

Some exams have more generous Math scales and harder English scales. It’s also important to remember that the test is broken up between both Math and English sections. Other SATs might be scaled more generously, but only because they have harder questions that the designers of the test expect students to struggle with. Some SATs might have to equate scales that allow students fewer wrong answers to get their desired score but with easier questions. What Makes Some SAT Practice Tests Harder Than Others?

No matter how other students perform on the test, you’ll still get the same score! Curving is a retroactive process that adjusts an individual student’s performance based on the performance of other students on the same test.Įquating standards (the conversion table of right/wrong answers to score) is designed with the test itself, and does not change based on student performance on the exam. It’s important to remember that equating is not the same thing as curving.

But for the May 2021 SAT, students who missed one question on the reading section could still get a perfect score! Is Equating The Same As Curving? The variations between tests are not big, so it’s important to remember that your score will always fall in a similar range for a given number of wrong answers.įor example, if you wanted to get a perfect score on the 2021 April SAT, you would have needed to get every answer correct on all sections. This involves adjusting the score a student receives for getting a certain number of incorrect answers. The College Board uses what it calls “Equating” to adjust for different difficulty levels between exams. Read more to find out what equating does and to see which College Board practice test is the hardest. When it comes to the real thing, this also leads to a host of follow-up questions: what if my SAT is harder than usual? Will it hurt my chances of getting a good score? How do they make sure the test is fair?ĭon’t worry - the College Board makes sure all of their SAT exams, whether it’s the October exam or the May exam, are as fair as possible for all test takers by equating scores. When you’re preparing for the SAT, taking advantage of every single resource you have is key, especially when the College Board is releasing official practice tests.īut, just like with the real SAT, you might wonder if one practice exam is going to be harder than the other.

These tests present the opportunity to simulate what it will be like to take the SAT on test day, and will also allow you to calculate your score to see where you are relative to your goals. There are 8 free practice SAT exams offered through the College Board’s official website. Finding The Hardest SAT Practice Test And Why It Matters
