Quite simply, no. Discrepant scores can be the result of so many things, from getting ill to mis-bubbling. The schools are more interested in how well you can do, not in what happened on a bad day.
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But with 2 tests how can you say one is a bad day vs the norm and one wasnât a lucky day? If both tests show high verbal and reading scores, then you could say with a fair amount of certainly that the knowledge is there. But if a section has a fair amount of discrepancy between scores, how can you say either show actual level knowledge, and which one shows is a true portrayal of that knowledge? As I said, cramming for a month and doing well for one day means nothing if you donât retain that information. You canât see retainment of knowledge in a single test. The information is about as useless as drawing names out of a hat. Great so, letâs say he scores a 70 or even a 75 on the math after memorizing a bunch of things for the test day. He gets into a program he wants and they expect him to have this knowledge of math at a level that he showed on this one Saturday in December but because he stuck what he read into his short term memory, he doesnât have a clue when heâs thrown into some higher than his level math class come Fall. A single good test score has little context on its own and pairing that with a poor test score from a different day but same exam makes even less sense. By your method, if he all of a sudden scores lower the second time in verbal, does that mean he know doesnât know as much as he did a month prior? Is the kid suffering from amnesia? Is he incapable of focusing on many things at one time, the first time verbal and the second time math? One fabulous test score doesnât make a kid a genius just as one poor test score doesnât make a kid incompetent (not saying you said that btw).
Most (if not all) schools will do a math and foreign language placement test of their own in the spring or summer to see where a student should be their first year and there is often movement between courses in the first couple of weeks even after that test. They will not utilize the SSAT for math placement.
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And when the info that he showed mastery of, with a moment in time SSAT score, but only had in short term memory in order to do well on the SSAT shows up on this placement test and he canât actually do it, what exactly is the meaning behind the SSAT score then? So he bucked the system with a âgreatâ single moment score on the SSAT which actually said very little of his true understanding of math. For the person above claiming that an improvement between 2 score dates shows he knows the stuff, my point is, it shows nothing when there is no proof the material is actually retained past the moment of the SSAT.
Edited out.
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You seem fixated on the veracity of the bad score over the good one. Do you think your Dâs excellent score in the other categories is a sham? Even if she doesnât repeat them exactly, my hunch is that you know she is strong in reading.
I suppose itâs possible for a kid to guess right when they know nothing and luck their way into a good score, but itâs unlikely. Think of it more like a qualifying time for a swim meet. Even after swimming the qualifying time, you may not achieve the time again consistently, but the fact that you have done it once shows you are capable of it.
As for your Dâs score in math, itâs possible that if she were to retake without prep, sheâd do better because sheâs more familiar with the format, because she mis-bubbled the first time, because the math sections were presented when she was more alert, or because she has been introduced to more concepts at school. If she does some prep, especially with someone who can help her understand more of the math concepts, she might do significantly better. I would recommend that.
Schools - and colleges with the SAT and ACT- are used to seeing more than one test. They know that it is harder to get a fluky high score than to bomb a section, and they have had decades to see how kids with different application profiles perform in their programs.
They have never relied solely on the tests, and many feel that they can assess an applicantâs readiness without a test, which is why they can be TO. They also believe that if YOU feel your test is representative of your ability that they can use that information as well. The field of test-takers is strong, so sheâs in the middle of it.
In some ways, this is a question for you. How do you and your D feel about her math score? Is it a good representation of her ability/preparation? If you feel like she isnât a strong math student, pick schools that offer a number of tracks, including those for kids who may need more support to succeed. If you feel like sheâs good at math but hasnât been well prepared at her current school, pick schools that will allow her to accelerate and make up that gap without summer sessions. Your math placement will be based on the school 's test, and they will almost certainly make it easy to move up or down if itâs wrong, so thereâs nothing at stake here on that front.
While itâs hard to believe it when you are an applicant, the schools are in business to help the kids flourish, and they are going to admit the ones they think will thrive there. You may have gotten some good information here as to how you can help your D find the right place to do that. If you feel this is an accurate picture, whether you submit or not, I would pick schools where your D will get what she needs to be her best.
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Also, the ssat math just isnât that advanced. Itâs barely cram worthy and mostly algebra 1. So almost any highschool math course/extra help center can help a kid who is missing some math pieces.