Writing Sample Score Conversion

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This is probably a stupid question, but... I assume that since a 6 is the highest score that you can get on an essay and a 1 is the lowest, the J-T scale directly relates to the sum of the two essay scores. Is this true, or is there some screwed up conversion scale? I would think that it would be easier to say "hey, you got a total score of 8" instead of "you got a 4 on each essay so we will randomly assign that number to a stupid letter scale that doesnt even start at A".

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
J K L M N O P Q R S T

Just wondering

 

[Shrike]

The scale you wrote out is effectively correct, though the way we always think of it is as a scale from 1 to 6 on each essay, with increments of a half point.

GMAT and GRE essays are scored the same way (though the scale goes from 0 to 6), and I wouldn't be surprised if that's where AAMC got it. But the letter thing, that's AAMC's own special gift to you.

 

[KitEKatEli]

Actually, the scale runs from 4 to 24 because 2 readers read each essay. Pages 6-8 in the following pdf explain it w/a nifty diagram.

http://www.aamc.org/students/mcat/studentmanual/writingsample/scoring.pdf

 

[natureboy]

The scale you wrote out is effectively correct, though the way we always think of it is as a scale from 1 to 6 on each essay, with increments of a half point.

GMAT and GRE essays are scored the same way (though the scale goes from 0 to 6), and I wouldn't be surprised if that's where AAMC got it. But the letter thing, that's AAMC's own special gift to you.

You know, I met and shadowed a doctor who told me that his dad was involved with in the testing "business". His dad was part of a team that helped create standardized tests like the MCAT (he was involved in helping figuring out who it was that stole copies of the tests way back when), GRE, SAT, in addition to the GED as well as some other tests...so that may be a reason for some similarities in the scoring.

 

[diosa428]

I agree that the scoring system for the writing section is ridiculous, but think of it this way: as long as it's a letter, the med schools pretty much disregard it. If it were a number, it would probably be added to our overall score and then it would make more of a difference.