Lower SAT Averages '06?

Test Preparation SAT Preparation
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<p>First of all, SAT is a reasoning test. </p>

<p>Second, just because you can get an A in a precalculus class does not mean you can get an 800 on sat i math. Why? Simply because sat i math tests basic math concepts that EVERYONE KNOWS. It is accuracy on these basic concepts that counts, not whatever math you are in. </p>

<p>Third, although a drop of 4-5 points is statistically significant, it is not unexpected. The test has been recentered afterall (notice that they say last years CR+M sections which means may mean in that average they are including the old sat sessions as well)</p>

<p>And to the guy who got a 660 in math, you did deserve it. If you are inaccurate at basic math even if you are in a precalculus class (which is hardly higher than sat math), you do not deserve an 800.</p>

<p>Just my $0.02.</p>

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<p>
[quote]
They're "predicting" that SAT scores for 2006 will be lower.</p>

<p>"Based on scores through the January 2006 administration, we are currently estimating a decline of 4-5 points across the Critical Reading and Math sections combined, as compared to last year's full cohort.Once scores from the April 2006 test are analyzed and included, we expect that 2006 cohort score averages could show a small additional decline." - Collegeboard</p>

<p>Read the info before you correct people...

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</p>

<p>It's quite simple. I assumed you were saying incorrect scoring of the SAT made the averages lower than they should be. I'm not quite sure what that quote's relevance is, care to explain? I'm confused.</p>

<p>And if you weren't referring to the past screw ups, then I have the 'if' clause in my sentence, exonerating folks from my 'correction' in the event that you weren't talking about the screw ups--also simple.</p>

<p>Furthermore, unless the info is readily available at the beginning of the topic, whether in link or text form, I have no real reason to go on (nor do I even know the point of) pursuing it if I'm addressing a short statement of a pretty straightforward topic.</p>

23

<p>I personally think having the essay is really, really retarded...I am somebody who not only writes slowly, but likes to think a bit before I start writing something. So I'm never able to get a full page done in the short time period.</p>

<p>If they made the essay 35 minutes, but reduced the length of the test as a whole, it would probably be better. However, I'm not sure how they could do that and still accurately test students...so it might be best to go back to just having the Verbal and Math parts.</p>

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<p>Do you think essays are bad for actual administrative reasons or are your reasons purely personal?</p>

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<p>I think the essays are bad for both administrative reasons and personal reasons...mind you, personal reasons that many other college applicants share.</p>

<p>Grading an essay is entirely subjective. Writing one under a timed atmosphere automatically causes a student to produce lower-quality work than they normally do. Students with better penmanship, the ability to write faster, and the talen for BSing homework will be able to construct elaborate globbity-goop that appears equivalent to a 12. Students who have worse penmanship, generally write slower, and prefer to write something meaningful end up with lower scores.</p>

<p>Furthermore, the essays are scanned into a computer and become pixelated BEFORE the prompter grades them. Little smudges from the eraser marks will look like big black blobs all over your paper, which surely must annoy anybody trying to assign a grade. And don't even get me started on the whole October essay mess in New Jersey.</p>

<p>I'm not sure what this section is trying to test, but it most certainly is not how well a person can write.</p>

26

<p>
[quote]
I think the essays are bad for both administrative reasons and personal reasons...mind you, personal reasons that many other college applicants share.</p>

<p>Grading an essay is entirely subjective.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Untrue. Two different graders grade it and the score can't differ by more than a point, which they rarely do. There's some degree of objectivity because there are concrete things they look for.</p>

<p>
[quote]
Writing one under a timed atmosphere automatically causes a student to produce lower-quality work than they normally do. Students with better penmanship, the ability to write faster, and the talen for BSing homework will be able to construct elaborate globbity-goop that appears equivalent to a 12. Students who have worse penmanship, generally write slower, and prefer to write something meaningful end up with lower scores.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Not necessarily. It's easy to train yourself to not cramp under pressure--even though it happens to a lot of students. But remember--there are objective qualities a 12 essay must have, not just good penmanship, 2 pages, and BS talent. I have all three of those and got a 9. I also tried to write something meaningful.</p>

<p>
[quote]
Furthermore, the essays are scanned into a computer and become pixelated BEFORE the prompter grades them. Little smudges from the eraser marks will look like big black blobs all over your paper, which surely must annoy anybody trying to assign a grade. And don't even get me started on the whole October essay mess in New Jersey.</p>

<p>I'm not sure what this section is trying to test, but it most certainly is not how well a person can write.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Even though those smudges appear on the scanned version, they aren't as terrible as you may think. I had tons of erasures but still got a good score--none of my points lost had to do with illegibility because the essay was still readable. If you can identify sentence errors in other sentences, you can improve the clarity of your own. If you can choose better sentences to improve them, you can do the same with your own. If you can write an essay that develops a point of view, you'll get a better score than someone that writes about their upcoming date. It's pretty simple--there may be subjective elements but people that are good writers usually do better than bad writers, even though there are exceptions. The SAT writing section, I submit, is not exact, but the essay, improving sentences/paragraphs, and identifying sentence errors definately gives an indication of skill for a large group of people that take it.</p>

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<p>My opinion. </p>

<p>MC 100% objective
Essay 100% subjective</p>

<p>Why? During training, essay graders only need to get within 1 point of the "official" grade 70% of the time.</p>

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<p>But during grading, graders need to be within 1 point 100% of the time. Therefore it can't be 100% subjective, or two graders would have almost the same opinion all the time, which can only happen if there are elements of objectivity.</p>

29

<p>I think the lower SAT averages are definitely because the test is a lot longer now. I remember taking the old SAT and finding it to be no problem. The added time, along with starting out with the essay make the test cumbersome and tiring.<br>
Not saying some people aren't up for the added time issue...but I don't think your ability to put up with 4 hrs. of testing is a reflection of intelligence. </p>

<p>And while everyone's talking about the essay grading. That is really subjective. Anyone notice how crappy your essay looks online? No matter how good your handwriting is, it looks weird and digitized online. If you erase, you can't read that part, and if you write too small, you can't read any of it. I have nice girl handwriting, and my essay was hardly legible. That's what the readers are grading. And, they grade each of them in a minute or less...anyone sense a problem with that system? </p>

<p>Oh confused_student....you just wrote that. Word.</p>

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<p>
[quote]
And while everyone's talking about the essay grading. That is really subjective. Anyone notice how crappy your essay looks online? No matter how good your handwriting is, it looks weird and digitized online. If you erase, you can't read that part, and if you write too small, you can't read any of it. I have nice girl handwriting, and my essay was hardly legible. That's what the readers are grading. And, they grade each of them in a minute or less...anyone sense a problem with that system?

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Dargh, no one listens to my replies to these . . .</p>

<p>Here's one of 'em:</p>

<p>
[quote]
Untrue. Two different graders grade it and the score can't differ by more than a point, which they rarely do. There's some degree of objectivity because there are concrete things they look for.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Here's part of another:</p>

<p>
[quote]
Even though those smudges appear on the scanned version, they aren't as terrible as you may think. I had tons of erasures but still got a good score--none of my points lost had to do with illegibility because the essay was still readable . . .

[/quote]
</p>

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<p>lol..that test is sooo freaking long now. i mean, what are they gonna add next, and interview?</p>

32

<p>A rectal examination?</p>