<p>Hi, I'm currently a male in Grade 9 and took my SSAT on Dec. 8th. My total score was 2130 but I was surprised to find that the percentile was only 68. Is this normal? Please help! Thanks.</p>
<p>Are you confusing percenTAGE with percenTILE? </p>
<p>2130/2400 = 89 percenTAGE</p>
<p>68 percenTILE means you got a higher score than 68 percent of the kids who took the test. The highest percenTILE possible is 99.</p>
<p>sorry, i meant percentile.</p>
<p>If u do mean percenTILE, then I am confused about what you are trying to ask</p>
<p>He is probably shocked that a score of more than 2100 is only the 68% tile ! As I have indicated on previous posts, the SSAT is a flawed exam. Unlike the SAT, the SSAT supposedly grades you on your peer group ( that’s the percentile not the absolute grade). That seemingly fair way of scoring is actually unfair. Reason is that some students in your grade ( referred to as peer group) could have as much as two years more math or other subjects which throws off your percentile score. What should be done is that eighth graders should only be permitted to answer questions that an eighth grader should have been exposed to ( and that should be carried through for all grade levels) Its like getting extra credit and that counts against those students not exposed to the material. Any other more advanced questions that the student may have been exposed to or have knowledge of should not count. By the time the SAT is taken most if not all 11th and 12th grade students have been exposed to all of the material on the exam and hence the percentile is not skewed inaccurately. an</p>
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<p>Do they look at the national percentile or the ssat percentile? I got high on national, but like 70’s on ssat? Help!</p>
<p>2017hofferberb- they only look at the SSAT percentile. The national percentile is only ‘hypothetical’- they explain that this is what your percentage would likely have been if the test were taken nationally by ALL 8th graders. The fact is that the SSATs are taken by a small and highly competitive group applying to highly competitive independent schools. Your scores are going to be lower than you are probably used to receiving on national standardized tests- that was the case for my DS. Don’t fret too much- its just one sliver of the pie!</p>
<p>However a very important sliver since most competitive ( if not all) boarding place a great value on your performance. I believe they do cut some slack (10% perhaps at most off their average) to the SSAT scores of students in this country who are otherwise strong candidates from public schools. Do not, however, discount the weight that an admissions committee places on this very important exam since in their eyes, the exam serves to level the playing field.</p>