<p>My position has been very consistent. I have stated that since SAT1 math is so easy, there is really no difference in ability between 770 and 800. The difference between them can either attributed to luck (I even spend time doing mathematical modeling to show that luck can account for the scoring pattern for the near perfect scores) or someone is more careful. If it is luck, then it can change from day to day, and so there is variance.</p>
<p>So there is no disagreement on that front.</p>
<p>Now let us go to the issue of mindfulness. Many seem to think that you need to be careful on important matter, but can be careless on unimportant matter. Since 20-30 points in the SAT test is not important, then you need not be careful. Mindfulness is an attitude, you do it because you always try to do thing right. You try not to make mistake whether you are 1 point ahead or 30 points ahead. No coach would say since you are 30 points ahead you can be careless and make mistakes. It is not that a mistake would cost you the game at that point, but the coach don’t want you to have the wrong attitude.</p>
<p>Careless mistake are made precisely because someone thinks that it is not important and so he can put down the guard. When people throws cigarette butts out of the window, they do it because they think it is harmless other than more litter on the road. He certainly don’t think it is a life or death matter. 99.9999% of time it is true. However that is how some wild fire started.</p>
<p>So when a mindful person is taking the SAT test, he try to make sure he make no mistakes and get every problem right, not to gain the 30 points, but because it is his attitude to do thing right.</p>
<p>BTW, it is very unlikely a SAT1 math score of 770 is due to a single mistake.</p>