Grades

[beavis]

The SAT is a standardized test that is given to millions of high school students throughout the world each year. It is composed of a little less than a hundred questions in both multiple choice and open ended format and is curved depending on the distribution of scores. The scores are then compiled and released in two weeks. The exam is released to the public a little later.

The SOA exam is a standardized test that is given to about a thousand college age students year. It is composed of 40 multiple choice questions that can be scored by a retarded Apple IIe. The scores are released in about three months and the test may never be released because it is too "difficult" to think of another way of testing Bayes' theorem.

[Mr. BoH]

I don't think the SAT is graded on a curve.

[ZamboniGuy]

I don't think the SAT is graded on a curve.

I'm pretty sure it is. It's the only way scores can be considered meaningful from exam to exam.

[Avi]

It's been a while since I took them, it was before the change. But back then I think you both are correct. You got a score which may or may not have been curved, but what the colleges were interested in was your percentile rank, not just your score. I think they switched the system in the early '90s though. Do you still get a score and a percentile rank?

[VernSchil]

The SATs are curved, although since the test population is so huge and the exams are almost always of equal difficulty, the curve is usually barely noticable. Your National and State percentile is given, at least it was when I took the tests from 1997-1998. A score of 800 in math or verbal is always in the 99th percentile, 650 is usually around 90th, and 500 is 50th. When I took the test in Oct 1998, the math section was particularly difficult that sitting as getting 2 questions wrong still scored an 800. In prior sittings, 2 incorrect math questions would drop your score down to a 780 or 770.

[jlf]

It takes 6-8 weeks to get SAT scores back.

[Soe-Krates]

Obviously it's not difficult to grade a scantron formatted test. A monkey can place the documents into a grading machine. But it takes a smarter monkey to understand why a question is right or wrong or if a question is even valid. You might ask, why doesn't the "test task force" make sure questions are validated before a test is released? Well, I think they do. However, as I'm sure you can attest to after sitting for an exam, some of the questions are extremely difficult and someone who might be extremely smart or creative may have a different angle on a question than a test maker did and raise questions of gray area and ambiguity. So before the results are made public the slate must be clean. In addition, as you probably have surmised, the test is graded on a curve and I'm sure the powers that be must get together to decide of course on the passing grade relative to perceived test difficulty, the # of testers and how many they want to pass and forward as potentials in the actuarial society. Pardon my rambling but I must make one more point. Though, I would prefer to have accessability to all past tests, they have stopped doing this recently for at least couple of reasons that I can think of. 1. To put a control on people taking test answers out of the test room. They do not want people to gain a foothold on how they grade the test and curve for a passing grade. That may not be very fair but if you do well on test you will pass. It may cause more worry if you are on the fence of passing but it really is a competition. :o 2. Yes, it is difficult to think of 10 different ways to challenge somebody with a bayes theorem question. I really don't think the SOA or CAS are being lazy. You have to pay people to make difficult questions and really, the past test s that are accessable should be sufficient for studying and passing an exam. I passed the May 2002 exam 1 by studying the accessable exams for 4 weeks out from the test date. I scored a 7. Pardon my long wind. Work is slow and I'm killing time for Friday :wink:

[Pi Man]

A monkey can place the documents into a grading machine
so you've actually SEEN the SOA exam staff? :D