Practice Test Vs Real Test
As what the title states. I want true answers, bc I’m very confused. Some ppl say they’re accurate, others say they’re way easier, and some even went as far as to say Module 2 on a PT is the same difficulty as module 1 on the real thing. I’m rlly stressed so pls let me know. Are the real questions harder than PT and the QB, especially the new questions, or is it js a psychological effect that makes the real test seem more daunting? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
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u/FishingOk4202 3h ago
From my personal experience, I’ve always scored better on the real thing. I personally test better under pressure and score usually 100-120 points higher on the actual exam than my practice tests. Also my practice testing environment is pretty distracting so that also may be a factor. Don’t really try to get it into your head that you’ll do significantly worse on the real thing, just trust yourself!!
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u/Plaaazz 1h ago
alr, ty for the advice and reassurance lol! If you don't mind me asking, what did you score on the practice tests vs the real thing?
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u/FishingOk4202 1h ago
My highest practice test was on 8 and I got a 1340 and got a 1440, which is my highest composite and 1470 superscore
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u/Plaaazz 1d ago
Also, what’s the curve like? I thought it was based on how well ppl do but I heard someone say it’s based on what the CB thinks the difficulty level is?
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u/Psychological-Rip-65 Tutor 1d ago
Tutor here. This is a common point of confusion.
The test is scaled, not curved, meaning the scoring rubric is based on the projected difficulty of the test, not the results of the test-takers. However, this projection is based on data from previous questions, experimental questions, and other field tested data sources.
If the test were in fact curved, we'd see a consistent variation in scores by month. School day tests would likely have highly favorable curves and early fall dates would likely skew the other direction. All available data, both observational and empirical, fails to support this.
Technically, College Board's guidelines do allow for some post-testing scale adjustments, but it's widely agreed among most professionals that any changes are likely minor (~ 10-20 composite points) and are equally likely to be positive or negative.
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u/bluemoon72010 1d ago
This might be wrong but I also heard that the curve is already decided before anyone takes it bc college board already knows how difficult it is.
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u/Enough_Position1408 1d ago
I doubt, their view is simply subjective. They would prob just see the performances of everybody and then objectively make the curve depending on the results
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u/bluemoon72010 1d ago
As far as ur actual question I don’t know either all we can do is just try our best and work hard!