845something
5-Year Member
- Joined
- Feb 22, 2013
- Messages
- 738
As you imagine how to superscore between tests, ask yourself what to put in for the science section of the SAT. Let's say you scored a 27 on the English section of the SAT which equates to the 85th percentile. What would that equal for the SAT - a 62o (84th percentile), a 625 or a 630 (86th percentile). If you scored a 760 (99th percentile), should you get credit for a 35 or a 36 (both 99th percentile). If you scored a 36, would you think it is fair that someone scoring a 760 or a 35 got the same points as you?
The short of it is that trying to produce an algorithm that distributes points based on scores that differ by a magnitude of 10 is complicated and will always lead to discrepancies in outcomes.
The real question is, does it matter? If you had a 620 on the SAT, do you think that a 27 ACT will help you that much considering both are below average? Keep mind, all these tests are normalized/calibrated to ensure that you score within a few points of your score every time unless you drastically alter some input. While you generally will test better with one of the tests, there are few instances that it should vary significantly within the tests (eg high SAT Verbal and ACT math with a corresponding low SAT math and high ACT English) that super scoring between the tests would really help. And even if it did, it would more likely be dumb luck than any specific testing strategy (like the OPs hypothetical 800).
What you should do (a real testing strategy to take advantage of super scoring):
1) take both tests early (spring of your junior year)
2) ask your RC which is better (if it is not obvious)
3) study that test for the summer so that you are highly comfortable in how it is administered and scored (how can you win if you don't know the rules and how to score)
4) retake the first fall test
5) retest as necessary through the file completion deadline
http://www.actstudent.org/scores/norms1.html
https://secure-media.collegeboard.o...tile-ranks-crit-reading-math-writing-2014.pdf
The short of it is that trying to produce an algorithm that distributes points based on scores that differ by a magnitude of 10 is complicated and will always lead to discrepancies in outcomes.
The real question is, does it matter? If you had a 620 on the SAT, do you think that a 27 ACT will help you that much considering both are below average? Keep mind, all these tests are normalized/calibrated to ensure that you score within a few points of your score every time unless you drastically alter some input. While you generally will test better with one of the tests, there are few instances that it should vary significantly within the tests (eg high SAT Verbal and ACT math with a corresponding low SAT math and high ACT English) that super scoring between the tests would really help. And even if it did, it would more likely be dumb luck than any specific testing strategy (like the OPs hypothetical 800).
What you should do (a real testing strategy to take advantage of super scoring):
1) take both tests early (spring of your junior year)
2) ask your RC which is better (if it is not obvious)
3) study that test for the summer so that you are highly comfortable in how it is administered and scored (how can you win if you don't know the rules and how to score)
4) retake the first fall test
5) retest as necessary through the file completion deadline
http://www.actstudent.org/scores/norms1.html
https://secure-media.collegeboard.o...tile-ranks-crit-reading-math-writing-2014.pdf
