Hello-
The PSAT has four different “forms.” Does anyone know if each form has its own curve or are they all grouped together for a single curve?
The 2019 Understanding Scores document suggests one curve for all forms given on a single day: https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/pdf/psat-nmsqt-understanding-scores.pdf
The SAT, ACT, and PSAT are not “curved” per-se, but they are normalized for difficulty i.e. x right = y score = z percentile etc. Each form (as they have different questions) will be normalized separately, and I believe test companies do this by testing in advance questions on a subset of students in-order to gauge difficulty. If you’ve already taken the PSAT, hope for the best, but don’t stress too much about the scores: the SAT and ACT are much more important.
Hope that helps!
This is very useful. Thank you. It seems the vast majority of kids got one test form and none from my child’s school got her test form based on the chatter.
Yes, the term is equating. According to CB’s SAT white papers, each test is equated, using common test populations, common test sections, experimental sections, etc., to, as effectively as statistically possible, assign students of equal performance an equal score, regardless of the test difficulty or the number of questions correct/incorrect.
However, I find it interesting that there are four answer keys for the same test date and a single raw score conversion. They make the statement that “ There is no advantage or disadvantage in taking any particular test form.”
I find this concerning, as it’s at odds with CB’s story that equating accounts for test difference across SAT dates as tests may differ in difficulty because it’s impossible to ensure tests are the same. If so, how can they simply state that multiple PSAT tests on the same date are the same?
In summery, from the attached document, you appear to be correct that there are four different tests, all scored and equated the same, with an assumption they are all the same difficulty. A cynic would say they don’t treat the PSAT as seriously as the SAT. This is statistically troubling.
Yes! It seemed as though all forms had the same curve based on the research I did which is troubling. My daughter said the reading on her test was reasonable whereas other bright kids couldn’t even finish the reading on other “forms.”
My kid said the reading was off the chart difficult. ( This is a kid who scores top 1-2% without prep). It took much longer than normal for my kid who reads a lot. Thinks that answers were not clearly obvious. Last years test had an unusual curve too ( though I think it was in math that time). Let’s hope the tests are consistent. I thought everyone taking the test on the same day, got the same test.
This was the feedback my daughter got from her peers - some kids couldn’t even finish the reading section. But, the reading on her test was not so difficult. At her school there were four versions of the test given.
My kid said it took a lot longer for the reading section (this is usually not the case). Said the math was a breeze. Only one tough one.
My kid only compared notes with a couple of kids, they all had a tough reading section. Less than 10 kids took the test ( only those who had scored top % last year as Sophomores). So that means if the top kids were having a hard time there might be a tough curve. have to wait and see.
Did your school give it to all students? Some? By what criteria?
The school allowed anyone who was interested to take the exam. She compared notes with about seven to eight other kids. Four test forms among them.
Thanks for posting about this. My daughter took the test yesterday and came home in tears saying it was so much harder than last year, specifically the reading. I’m not sure I follow all the particulars but appreciate the validation!
Interesting - my D took it yesterday and said it was fine. If there are multiple forms of quite different difficulty and she lucked out - good for her I guess, but disappointing from CB.
My daughter thought it was a reasonable exam as well. Others said the reading was super-difficult.
Just following up on this as it popped into my head as I was reviewing CB 2020 PSAT raw score conversion tables and r/PSAT “curves” (which are just raw score conversion tables).
CB published two different conversion tables for two different dates of the PSAT this year, and the collated r/PSAT data constructed tables for the other dates.
I don’t know if they’ve changed the process or it just wasn’t well documented in the past (more likely), but the issue of getting lucky or unlucky with test difficulty because there’s only one score conversion table does not appear to be accurate. Only publishing one conversion even though there were four specific tests, doesn’t mean they used the same conversion for all of them. If they didn’t release three of the tests, then they didn’t publish conversions for those three. But they most likely exist and are different/test-specific.