Can someone explain the percentiles?

[FuturePharmD81]

Okay so i know thats how schools determine how well you did, but how are they actually caculated? because i seen someone get 2 points higher then me and have a compleatly greater percentile! like 6% difference. So is it based on the people who took the test the same time as you, or overall everyone who took the test before?

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[Notecard]

It's based on a lot of things but this particular difference is probably from the difficulty level of the two tests. The other person's test was probably determined to be slightly more difficult than yours so the extra two points carry more weight in a percentile score.

 

[FuturePharmD81]

It's based on a lot of things but this particular difference is probably from the difficulty level of the two tests. The other person's test was probably determined to be slightly more difficult than yours so the extra two points carry more weight in a percentile score.

oh okay so its based on the people who took the same test as you, the same time?

 

[ws0013]

No, you are not being compared to other people who took the test on the same date as you. Your percentile rank scores are based on a group of first-time examinees who took the test between October 2004 and May 2007. The large jump in percentage is attributed to how high both you and your friend scored. If you made a 435 and ranked 85%, but your friend scored a 437 and ranked 90%, it is due to a bell-curve effect. As the percentages get higher, you will need to answer less questions correctly to achieve a higher percentage.

For example, if the "average" is around 70% you will need to answer more questions correctly (let's say 8 questions) to move from a 70% to a 75% than you will to move from a 90% to a 95% (in this case, maybe 2 or 3 questions) because there is less competition as you move up the percent scale.

 

[iBeast]

No, you are not being compared to other people who took the test on the same date as you. Your percentile rank scores are based on a group of first-time examinees who took the test between October 2004 and May 2007. The large jump in percentage is attributed to how high both you and your friend scored. If you made a 435 and ranked 85%, but your friend scored a 437 and ranked 90%, it is due to a bell-curve effect. As the percentages get higher, you will need to answer less questions correctly to achieve a higher percentage.

For example, if the "average" is around 70% you will need to answer more questions correctly (let's say 8 questions) to move from a 70% to a 75% than you will to move from a 90% to a 95% (in this case, maybe 2 or 3 questions) because there is less competition as you move up the percent scale.

But we're in 2010??

 

[Kristen1721]

But we're in 2010??

ws0013 is correct. it may not seem fair, but that's how the test is scored

 

[iBeast]

But why October 2004 to May 2007? What is so special about that time cycle? Is that when the scores of the first time test takers is at its peak?