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Reusing PTs after 10+ months and what the new scores may reflect

Regis_Phalange63Regis_Phalange63 Alum Member
in General 1058 karma

I'm fully aware that scores you get on PTs that you've already seen in the past 3ish months are most likely inflated. In this case, you're encouraged to focus on refining/honing skills needed and mechanically applying approaches learned. And I wholeheartedly agree with this.

Now, how about PTs that you saw more than 10 months ago? For me, 10+ months of time most likely resets my brain. I may remember a couple of LR questions but most of the time it's more like "oh I remember reading about this subject matter in a stimulus' as opposed to 'oh the credited response for this question was C.' I experimented whether or not retake scores reflect my current level earlier this year. Took a PT I hadn't seen in 11 months. Took a brand new PT several days later. They was a 1 point difference.

I've recently been taking PTs in the 60s, which I took last August. So exactly a year has passed. And I've seen massive score increases in three PTs. I think on one of them I had a 12/13 point increase. I really want to believe this is a testament to major improvement as I'm prepping for my third take in 2 months. Any 7sage folks out there that have experienced the same?

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Comments

  • Habeas PorpoiseHabeas Porpoise Alum Member Sage ⭐
    edited August 2019 1866 karma

    I definitely believe retakes are valuable and can highlight true improvement. However, the variance you might see from even vaguely remembering two or three questions isn’t as insignificant as it may seem, even if you saw the test over ten months ago. Especially with high scores, one or two questions can take you from the 160s into the 170s; slight recall could mean extra time for another question that you may not otherwise have had the chance to tackle effectively, and there might be other factors that are harder to measure or less noticeable, but still benefit you in a way you won't be helped with a fresh test.

    That said, one thing you might try to compensate for the retake score inflation is to give yourself less time with retakes, like 30-33 minutes instead of the standard 35. This won’t completely address having seen questions before, but it will add a little bit of difficulty and will also help you improve your overall pacing through sections for fresh PTs.

    In the end, retakes are incredibly valuable for further improving your skills--it's telling when you miss the same question(s) again and again, familiar subject matter means you can focus on question structure and quickly outline cookie-cutter stimuli/trap answers, and it's helpful in improving your timing. The score is the least 'useful' part of a retake.

  • Pride Only HurtsPride Only Hurts Alum Member
    2186 karma

    I don’t pay retake scores any mind. There’s really no way of knowing what you retain or how the first take is helping you. For retakes I focus on questions I missed twice or if I went -0 on a section I focus on what helped. Usually for me what helps is having more time and going through easier questions faster. Perhaps there’s added confidence going into a retake or perhaps I’m moving faster because I’ve seen the material. Either way, I know I need to try moving at that pace on fresh takes.

  • studyingandrestudyingstudyingandrestudying Core Member
    5254 karma

    Someone made a comment on an AMA that I think is useful in this discussion--the PT retakes are good for learning and they attributed them to being helpful, but the actual scores are likely inflated scores. It seems like one of the main benefits is pointing to things we still have to work on--and things we're doing well, with the caveat being that this was material previously seen--and we can then review and apply these lessons to future work.

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