Scoring question on PCAT

[fengye920]

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Hey guys!

I was looking at the June PCAT scores for the people who posted theirs'. I was just wondering is it impossible for someone not to miss any questions? Because I thought the PCAT scoring scale was between 200-600, but a lot of people who get in the 430+ would have a 90%+ in that section. So i was just wondering if a person got every single question right in a particular section would he or she get a 600 for that section?

Yeah, I don't really get how they scale the scores. I know the percentages mean that's how many people you did better than, but I just don't get the 200-600 scale because technicially 400 = 50% but then people who get 430+ has a score of 90%+ so yeah.

Anyone care to explain?

Thanks!🙂

 

[homeslice]

Hey guys!

I was looking at the June PCAT scores for the people who posted theirs'. I was just wondering is it impossible for someone not to miss any questions? Because I thought the PCAT scoring scale was between 200-600, but a lot of people who get in the 430+ would have a 90%+ in that section. So i was just wondering if a person got every single question right in a particular section would he or she get a 600 for that section?

Yeah, I don't really get how they scale the scores. I know the percentages mean that's how many people you did better than, but I just don't get the 200-600 scale because technicially 400 = 50% but then people who get 430+ has a score of 90%+ so yeah.

Anyone care to explain?

Thanks!🙂

I don't think it's possible to get a 600...maybe not even a 500 for that matter. I got a 99 on the quantitative section and am pretty sure that I got almost every question right...but my scaled score was only in the 470's. Then again I have no idea how the system works so it could be possible.

 

[parabolic]

I know the percentages mean that's how many people you did better than, but I just don't get the 200-600 scale because technicially 400 = 50% but then people who get 430+ has a score of 90%+ so yeah.

Anyone care to explain?

Thanks!

I don't fully understand the scaled score, but here's what I think it is: so if 400 is set as the 50% mark, a scaled score above 400 will be higher than 50%, and a scaled score below will be under 50%. Right?

Then, for example, imagine that a 430 in reading is 80%, but a 430 in chemistry is 90%. I think this means that the raw scores were more closely clustered around the average in the chemistry section than in the reading section. (Think tall, skinny bell curve for chemistry, and wide, flat bell curve for reading, with the apex at 400 for each. The 430 is still 30 above the average for both sections, but there will be fewer scores above 430 for chemistry than for reading, which means the 430 for chemistry corresponds to a higher percentile.) Sorry if that makes no sense-- it might not even be correct!

I'm sure it's possible for someone to get every question right in a section, but I don't know anyone who's gotten near 600. But over 500 is possible; I barely did it with a 501 in chemistry. 🙂