Why Your New SAT Score May Seem Higher than Your Old SAT Score

You’ve received your latest SAT score in the mail and feel ecstatic when you read the number–it’s significantly higher than what you expected based on scores from when you took the test a few months ago before the new format was released. While some of that bump is undoubtedly due to your diligent studying, this week the CollegeBoard  released data that suggests at least some of it is the result of test differences between the New SAT and the Old SAT. 

In this post, we’ll look at what the testing industry refers to as “Concordance” and why it matters to you.

What is Test Concordance?

Test concordance is a fancy way to describe the ability to compare scores on different tests. For example, concordance information allows us to place scores from the new SAT in context with scores from the old SAT. Concordance charts are also helpful for comparing individual sections between the new and old SATs and for determining approximately equivalent ACT scores.

What Concordance Has to Say About the New SAT

This past week the CollegeBoard released several tables detailing student performance on the new SAT compared to the previous version of the test. Overall, these concordance charts show that students can expect to perform 60 – 80 points better using the new format.

That isn’t to say that the content on the newest version of the SAT is any less difficult than the old version. (Or that students have become miraculously more intelligent in just a matter of months.) Instead, the CollegeBoard explains that changes in the format itself are the biggest reason for the shift. For example, the guessing penalty that used to mean a .25 point deduction for each wrong answer has been eliminated. The number of possible answers for each multiple choice question has also been reduced from five down to four, increasing the odds of a correct answer.

Why You Need to Pay Attention to Concordance

While a suddenly higher score may make you feel better, it’s important to keep concordance in mind as you begin to apply to different schools and scholarships. The CollegeBoard has been proactive in making sure admissions officers and others have access to concordance tables and schools will almost certainly take the differences into account when comparing scores. That means it’s important to make sure you know which of your scores are actually the strongest. To aid in this effort, the CollegeBoard has included a score conversion tool on their website to automatically convert scores between the new and old tests. Similarly, you can find information in the tables to compare SAT and ACT scores so you know which set of test scores actually portray you in the best light.

Adapting to a new test format is an ongoing process for students as well as school administrators. Taking advantage of concordance information can be a helpful step to make sure you really understand what your numbers say about you and which of your scores which give you the most help when it’s application time.