Cabertmom Posted October 10, 2014 Share Posted October 10, 2014 Tomorrow my son is taking SAT subject tests. He was and probably is planning to take the math II subject test, but almost on a whim he took a practice test for the math I test and actually did better on it. On the practice tests, he made a 710 on the math II test and a 750 on the math I test. My question is this: If he did the same on the real tests tomorrow, which one would look better? Are the scores equal because the math II test has a bigger curve, or does he still look better with a 710 on math II than a 750 on math I? Or vice versa? I've been scouring the internet trying to find an answer with no success. The one thing I do find is the statement that if one has taken precalc at least, then the student should take math 2, but even MIT says they have no preference between the two, which I honestly find a little hard to believe. I'm sure someone on this wonderful board has been here and done this. Any insights? Ideally within a few hours? :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teachin'Mine Posted October 10, 2014 Share Posted October 10, 2014 I would advise him to take both and then he can decide which score to send after getting the results. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiguirre Posted October 10, 2014 Share Posted October 10, 2014 So, you can take SAT II tests and you don't have to report the scores or does that only work for the math exams since there are 2 of them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cabertmom Posted October 10, 2014 Author Share Posted October 10, 2014 Taking both is not really an option. He's applying to QuestBridge, and this is the last date he can take them in time for the program. He's taking physics, literature, and one of the math tests. He has to take a science and a math and is capable of doing well on the literature to show that he can do other things too. Oh, and one more thing--he's planning to major in computer science, which is definitely math-heavy if that should factor into the decision. I even called our local high school counselor, who is lovely, and no one really seems to know the relative value of these 2 tests compared with each other. It seems like it should be a known factor, but the question remains--are the scores considered equal given the curve on math 2? Does that "cancel out" the difference in difficulty between the two, or would he look better with a higher math 1 score or a lower math 2 score? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teachin'Mine Posted October 10, 2014 Share Posted October 10, 2014 You have good questions, but I don't know the answer. Maybe he can quickly email the schools he's interested in for their advice, but it is rather late for an answer before the test tomorrow. I know that some schools do prefer the Level 2 and MIT does say that it really doesn't matter which one with 700+ being the benchmark. I wish both of you well in deciding. If he scores as well on the test as he has on the practice tests, it likely won't matter either way. I would probably go with the one which will likely result in a higher score, if MIT is his first choice, but I don't think that my opinion should influence what you do. I wouldn't want to be wrong ... lol Wishing him well on all his tests! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cabertmom Posted October 10, 2014 Author Share Posted October 10, 2014 Thanks, Teachin'Mine. I hadn't seen that benchmark, so that does help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teachin'Mine Posted October 11, 2014 Share Posted October 11, 2014 It's not an official benchmark, but is often mentioned in the MIT blogs. You really should ask the schools directly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathy in Richmond Posted October 11, 2014 Share Posted October 11, 2014 Is he still planning to apply to Caltech? Or others like Harvey Mudd? If so, the Math Level 2 is required. Otherwise, I'd probably let him make the call. I'd usually recommend taking whichever math test results in the higher score. But since he's a future math/CS major and scoring above 700 on practice tests, I'd have him go with the level 2 test if he were my kid. YMMV. Good luck to him! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teachin'Mine Posted October 11, 2014 Share Posted October 11, 2014 Agreeing with Kathy! If any of the schools he's applying to require the Level 2, then definitely go with that one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cabertmom Posted October 11, 2014 Author Share Posted October 11, 2014 Thanks, all. Kathy, he's no longer applying to Caltech or Harvey Mudd, but his big "long shot" is MIT. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathy in Richmond Posted October 11, 2014 Share Posted October 11, 2014 MIT really doesn't care which SAT math level he takes. You can trust what they say on the admissions blogs about level 1 being acceptable. They'll look at everything, including his transcript and the level of math & CS course work he took, recommendation letters, etc, not just the test scores, as long as they're in the 700s. His two practice tests results are about equivalent in my opinion, so I'd leave the decision up to him. Helpful, I know.... :tongue_smilie: Have him pack his pencils, check his calculator batteries, get a good night's rest, eat a good breakfast, and think positive! Oh and bring a watch to keep himself moving along during the hour's testing (sometimes it's difficult to see the clock) Best of luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teachin'Mine Posted October 11, 2014 Share Posted October 11, 2014 This link has info from 2012-2013 regarding different schools which require SAT II tests. This isn't current, so some info may have changed, but you can look up where he will be applying to see what their requirements may be. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1fQD41yn0jKU5oxFuMktWRvrYoe3r0s7ur0RiRLrQ4vg/edit?pli=1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cabertmom Posted October 12, 2014 Author Share Posted October 12, 2014 Thank you for the help! I just wanted to report back and let you know that he decided to go for the math 2 test and feels pretty good about it. He actually said the test itself seemed a little easier than the practice tests, including the practice test from the College Board blue book. After starting it, he had a moment when he thought he had accidentally started the math 1 instead. He still did not finish the whole thing but got to about question 45 out of 50, so hopefully not too many were wrong. There were only three people taking subject tests at our local high school yesterday. Two of the three were homeschoolers. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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