Variance of scores for 170+ scorers

danielznelson

I've scored several times in the low 170s, with two 173s being my best scores. But I have dipped as low as a 164 during consistent studying (though distraction and stupid mistakes probably best explain such a score at this point).

This makes me wonder... what are ranges for those scoring in the low- to even the mid-170s?

Jonathan Wang

Same guideline - 2 or 3 points in either direction. One question is one point in that range, so you may think there's more volatility there, but at the 97th percentile you're just expected to perform consistently and not screw up basic stuff. If you mess something up that everyone else in that tier is getting consistently, you deserve to get knocked out of that tier.

I would consider one 164 fluky if it came in the middle of a string of 170-type scores (though still a good indicator of what you're shaky on, both in terms of material and also the meta elements of test-taking like focus, mental balance, etc). Multiple scores in that range (call it 164-166) are a clear indication that your 'true' score is not the low-170 you think it is. 'Stupid mistakes' simply don't explain the difference between -12 (170) and, say, -20 (164).

Your ceiling seems like it's in a good place. Work on your floor. Being able to score 180 on a good day means very little if you're also capable of screwing up enough to score 160 on a bad day.

allison.gill.sanford

Take your last five PTs, average your score. Unless you have a real outlier and you know why (you were very sick when you took it or something), that is the most indicative of your current level of performance.
I had two plateaus, high 160s for a while, then jumped to low 170s before I hit the mid 170s - which was right before I took the real test. It was pretty consistent for me, though I know after initially breaking 170 I had at least one score back in the high 160s. However, I think it's more common that people scoring in that upper range climb consistently in their scores. You're working up from very competent to mastery.
A lot of erratic shifts means there is something else going on. The test itself is so consistent. There may be a test or two that hits all your weak spots, but in terms of tracking your progress, look for the patterns.

danielznelson

I definitely know the 164 was a result of a lack of focus, given that three missed questions were due to misreads and three others were the result of inexplicably eliminating the correct answer choice (I mean, I don't even think I actually read the answer choice). I've definitely found my range in general to be from 169-173, which seems to be on point with what you both are describing. That's comforting, but I do need to avoid the drastic drops. Thanks to both!

allison.gill.sanford

Yeah, you should pursue discovering the cause of that lack of focus. Try to maintain the active reading all the way through the test (stamina training, mostly). You'll do great, it's up from here!

Elle2015

I think the range is going to be the same as it is for anyone else. I never experienced any plateaus, but I generally scored in the low 170s. Once, I dropped down to 166 because I took that PT while extremely tired and misread game rules.

If you have one odd score, don't worry about it. Just figure out what happened and try make sure it doesn't happen again. While doing PTs, I felt that I was constantly testing worse case scenarios (what happens if I'm really tired, what happens if there's a ridiculous amount of noise, what happens if I lose confidence in a section/how can I avoid that, what happens if I change my strategy), which really helped me on test day.