What exactly is percentile? How does it work?

[UyenRita]

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Hi everyone,
I don't know how the percentile work on calculating your Pcat composite score. They compare your score to all the people everywhere in the U.S who take the test at the same time as yours. Or they just compare to the people in your area?
Does it really can make a difference if you take the PCAT on Jan/Oct when most people are busy with school/holidays than the June/August PCAT when most people seem to have more time to concentrate on study because no school in the summer.
I really want to have the statistic that show which time people usually get the high score.
Appreciate any opinions/explains...

 

[twinspharm]

Hi everyone,
I don't know how the percentile work on calculating your Pcat composite score. They compare your score to all the people everywhere in the U.S who take the test at the same time as yours. Or they just compare to the people in your area?
Does it really can make a difference if you take the PCAT on Jan/Oct when most people are busy with school/holidays than the June/August PCAT when most people seem to have more time to concentrate on study because no school in the summer.
I really want to have the statistic that show which time people usually get the high score.
Appreciate any opinions/explains...

The percentile is based on the people who took the PCATS over the past so many years. It doesn't matter when you take it at all.

 

[UyenRita]

over the past so many years.

Really? "so many years"? That also means the test is not changed over so many years? 😱

 

[ajthebest]

Really? "so many years"? That also means the test is not changed over so many years? 😱

The test itself has changed, but the so called difficulty of the questions has remained constant. The percentile:

Your percentile rank scores are based on the current norm group each time you take the PCAT. The current norm group is defined as all first-time examinees who took the test between October 2004 and May 2007.

 

[twinspharm]

The tests changed, the difficulty remains the same