I am confused about the scoring scale for the current PSAT and new SAT and about whether the new SAT will be “easier” versus the old SAT.
Here is what I know. DS took the old PSAT two years ago and got 1 wrong on math and scored 75/80. DD took the new PSAT and got 4 wrong on math and scored 74/76.
So for the sake of argument, lets say that my two kids are equal in math ability, then the new PSAT would be “harder” than the old PSAT since my DD got 4 questions wrong versus 1. Getting 4 questions wrong versus 1 is a HUGE difference on the old PSAT and SAT. However, the 74/76 is a comparable score to the 75/80 from the old PSAT.
So I am confused as to how one can determine which test is “harder.” Doesn’t it all depend on how the College Board chooses to scale the scoring?
Of course- as it does with all tests.
I am not sure about what you are looking for when asking which is ‘harder’ or ‘easier’: it is different. Basically, the ACT has recently become serious competition and they are adjusting to be more like the ACT (including removing the penalty for wrong answers).
Also, there is a logical flaw in your post: if even both your kids may have equal ability, that does not necessarily equate with equal performance, either in general or on a particular day, much less to how they perform on different tests.
Not only that, but the kinds of questions changed between the old and new exams, which can play to different strengths. One of my Ds had an ok SAT math score- and a top ACT math score. The other had an ok ACT math score and super high SAT math score. Both are strong at math, but the type of questions suited one more than the other.
https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/pdf/scoring-sat-practice-test-1.pdf
Is the new SAT scored in a similar way as shown in the link above ? If not, how is it scored ?