What do schools look at? Percentile or Score?

my understanding is that schools don't get the %-ages.... only the raw scores. For ex AA21, TS22, etc etc

I kinda know what your getting at, I wish they did too, my 21AA is 97.XX, too bad they ain't gonna see it

It's because the percentile changes all the time.

21 isn't always a 97 percentile, I think that is the highest I've ever heard for a 21.

sfoksn said:

It's because the percentile changes all the time.

21 isn't always a 97 percentile, I think that is the highest I've ever heard for a 21.

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well.... kinda....

its based on test versions. When I called ADA, the guy who answer really seemed to understand why %-ages are different between the same scores (example some 21s are 91% and some are 98%). What I gathered from him was that there are always MANY test versions floating around, he guessed around 50 different test versions floating around, but the major problem all tests have in common is that they are graded on a "semi-straight" curve (keyword = semi).... Meaning (for example) if you miss 5 questions from the biology, that automatically takes you to a 20 IRRESPECTIVE of what test version you have, if the 20 happens to be a top ranking score (like above 95%+) then it means this test version is a little skewed and needs re-adjusting so the system designates 6 wrong for a 20 (instead of 5).... BUT THE PROBLEM IS, many people took it at the older difficulty (so they missed 5, landed a 20, but was considered 95%).... eventually after many people took the same version, the system adjusts itself BUT NOT BY THAT MUCH.

there is way more he explained to me but I don't know how to put it in words....

Rainee said:

In other words, my friend got a hard exam. Got screwed. Should of gotten around a 22?

And the 97.8 was correct. He showed me his printout. -_-

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I wouldn't say "screwed" lol, a 21 is still very respectable score. And yeh I totally believe you, my 21 is 97.2%

But yeh, your buddy did get a "harder" version, he did better than 98% of people who took THAT same version of the test..... too bad adcoms don't see that fact

dentalWorks said:

well.... kinda....

its based on test versions. When I called ADA, the guy who answer really seemed to understand why %-ages are different between the same scores (example some 21s are 91% and some are 98%). What I gathered from him was that there are always MANY test versions floating around, he guessed around 50 different test versions floating around, but the major problem all tests have in common is that they are graded on a "semi-straight" curve (keyword = semi).... Meaning (for example) if you miss 5 questions from the biology, that automatically takes you to a 20 IRRESPECTIVE of what test version you have, if the 20 happens to be a top ranking score (like above 95%+) then it means this test version is a little skewed and needs re-adjusting so the system designates 6 wrong for a 20 (instead of 5).... BUT THE PROBLEM IS, many people took it at the older difficulty (so they missed 5, landed a 20, but was considered 95%).... eventually after many people took the same version, the system adjusts itself BUT NOT BY THAT MUCH.

there is way more he explained to me but I don't know how to put it in words....

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if ADA has 50 different test versions or whatever that guy said, do you think they can mix and match different sections like natural sciences, rc, and qr around? it would make for hundreds of different AA possibilities.

So my 23 AA, which was the 99.8th percentile, will not actually be judged as that? That actually pisses me off a great deal.

Erhatstil said:

if ADA has 50 different test versions or whatever that guy said, do you think they can mix and match different sections like natural sciences, rc, and qr around? it would make for hundreds of different AA possibilities.

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I have no idea really how they come up with "new" test versions. But he explained to me that every question (wheather it be from biology or GC or OC or math or whatever) usually is designated a "difficulty percentage".

here is what I mean (this is just an example), you have 40 biology questions, 10 of them will be of the 30%-70% types, meaning, those questions, usually 30%-70% of individuals score correct on that question. Then you have like another bunch, say 20 that usually 70%-80% people get them right (these are "easy" questions), then you have a set of like 5 or 6 questions that are of the 10% type (these are the hard ones) only 10% of people score correct on them..... This is just an example, not exactly the figures they use, but its how they determine what questions to put in a new test version.

He also told me, that after a few months or ever years, if the system sees a question where like only 5% of people are getting it right, then it means this question is too hard and needs to be taken out of the pool and either re-written or deleted out...... but that usually doesn't happen until a few thousand folks have been "screwed" over with it lol

Yeh most people don't know how the DAT is REALLY scored, its the most (IMO) messed up system ever

MikeSavona said:

So my 23 AA, which was the 99.8th percentile, will not actually be judged as that? That actually pisses me off a great deal.

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well... nothing to be upset about, a 23AA is truly a 99th type score its a very rare score and I think adcoms know that much at least when it comes to percentiles