Glanbia

Just got the scores from the Nov 10 test:

Verbal: 764 (90%)
Math: 767 (81%)
Reading: 782 (99%)
Total: 2313 (97%)

Math was weird, only a couple questions wrong and score was pulled down to 81%. Any thoughts on this? Would you consider this a good score for top schools? Total is above avg for those schools but I'm not sure what to think of Math.

SevenDad

@Glanbia: Note the post in this thread about scaling. If you took a Math form that was on the "easy" side, then any questions wrong will hurt you worse in terms of scores/percentiles.

Glanbia

thanks. in that case, reading and verbal must have been on the "harder" side for the average to come out of this with a relatively good total. at least making more mistakes on the "easy" section and fewer on the "hard"one should count for something! do you think it's a good enough score overall?

SevenDad

I would say that for the most selective schools, your math is borderline. We were told at two of the CHADES schools something like "Anything from the high 80s up makes the scores a non-issue."

But then again, keep in mind that scores are just one part of the equation and your overall -ile is strong. If you were my kid, I'd say "Don't stress."

SharingGift

Percentile scores are affected by your grade and gender group. Are you 9th grade?

Glanbia

9th grade boy, trying to decided if to take it again in December.
I got only a few questions wrong so it may be the same situation on another test

smiley66

I just checked my scores and I got a 66%. :/ My math really brought me down...

Glanbia

This was a freaky Math section, I had 4 wrongs and 3 omits out of 50 questions, and was brought down to 81%. Either easy test or super smart test takers this time :-) I wonder if the schools pay attention to such particular test dynamics?

SharingGift

@Glanbia,
According the official prep book, math raw score-to-percentile conversion is like this: 50-99%; 45-96%; 40-87%; 35-75%; 30-61%; 25-45%; etc. Since you had a raw score of 42, you could have gotten a percentile score between 87 and 96%, most likely ~90%.

The reason your percentile score was lower than 90% might be your grade. By 9th grade, many more students are familiar with algebra and geometry questions, which count for two thirds of SSAT math. So the percentile mean for the 9th grade might be significantly skewed toward 700 than 650. If you believe you had a bad day, then by answering a few more questions correctly, you might be able to achieve >90%.

Good luck!

beeba13

so looked at my score. and i did worse than i thought. what do you think is considered a bad score? and i had already picked what school its going to so, do they automatically get the score? or can i take the december test?

girlgeekmom

If you already added the school to your notification list and did not cancel it during the window for such action before the scores came out, yes, it will go to the school. AND you can take the December test. You can wait until the score is in for December in order to decide whether to send it. I don't think there is a fee as long as it is all done online.

I don't know if you take the December test and *don't* send the score (if, for example, it turns out LOWER than your November test), whether SSATB reports the fact that you took multiple tests "after the fact." Perhaps another poster will have greater insight.

Glanbia

@SharingGift and others
What is your opinion on this? I got all the Algebra, geo questions right, all my mistakes were in the numbering section. I must have made some stupid calculation mistakes. Part of me wants to take the test again to bring my score above 90% but I am worried that I can mess up my reading/verbal which was so high it brought me to the 97% total. So, I'd rather not do another test. I'm good in Math and the mistakes on the numbering section mean nothing in my mind as to my math ability. Just a bad day, stupid mistakes. Won't the schools see through this? Or is it "life is tough, deal with it"? :-) Still deciding what to do about December test....

paobs12

Glanbia, I think your scores are enviable. You can always take the December test, but at a 97% overall score, you are well qualified for any school that you choose to apply to. Backed up by what I am certain are great grades, you make a wonderful candidate. Best of luck!

girlgeekmom

Glanbia, like Beeba, I would say there is always the option to take the December test, but I don't know if you can "deselect" schools receiving scores in the event your score ends up lower.

As for paobs' comment about your candidacy, I'd take it with a grain of salt. The overwhelming majority of candidates to more selective schools have high test scores and excellent grades. These provide no indication of how "wonderful" a candidate you would make. Which is also not to say that you *wouldn't* make a wonderful candidate.

The point I'm trying to make is that the CC boards are not necessarily the *best* place to determine your candidacy or where you might stand in admissions rankings. For general guidelines and/or reassurance, sure. Just don't take the word of any one poster as gospel ;-)

beeba13

thanks! it was the math section that really killed my score. There was a lot of stuff I didn't recognize.