Hey everyone,
Just a reminder that May 2016 SAT scores will be available to test-takers starting this Wednesday, June 15th: https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/sat/scores/getting-scores
If you have any questions about your May SAT score, then please let me know…I took the test as well and have ordered the QAS (Question and Answer Service).
Huh, so they’re letting prep teachers take the test sometimes? The CB makes no damn sense.
As far as I know, the March 2016 SAT was the only test from which SAT tutors and teachers were banned. Even that caused a bit of an uproar among affected test-takers, who in some cases were adults extending their education, members of the military returning from long deployments, etc…not test-prep professionals.
I’ve been taking the SAT for many years now, on nearly every QAS test date, with no issues, and I don’t see why more SAT tutors don’t do the same. If the College Board wants to specifically identify us and exclude us from the percentiles, then that’s totally understandable, but there is no need to ban us from the tests entirely…we are only trying to help our students the very best we can by staying up to date with changes to the test, and reminding ourself exactly what the test-taking process feels like, so that we can dispense better advice to our students. My students aren’t just rich private school students, either–I also teach SAT and ACT classes at a local public high school, through a local public university, and I am known for sharing plenty of free SAT information online, so I don’t feel that my knowledge is giving any group in particular an unfair advantage.
Besides, it goes without saying any QAS test in this new SAT format is going to be treated like gold and used as an additional practice SAT (to supplement the 4 tests in the book/online, as well as the 2015 practice PSAT and actual PSAT) by students who didn’t take the May SAT. In addition, students who took the May SAT and ordered the QAS will surely want to review the test with me afterward. So I might as well get a head start on explaining those questions by trying them myself first, under authentic test-day conditions.
Here are links to the 5 official SATs/PSATs that are currently available for free download:
2015 Practice PSAT: https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/pdf/psat-nmsqt-practice-test-1.pdf
New SAT Practice Test #1: https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/pdf/sat-practice-test-1.pdf
New SAT Practice Test #2: https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/pdf/sat-practice-test-2.pdf
New SAT Practice Test #3: https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/pdf/sat-practice-test-3.pdf
New SAT Practice Test #4: https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/pdf/sat-practice-test-4.pdf
Are you saying that as a parent I am allowed to take an SAT test? if that is true it would make it so much more easier to teach them the skills required to Ace this test. especially those kids whose parents didn’t take SAT’s or go to college in the US
Yes, that’s correct! Anyone can take the SAT, so theoretically parents could sign up for the test in order to better prepare their kids (and to obtain copies of the QAS tests).
However, if the CB’s vow to increase transparency continues to hold up, it is possible that it will start releasing the upcoming QAS tests (the May 2016, October 1st, January 21st, and May 6th tests) publicly, not just to those who took the specific tests, which means that you might be able to obtain copies whether or not you actually took the test. You could always ask a friend to make you a copy as well. However, I also think that there is great value in taking the test under actual test-day conditions, so it’s not just about obtaining a copy of the test.
I don’t recommend taking the other 4 upcoming SATs (November 5th, December 3rd, March 11th and June 3rd), because it’s impossible to learn much from a test that you aren’t even allowed to see afterward.
(I should have written “reminding ourselves” on line 8 of my last post…CC is strict on the 15-minute edit time limit!)
One more day…
@ivysource Do you know what time exactly they come out?
@yalebrownbri Usually around 9 am EST, in my experience, but it couldn’t hurt to check at midnight if you’re up that late.
Inspired by Debbie Stier’s book, and as a parent tutoring my child, I took both the ACT and the old SAT last year. I told the proctor I was a tutor, and didn’t get any strange looks. I made sure I went to a testing location other than my kids school. The time pressure on the ACT was of value and just the pressure of the test is so different than when you are just sitting at the kitchen table . I scored the same as I did in high school, in the 97 percentile on both!
I hope ACT and SAT release the QAS tests publicly. It beats having to go to sketchy websites to print out poorly scanned copies. The companies can still charge for your personal score report.
Scores are out! I’m disappointed that I did worse than expected (770R / 750M), but I don’t mean to humblebrag…it’s obviously still a solid score. Still, a 1520 on the New SAT only converts to a 1490 on the old 1600-point scale, which is only 10 points better than my score from 1997, half a lifetime ago.
I’ve scored a perfect 2400 in the past, and I tutor/teach the SAT for a living, so perfection is always my goal. I’m only human, though, so I’m still prone to careless mistakes from time to time, especially if our 5 and 6 year-old girls are not letting me get enough sleep before the test! As the saying goes, I try to “seek perfection but settle for excellence,” and I urge my students to do the same.
Either I made some careless mistakes (likely), or I was the victim of a vast College Board conspiracy to keep me from acing my first new SAT (unlikely). I’ll know for sure when I receive a copy of the actual test and can double-check my answers.
2 wrong on Reading, 1 wrong on Writing = 770 Reading
4 wrong on Math = 750 Math
1520 Composite
99th Nationally Representative / 99th SAT User Percentile
98.92% “True Percentile” (see below)
Old SAT / New SAT / ACT / True Percentile
1600…1600…36…99.95%
1590…1590…99.92%
1580…1590…35…99.89%
1570…1580…99.83%
1560…1570…34…99.78%
1550…1560…99.69%
1540…1560…99.61%
1530…1550…99.51%
1520…1540…33…99.39%
1510…1540…99.25%
1500…1530…99.08%
1490…1520…98.92%
1480…1510…32…98.73%
1470…1510…98.52%
1460…1500…98.28%
1450…1490…98.01%
1440…1480…31…97.72%
1430…1480…97.39%
1420…1470…97.03%
1410…1460…96.63%
1400…1450…30…96.21%
1390…1440…95.79%
1380…1430…95.31%
1370…1420…94.83%
1360…1420…29…94.27%
1350…1410…93.67%
1340…1400…93.01%
1330…1390…92.33%
1320…1380…28…91.6%
1310…1370…90.79%
1300…1360…89.95%
1290…1350…89.11%
1280…1340…27…88.21%
1270…1330…87.25%
1260…1320…86.26%
1250…1310…85.2%
1240…1310…26…84.09%
1230…1300…82.9%
1220…1290…81.68%
1210…1280…25…80.4%
1200…1270…79.07%
1190…1260…77.77%
1180…1250…76.4%
1170…1240…24…74.98%
1160…1230…73.51%
1150…1220…72%
1140…1210…70.4%
1130…1200…23…68.8%
1120…1190…67.15%
1110…1180…65.44%
1100…1170…63.69%
1090…1160…22…61.98%
1080…1150…60.23%
1070…1140…58.45%
1060…1130…56.64%
1050…1130…21…54.81%
1040…1120…52.97%
1030…1110…51.1%
@ivysource Good job with the lack of sleep! I’ve got a question for you, perhaps it’s a bit off-topic. I see lots of posts from students asking ACT vs new SAT. They have a 1500 and a 34…which should they send? Based on your table, the ACT is the obvious answer. In all the posts I see, it almost ALWAYS goes this way. For actual test takers in the high range, the new SAT is almost always below their ACT score. Does this suggest that the concordances are punishing the new SAT a bit too much?
@bucketDad Thanks! Yes, I can agree with you on that (that the concordance tables punish the SAT too much). SAT scores and percentiles have been inflated, yes, but mostly in the middle and bottom ranges of the scoring curve, not at the very top.
The reason why 1500 and 34 is so common is that they are roughly equivalent scores, even though the concordance tables and percentiles suggest otherwise. Why? Because the SAT is the more competitive test, at least in terms of the students who take it each year.
In recent years, many more students have flocked to the ACT in lieu of the new SAT, at least partially out of trepidation concerning unpredictable SAT score conversions. In fact, the ACT has already overtaken the SAT in market share because of the ACT’s reputation as the more straightforward test. But the SAT still has roughly 45% of the high-school market, and it is often secretly preferred at Ivy League schools and other prestigious institutions (they will never admit this, of course) who are accustomed to receiving SAT scores, and prefer to “compare apples to apples.” It should also be noted that some schools, such as those in the the University of California system, convert SAT and ACT scores to a common number (“UC Score”) before sending the scores to the admissions committee members, in order to avoid such bias.
I will fully concede that the ACT is a spectacular second option for many students, mostly because it’s easier to score in a higher percentile on the ACT (among other reasons, this is true because 12 U.S. states–Colorado, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Tennessee, Utah and Wyoming–currently require all graduating seniors to take the ACT, including students with no plans to attend college, thus diluting the talent level of its test-takers). And yes, the ACT now has the added benefit of being more of a known quantity, especially when compared to the new, revised SAT. This is why I encourage most of my private students to take both the SAT and the ACT in order to give them more options, and more chances at an elite-level score.
You may want to look into this a bit more. The real reason the ACT has gained marketshare is the ACT’s practice of taking big losses on sweetheart contracts with state public school systems, which then make the exam mandatory for all students. The CB has taken a couple of those states back, but the ACT was the pioneer in this practice.
Yes, the fact that the ACT is mandatory for graduation in 12 states, which I already mentioned above, also helps explain the shift in market share. In addition, these contracts are part of the reason why it’s easier to hit 99% on the ACT than on the SAT (true percentile)–a diluted talent pool, thanks to students who are not necessarily college-bound, yet still required to take the ACT.
Yep
"And it is often secretly preferred at Ivy League schools and other prestigious institutions (they will never admit this, of course) "
If this was ever true (which I don’t think it was), it’s not anymore. The ACT format has been copied by the CB and now there is not much of a difference… Except that the ACT is known and understable to adcoms, and the new SAT is an administration disaster. College counselors that work with Adcoms have said they are not happy with the roll out and especially baffled by the concordance!
I would argue that the competitiveness of the pool of students taking the test is the most relevant factor, not the structure of the tests themselves, especially because, as you said, there is not a huge difference in content (although the pacing of the two tests is much different). It only took me 30 minutes to put together a list of “true percentiles” on the new SAT, so I imagine most admissions committees will have no problem doing the same.
Hi there ivysource, can you please explain how you worked out the true percentiles? and what it also means? thanks you!
Do colleges really look at concordance tables and nitpick ? If a kid scores 1500 on the new SAT are they really going to say hey that is only 14someting in the old test and “only” X ACT?
In my naive mind I think colleges are going to say: Hey 1500 is a great score lets move to the rest of the app and see if we want this kid.
If they have 2 kids one with 1500 and the other with 34 are they really going to say : But the second kid is such a better scorer??
@am9799 Take my opinion (based on anecdotal evidence) for what it’s worth (not much) but I think the answer to your question is no. I believe the College Board has messed up the concordance tables they’ve published. As large samples of scoring data starts rolling in to the admissions offices, the colleges will see that…that the statistical distribution of new SAT scores doesn’t jibe with concordance…and that the published concordance tables imposed a penalty that was too harsh at the high end. The resulting confusion will reduce the perceived precision of these tests as tool for measuring student performance.