PTs vs the Real Exam

insulter

Hi everyone. I was thinking how PTs scores reflect the real exam score. Do you think that PSs are generally higher than the exam, or very close? Good luck!

PatBackk

Generally extremely close. You can count on scoring very similarly in range, as long as you've been consistently scoring the same on PTs!

insulter

thank you so much!

Mark D33

The general wisdom is +/- 3 points your PT average. This is about the range you can expect on the real test. Some people just work much better under pressure when the "lights" are on and find it easier to focus and do better on the real thing. However it is also probably more common that people get nervous and probably drop a bit from their PTs. In general 3 points give or take is standard.

The best way to limit that is don't change ANYTHING you do on the real test. For example if you are the type of person that generally has a couple questions left after time runs out in a section, don't change what you do on the real test. If you skip hard questions and come back if you have time... keep doing that. Don't go any faster or slower because it's the "real" test. This is the biggest trap people fall into on test day, changing what their general strategy is.

Also Also. give up the illusion that you can predict how well you did on a section. yes, if you are not able to diagram an entire LG or if you completely misunderstood one RC passage, you probably didn't do so hot on that section. But don't assume you totally "bombed" a section. It is virtually impossible (unless you totally bombed it) to guess how you did. This is important because on the real test... you wont get instant feedback. You won't know how you did. And if you go into the next section thinking you didn't do well, that has a big emotional toll. It might be too late for november, but don't look at your score until the very end when you PT!