PCAT Scores Question

[nparikh84]

Does anyone here know if there is any type of a curve or norming of the PCAT? If you do, do you know the breakdown of how it is curved or normed, and specifically do you have any details on how this will be applied to the October 23, 2004 PCAT?

Oh yeah, has anyone recieved their October 23, 2004 PCAT scores yet??

--Thanks

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[goheel]

haven't got mine yet.

 

[jellopie]

nope didn't get mine either

 

[Betty'sBeast]

Does anyone here know if there is any type of a curve or norming of the PCAT? If you do, do you know the breakdown of how it is curved or normed, and specifically do you have any details on how this will be applied to the October 23, 2004 PCAT?

Oh yeah, has anyone recieved their October 23, 2004 PCAT scores yet??

--Thanks

Yes it is scaled/curved whatever you want to call it. No, I haven't received my PCAT scores from the Oct 23 test yet either.

This is from the company that develops, administers, and scores the PCAT.
According to the Harcourt website:
"Different forms of any test may vary somewhat in difficulty. Because of the differences in difficulty between different forms of the PCAT, the same raw scores on different forms are not necessarily equivalent. Using the statistical process of equating, it is possible to express scores in comparable terms across different forms of the test. Scaled scores are used for this purpose. The scale used for the PCAT ranges from 200 to 600, with a median of 400 (i.e., a scaled score of 400 corresponds to the 50th percentile).

In addition to scaled scores, your Score Report will list five subtest percentile scores and a Composite percentile score. The percentile score shown on your Score Report indicates the percentage of PCAT examinees that made up the norm group--all first-time examinees who took the test between October 1998 and March 2003--with scaled scores equal to or lower than yours. For example, an examinee who earns a Composite percentile score of 70 scored equal to or higher than 70% of the examinees from the norm group on the test as a whole."

Hope this helps.

 

[lynzee]

The scoring system still doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Perhaps it is because I know very little about statistics... Nevertheless, wouldn't it seem more reasonable to calculate the scores using the same tests verses using the scores from tests that had little to no comperable material? It will be interesting to see how the scores turn out. I just hope I don't have to take the PCAT again in January!

 

[OSURxgirl]

Scores are given in percentiles. If you get say a 97 composite, it means you performed better than 97% of the people taking the exam. Higher percentile means a better score. My school's average is now up to an 87.

 

[lgooden]

I called the PCAT cust serv people today and was told that the scores will be mailed out today from San Antonio, TX. Too, bad about the holiday and weekend slowing the mail down. I live all the way up in Ohio, so who knows how long that'll take. I've been so anxious to see how I did. I saw in another post on here that someone already said they got their score of 400 something and I was wondering how this is possible if the scores haven't been mailed out yet. Perhaps inside connections? Anyway just wanted to give y'all a heads up!

 

[vafcarrot]

I called the PCAT cust serv people today and was told that the scores will be mailed out today from San Antonio, TX. Too, bad about the holiday and weekend slowing the mail down. I live all the way up in Ohio, so who knows how long that'll take. I've been so anxious to see how I did. I saw in another post on here that someone already said they got their score of 400 something and I was wondering how this is possible if the scores haven't been mailed out yet. Perhaps inside connections? Anyway just wanted to give y'all a heads up!

Maybe they were talking about their March score.

 

[DrPharm]

Why would a standardized test be curved? This test is to be used to distinguish applicants.

 

[dgroulx]

Why would a standardized test be curved? This test is to be used to distinguish applicants.

It's not curved. The did change the scoring for the new exam and they will probably use a different standard deviation to normalize the results.