4 ms·

when I took the SAT, I first took a practice test and scored quite poorly on it, but when I realized that all of the things I had missed were tiny details, or v

by ouid 9y ago

when I took the SAT, I first took a practice test and scored quite poorly on it, but when I realized that all of the things I had missed were tiny details, or very literal interpretations of questions, I scored very well on the actual test. The same was true of the math test, as well. The SAT is basically testing how easy it is to fool you with a trick question. However, in defense of the SAT, I'd wager that this is pretty strongly correlated with critical reasoning and ability to succeed in college and beyond.

asfgionio 9y ago
I have read that the SAT is basically an IQ test in disguise. If that's true, there's no need for it to correspond to real-world skills. That's not what it's meant to test, and the only reason it deals with vocabulary and mathematics is to dodge the controversy surrounding IQ tests. This is by no means the only perspective on the SAT, but it's a reasonable one. https://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2011/12/04/why-should-sats-matter https://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2011/12/04/why-should-...
- kafquaesque 9y ago
  An IQ test (there are multiple types) tests crystallized intelligence and fluid intelligence. The way I have heard them described is basically crystallized intelligence is a test of accumulated knowledge/previously seen patterns versus fluid intelligence being the ability to see a pattern in a novel situation and figure out how to solve the novel situation (on-the-spot problem solving). They are linked. I have also read from different sources that high fluid reasoning can lead to an increase in knowledge acquired. For the SAT to be a genuine determinant of the difference in ability we would have to have all people taking the exam to have the same preparation(school/sub-culture/country/teachers and pre-test work). One could compare it to an IQ test in the sense that it is testing learned information with novel problems? IIRC the test correlates with college/university success because it can showcase the combination of inherent skill and preparation necessary to succeed in a college environment (I would assume this is heavily debated). Here is the Wikipedia article on the difference if you want to look up sources or dive into this topic more: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluid_and_crystallized_intelligence https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluid_and_crystallized_intel... If you want to research the different types of IQ tests: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intelligence_quotient https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intelligence_quotient
- Mononokay 9y ago
  I'd say that's fairly accurate—in general, it doesn't really test for skills you would learn above 8th Grade, and mainly just tries to see what you're capable of.
- burfog 9y ago
  Prior to 1994, the SAT could serve as an IQ test. Scores could be used for admission into high-IQ clubs. The 1994 changes slightly broke that, particularly at the high end. Subsequent changes, for example the removal of analogies, have moved to test away from measuring IQ. Today it really isn't an IQ test at all. It's an achievement test.
  - fludlight 9y ago
    > It's an achievement test. what's that?
Mononokay 9y ago
Personally, I heavily prefer the SAT over the ACT—it's a very no-nonsense, clean way to see the capabilities of a person, and isn't relying too heavily on questions related to a specific subset of a topic. It's definitely a better indicator of performance and capability than a GPA, in my opinion.
- 36bydesign 9y ago
  I am extremely familiar with both tests. What version of the SAT are you referring? The current version (re-designed a few years ago) is nearly identical to the ACT with the exception of integrating graph-reading questions into the reading and writing sections rather than having their own section.
  - Mononokay 9y ago
    Current. I took both roughly two years ago for Duke TIP.
    - FPGAhacker 9y ago
      Which did you take first?
      - Mononokay 9y ago
        I took them within a month of eachother, but I can't recall which I took first. I got my results back first on the SAT, so possibly it? (On a sidenote, it's annoying that the SAT site didn't allow me to use things on it related to my test scores because of the age I got them at. Suppose it's legally mandated though.)
madengr 9y ago
Yes, it’s really more about eliminating the wrong answers, than getting the correct one.
kafquaesque 9y ago
I have known people that didn’t budge on their scores and people that shifted by 200 points on the old 1600 point scale. Not sure how much it has changed over the years. I would wager that test taking in general is at least somewhat of a skill. The more multiple choice tests I took the better I became at them. There seems to be an underlying pattern most teachers use.

by ouid 9y ago

asfgionio 9y ago

I have read that the SAT is basically an IQ test in disguise. If that's true, there's no need for it to correspond to real-world skills. That's not what it's meant to test, and the only reason it deals with vocabulary and mathematics is to dodge the controversy surrounding IQ tests. This is by no means the only perspective on the SAT, but it's a reasonable one. https://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2011/12/04/why-should-sats-matter https://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2011/12/04/why-should-...

kafquaesque 9y ago
An IQ test (there are multiple types) tests crystallized intelligence and fluid intelligence. The way I have heard them described is basically crystallized intelligence is a test of accumulated knowledge/previously seen patterns versus fluid intelligence being the ability to see a pattern in a novel situation and figure out how to solve the novel situation (on-the-spot problem solving). They are linked. I have also read from different sources that high fluid reasoning can lead to an increase in knowledge acquired. For the SAT to be a genuine determinant of the difference in ability we would have to have all people taking the exam to have the same preparation(school/sub-culture/country/teachers and pre-test work). One could compare it to an IQ test in the sense that it is testing learned information with novel problems? IIRC the test correlates with college/university success because it can showcase the combination of inherent skill and preparation necessary to succeed in a college environment (I would assume this is heavily debated). Here is the Wikipedia article on the difference if you want to look up sources or dive into this topic more: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluid_and_crystallized_intelligence https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluid_and_crystallized_intel... If you want to research the different types of IQ tests: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intelligence_quotient https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intelligence_quotient
Mononokay 9y ago
I'd say that's fairly accurate—in general, it doesn't really test for skills you would learn above 8th Grade, and mainly just tries to see what you're capable of.
burfog 9y ago
Prior to 1994, the SAT could serve as an IQ test. Scores could be used for admission into high-IQ clubs. The 1994 changes slightly broke that, particularly at the high end. Subsequent changes, for example the removal of analogies, have moved to test away from measuring IQ. Today it really isn't an IQ test at all. It's an achievement test.
- fludlight 9y ago
  > It's an achievement test. what's that?

Mononokay 9y ago

Personally, I heavily prefer the SAT over the ACT—it's a very no-nonsense, clean way to see the capabilities of a person, and isn't relying too heavily on questions related to a specific subset of a topic. It's definitely a better indicator of performance and capability than a GPA, in my opinion.

36bydesign 9y ago
I am extremely familiar with both tests. What version of the SAT are you referring? The current version (re-designed a few years ago) is nearly identical to the ACT with the exception of integrating graph-reading questions into the reading and writing sections rather than having their own section.
- Mononokay 9y ago
  Current. I took both roughly two years ago for Duke TIP.
  - FPGAhacker 9y ago
    Which did you take first?
    - Mononokay 9y ago
      I took them within a month of eachother, but I can't recall which I took first. I got my results back first on the SAT, so possibly it? (On a sidenote, it's annoying that the SAT site didn't allow me to use things on it related to my test scores because of the age I got them at. Suppose it's legally mandated though.)

madengr 9y ago

Yes, it’s really more about eliminating the wrong answers, than getting the correct one.

kafquaesque 9y ago

I have known people that didn’t budge on their scores and people that shifted by 200 points on the old 1600 point scale. Not sure how much it has changed over the years. I would wager that test taking in general is at least somewhat of a skill. The more multiple choice tests I took the better I became at them. There seems to be an underlying pattern most teachers use.