SAT Scores

[zach]

Thought it would be interesting to see how the average MacRumors reader's SAT scores stacked up against the rest.. I'd be willing to bet quite higher.

But anyway, as the SAT scores are now out, post and discuss!

710 verbal
730 math
690 writing

I'm still a little shocked about my writing score... I managed to get 71 out of 80 right on the multiple choice (quite a bit better than I had on my PSATS) but only an 8 out of 12 on my essay. bummer.

but it's only my first time.

 

[kretzy]

How are they actually worked out/calculated? We don't really have anything like it here.

 

[zach]

How are they actually worked out/calculated? We don't really have anything like it here.

it's a multiple choice test with an essay.

i'm not sure of the exact number of questions, but the math score is out of 800, the verbal score is out of 800, and so is the writing section (including an essay out of 12, not a representation in the percentage of the writing score it is)

actually determining the scores is a lot more complex becasue it's not a percentage score, it's scored against the other tests.

 

[kretzy]

it's a multiple choice test with an essay.

i'm not sure of the exact number of questions, but the math score is out of 800, the verbal score is out of 800, and so is the writing section (including an essay out of 12, not a representation in the percentage of the writing score it is)

actually determining the scores is a lot more complex becasue it's not a percentage score, it's scored against the other tests.

Cool. You must be a pretty clever cookie then. At the end of high school here, we get a study score for each individual subject which are then used to calculate a ranking/percentage (ENTER score - equivalent national tertiary entrance rank) compared to all of the other students. The score is then used for university selection. I got an ENTER of 96.15, which I was very happy and surprised with, considering how much time I spent on other distractions (namely MR).

 

[Chundles]

Cool. You must be a pretty clever cookie then. At the end of high school here, we get a study score for each individual subject which are then used to calculate a ranking/percentage (ENTER score - equivalent national tertiary entrance rank) compared to all of the other students. The score is then used for university selection. I got an ENTER of 96.15, which I was very happy and surprised with, considering how much time I spent on other distractions (namely MR).

In NSW it's roughly the same system. 25% internal assesment, 25% internal trial exams, 50% external exams in each of your chosen subjects.

So instead of "writing" "maths" and "verbal" I had:
2 English (2 Unit Related - basically top level english) exams.
1 English (3 Unit - even topper level after school english with coffee and bickies) exam.
1 Maths (2 Unit - regular level) exam.
1 Maths (3 Unit - top level but not after school level) exam.
1 Physics exam
1 Chemistry exam
1 Business (2 Unit - regular level) exam.
1 Business (3 Unit - after school with cake and chips) exam.
1 Religious Education (1 Unit - Mickey Mouse RE, it was compulsory, Catholic school)

Of these 14 units of study (1 unit = some number of hours in class a week) the Board of Studies take my top 10 units of results and use that to calculate via voodoo and ouija boards, my final rank against the 65,000 other NSW students doing year 12 at the same time. The result ranks you with the assumption that all subjects are of an equal standard so some subjects are moved up and down and your performance ranked against others in your class to get a number with some sort of meaning.

That final number, the Universities Admissions Index or UAI is your rank out of the 65,000 other year 12 school leavers in the state. I got 96.00 meaning I was in the top 4%. Marks are distributed from a red dot (below 30.00) to 100.00 in increments of 0.05.

We apply for universitiy by entering a course code number (up to 9 different courses - they can be at any Uni in the state. If we want to go interstate we apply with that state's equivalent website) in our order of preference on the official web site. When the UAI is released, Universities fill their courses from the top marks down. We don't have to apply in writing to any Unis - entry is all marks based (except of course for creative degrees).

Law and Medicine often have the most applicants and as such the highest requirements. Medicine often shows a 99.7 UAI cut-off and Law is normally 95+. Yes, we can go into Law and Medicine right out of school.

Those marks seem really good, congrats. Where are you going from here?

EDIT - I finished high school (didn't graduate as we don't consider finishing high school "graduating") in 2000. The rankings have changed a little as has the syllabus but I think they're still channeling the same dark lord to figure out the UAI.

 

[Buschmaster]

I took the ACT here... Isn't the SAT basically just used on the coasts? Here in Minnesota we're pretty much 100% ACT, I don't even know where you'd go to take the SAT. Anyways, I got a 25 composite on my ACT (Average is 20 I do believe) and a 31/36 and 9/12 on my writing, not sure of the averages on those, but from what I heard from my friends I must be a fair writer... or I was just lucky.

Isn't it true that you get like 300 points just for getting all of your name, address, assorted information true on the SAT?

 

[floriflee]

It's not going to be an apples to apples comparison because I'm betting that there are a fair amount of US MR members that took the SATs before either the readjustments of scoring (I think that happened around '95 or '96) and the institution of the essays. When I took it I know the max score you could get was 1600. I don't remember what my scores were (that was over 10 years ago)--and especially don't remember the breakdown--but they were somewhere above average. I think my ACTs were around 32 or something.

 

[kretzy]

Yeah, it is pretty similar. Each subject has about 50% internal and 50% external assessment. Once you get a study score out of 50 for a subject, it is then moderated in comparison to the rest of the students taking the subject. This is what I got for example:

English 41, 40.39 (moderated)
German 34, 44
Ukrainian 42, 47
Chemistry 33, 38
Maths Methods 30 , 37
History Revolutions, 39, 42.

The top four score are then added together, along with 10% of the next two scores. This gives an aggregate score which is then used to rank people in the same way as Chundles described. I beat you by .15

What do you plan on doing zach?

 

[zach]

It's not going to be an apples to apples comparison because I'm betting that there are a fair amount of US MR members that took the SATs before either the readjustments of scoring (I think that happened around '95 or '96) and the institution of the essays. When I took it I know the max score you could get was 1600. I don't remember what my scores were (that was over 10 years ago)--and especially don't remember the breakdown--but they were somewhere above average. I think my ACTs were around 32 or something.

still the exact same score when you add only the math and verbal.

in fact, most colleges don't even look at the writing.

 

[kretzy]

in fact, most colleges don't even look at the writing.

Really, that seems a bit odd. I would have thought writing would be the most important.

 

[floriflee]

still the exact same score when you add only the math and verbal.

True, but they have still readjusted the scoring in the last 10-15 years. I vaguely remember getting information on the new score adjustments sometime before taking the test. I'm not sure how many of us here took the test before the readjustment, but I'd venture to guess that there are a few.

I took the ACT here... Isn't the SAT basically just used on the coasts? Here in Minnesota we're pretty much 100% ACT, I don't even know where you'd go to take the SAT.

I think you're right. I remember only having to submit SAT scores to the universities on the coasts--a fair amount required SAT II scores, as well. The ACTs were required for all the inland universities.

 

[Melkor]

I can't believe it's a multiple choice exam. Sounds way too easy.

 

[kretzy]

I can't believe it's a multiple choice exam. Sounds way too easy.

Multiple choice isn't always as easy as it sounds. Granted, you can usually eliminate a few of the answers, but the remainder will be answers that the examiners know will appeal to students because they look right, or a common wrong answer due to incorrect methodology.

 

[ezkimo]

still the exact same score when you add only the math and verbal.

in fact, most colleges don't even look at the writing.

Actually the verbal and math portions of the old and new SAT are similar but not the same. The new ones don't have analogies and the passages for critical reading are both long and short. The questions also differ in the number of question at a certain level of difficulty. Comparing the old and new isn't exactly accurate, but not so far off either.

 

[floriflee]

Actually the old and new SAT are similar but not the same. The new ones don't have analogies and the passages for critical reading are both long and short. The questions also differ in the number of question at a certain level of difficulty. Comparing the old and new isn't exactly accurate, but not so far off either.

Eww... analogies... still makes me shudder....

 

[GoCubsGo]

Thought it would be interesting to see how the average MacRumors reader's SAT scores stacked up against the rest.. I'd be willing to bet quite higher.

But anyway, as the SAT scores are now out, post and discuss!

710 verbal
730 math
690 writing

I'm still a little shocked about my writing score... I managed to get 71 out of 80 right on the multiple choice (quite a bit better than I had on my PSATS) but only an 8 out of 12 on my essay. bummer.

but it's only my first time.

That is great! You did very well. When I was in HS we didn't have the verbal part. I think verbal is so important, that I wish they would have tested us on that. Anyway, you did a great job. If you have semi decent grades you should be able to write your own ticket into most colleges.

 

[jelloshotsrule]

sat's are a joke.

the question is, how long will it take you before you realize college is not just 4 more years of high school?

 

[jdechko]

I got a 1330 on my SAT when I took it.

680 on Math
650 on Verbal

There was no writing required.

the question is, how long will it take you before you realize college is not just 4 more years of high school?

About 30 seconds at orientation. I went to a really small High School (24 in my senior class), but I went to Georgia Tech which had about 15,000 students in undergrad in 2000. When I really realized it, though was 3 weeks into chemistry, when we had covered everything I learned in HS chem and went on to stuff I'd never seen before.

 

[ziwi]

Does anyone know if the 'New' SAT is comparable to the old SAT? I know that the new one includes a new section, but could one compare a score on an SAT from 2005 to one in 1985? WOuld it be the same scale or is it totally different now?

 

[floriflee]

Does anyone know if the 'New' SAT is comparable to the old SAT? I know that the new one includes a new section, but could one compare a score on an SAT from 2005 to one in 1985? WOuld it be the same scale or is it totally different now?

Well, in addition to the removal and addition of different sections they also changed the scale and scoring (prior to the removal and additions). I'm not sure how significantly that would make the numbers change between 1985 and now, though, but the numbers today seem to be at least slightly inflated from what they would be 20 years ago.

 

[zelmo]

Nice scores, Zach.

I took my SAT's back in 1978 as a HS junior, scoring 660 in Math and 600 in English, for a 1260. IIRC, the national average back then was a hair over 900 combined, and scores over 1400 were almost unheard of (at least, in my group of friends).

By the time I started prepping for my SAT's I'd already realized I wasn't going to college, so I didn't really take them too seriously. On one hand, that knowledge probably allowed me to relax during the test. OTOH, I sure didn't study too diligently.

 

[nbs2]

Really, that seems a bit odd. I would have thought writing would be the most important.

They tend to ignore writing (this is a guess - after my day) for the same reason that law schools ignore the writing sample on the LSAT (law school test - i did do this) - they can't control the question. If I rememebr other postings right, you don't "apply" in Australia. Here, we do - and essays are always on there.

I can't remember what I got on the SAT or ACT. All I knwo is I couldn't be bothered to retake either, and I did well enough that they compensated for a 2.6 GPA. Oh, and I remember being pleasantly surprised b/c I actually fell asleep during the ACT and they didn't wake me up. I lost about 5-10 min during one of the english-type ACT sections.

As to floriflee's point, scores have inflated, but I think that (and a general update) was the reason for the reevaluation of the testing method. I knwo that the 1995 rescoring shift was due to declining scores. Much like the real world, 98% was decalred good enough for perfection.

 

[OutThere]

sat's are a joke.

the question is, how long will it take you before you realize college is not just 4 more years of high school?

Agreed completely.

SATs are the biggest ******** ever...though I didn't have much of a choice about taking them. Took the latest rendition of the SAT about a year ago (I think?) and had 740v, 730w, 660m.

Once you realize that the college experience will be basically the same anywhere you go, none of it really matters any more.

SATs don't mean anything at all. Honestly, they're a huge waste of time. If only they weren't required by every college I applied to.

 

[Timepass]

I think I got like a 1060 on mine.
I want to say it was a 640 in math
and a 420 in writing.
But also that was over 5 years ago for me and I honestly dont care about them. Went to a Jr college for 2 years before I transfered. Got a top transfer scolarship from Tech. After 30 hours college dont even care about you ACT SAT or high school any more. They dont matter.

SAT and ACT are massively over rated in how they are used. Very stupided and worthless test. In the long run they mean noughting. I have not seen any real value bettween different scores and how they do in college.

 

[emw]

I sure didn't study too diligently.

People study for these things? I guess there are prep classes and stuff, but I never thought about studying for them. I took my SAT back in the 80's. 86 maybe? In any case, I can't remember what I got - I guess it wasn't that important.

When I was picking a college, the ACT score seemed to be more important. That and your GPA.