Today the College Board posted the concordance charts between the old SAT and the redesigned SAT. They also created an app you can download to convert the scores.
Let's first break down what a concordance table is. A concordance table allows to you make more meaningful comparisons between tests. It lets you say: "I got X on this exam, what would that be if I had taken exam Y?" So, in this case, for students that got back their redesigned SAT scores this morning, it lets them see what that would have been equivalent to on the old SAT.
Why is concordance important? During this time of transition from the old test to the redesigned test, understanding the relationship between the two scores is very important. Particularly after seeing the actual concordance, it is even more important. Why? Because it appears that especially in the center of the score distribution (aka the place most students fall) there are rather significant changes between old and new. A 1000 was the typical average on the old SAT. But, that 1000 is equal to a 1080 on the redesigned SAT.
This nearly 100 point inflation (on the 1600 point scale) for scores toward the middle of the percentile distribution is significant because the new higher scores might project a false sense of security to students that could be tempted to forget to adjust their score on the concordance table.
For example, schools that used to have an old admitted SAT average score of 1150 are now going to be looking for a 1220 (assuming they continue to admit the same range of student). If you score an 1150 on the redesigned test, you might now be out of range at that school. The entire pool should be shifting together, so this isn't the end of the world. It just means that perspective must be kept in mind.
The inflation toward the center of the distribution also means there is some deflation toward the tails of the distribution. In other words, a 1550 on the old SAT is now a 1560 on the redesigned SAT. A negligible difference. So while students in the middle of the pack are going to see huge jumps, students in the very high or very low range will not feel much of an impact of the new scores at all.
Why would the College Board be doing this? If you asked them, I think they would argue the new test is doing a better job of identifying 'college readiness' and that students were being underestimated on the old test. If you ask me, this new more generous scoring appeals to the student's ego and the College Board hopes these new higher scores will tempt students into taking their test instead of the ACT.
The takeaway here is that for any rising seniors, you must read college pamphlets carefully and understand if they are talking about the new or old SAT when they share their admissions data with you. As always, the best college search is one with a level head. Don't let test scores throw you into a tizzy. And remember you can always go testing optional if all of this pomp and circumstance isn't for you.
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