practice from the BB--since they give the most accurate predictions for one's score.</p>

<p>Recently, I have read in many threads that students who are scoring 2200+ on the BB tests are actually scoring significantly lower on the real test ( < 2000).</p>

<p>My question is are the people that are scoring lower on the real SAT simply following a "wrong" studying regimen, or are is it true that even those who study hard and "correctly" are receiving these kinds of scores?</p>

<p>I personally feel that a lot of what contributes to a low score is the lack of consistency in studying.</p>

<p>If you have actually done the BB tests and received similar scores on the real SAT, please share your experience here. Please include any particular study techniques/schedules you may have followed.</p>

<p>If you have actually scored lower on the real SAT, then please share your experiences as well! Please include the study schedule you followed for the sake of comparison.</p>

<p>Thank you!</p>

<p>Alas, the Blue Book are the best simulations that we’ve got, but they are a whole bunch of things going on during test day that are very, very hard to simulate at home: the proctor being a jerk, the stress of taking a test that ‘counts,’ new question approaches that the SAT uses to create hard questions, those chairs designed for right handed people, etc.</p>

<p>In general I think the stress tends to push scores down, especially for high performers who are acutely aware of the importance of their scores. I would encourage everyone to track their pacing and see if they speed up during the actual test as compared to practice.</p>

<p>If you want a short want to get a sense of your performance we have a [fifteen</a> question math diagnostic test that predicts your score](<a href=“http://www.testive.com%5Dfifteen”>www.testive.com). It’s no substitute for the Blue Book, but if you’re time crunched people say it’s a good predictor.</p>

<p>Yea, I guess that’s true. But can stress really effect 100+ points?</p>

<p>Doing a test in my own created environment, even under real timed conditions, can never simulate the real unfamiliar and uncomfortable test room environment. Let alone the stress, lack of sleep, and test difficulty. There are plenty of factors that can affect your score on test day.</p>

<p>Oh okay. I see what your saying. I read that adapting to a testing environment with noise can help one get used to the regular test day environment.</p>

<p>Like this, for example:</p>

<p>[Virtual</a> SAT Proctor for SAT Practice Tests - SimuGator](<a href=“http://www.simugator.com/sat-proctor-dvd.html]Virtual”>http://www.simugator.com/sat-proctor-dvd.html)</p>

<p>Still. It’s not only loss of concentration or noise, but the fear and anxiety of being in the real thing. You’re no longer doing a good old practice test at home, no, you’re sitting in a real examination room at an unknown test center, doing the real exam that’ll largely determine what college you will or will not enter.</p>

<p>Alright, makes sense. Thank you!</p>

<p>I was getting 2100’s on my BB practice tests. I was very happy and confident as I took the real thing because I had encountered problems very similar to the ones being tested on the practice tests. Surprisingly, though, my score report shows an 1890. SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER THAN BEFORE. I ordered the QAS and am hoping that there was an error in my scoring because the test environment was fine, i wasn’t disturbed, and I took a practice test everyday for the past 2 months and graded them harshly. Please explain this…what should i do!!!</p>