<p>I have been through many threads where people have studied their a** off and gotten a really high score on their CB practice tests. The problem is, some will get a score about 200 points lower than what they got on their practice tests from College Board itself. If one cannot count on those tests to show your ability, how can anyone muster the courage to do well on the real thing? Why do some people score significantly lower on the real thing? I’m planning to take the October SAT, and have been studying, so I wanted to know how to avoid such a dilemma. </p>
<p>Really? I haven’t seen those posts where people are reporting actual scores being 200 points less than their CB test scores.</p>
<p>The way to avoid the dilemma, though, is to do exactly what you’re doing…practice for the SAT. Studying this far out, though, unless you’re scoring really low, might burn you out. If you’re far enough along, why don’t you take it in June?</p>
<p>post #8, sorry for using your post w/o asking tux08902</p>
<p>My real question is, can the practice tests guarantee you around the same score come test day? Also, how do you avoid factors that might make you score lower, like what to do the night before, and what to do on test day?</p>
<p>For what it’s worth, I scored a few hundred points higher. I do feel things like the Question of the Day are far, far too easy. The more you do practice questions, the more likely you are to run into the things you will see on the test.</p>
<p>The tests in the CB blue book are actual tests that have been released and put in a book.</p>
<p>The standard error of measurement for each section of the SAT is 32 or so, meaning your “true” score on any given part may be up to 30 points higher or lower than your “tested” score, or up to 120 points higher or lower when you add all three together.</p>
<p>So, anyone who guarantees the same score from a practice test to a real test (different circumstances between the two, by the way) doesn’t understand the scores.</p>