Is there a curve on the SAT?

I've been hearing different things about the SAT and I'm super confused. Is there really a curve on the SAT, and if so, how does that impact scoring? Would appreciate any clarification!

Yes, there is a process known as "equating" on the SAT, which often gets colloquially referred to as a curve. The purpose of equating is to ensure that the scores from one test date are equivalent to the scores from another test date, even if the difficulty of the questions varies between the exams. This process helps maintain fairness and consistency for all test-takers.

Here's how it works: the College Board pre-tests the questions on a small group of students before including them in the actual SAT. This allows them to gauge the difficulty level of the questions. When they create a test with a mix of easy, medium, and hard questions, they use the data from the pre-test to calculate a raw score. After the test, they convert the raw score into a scaled score, ranging from 200 to 800 for each section (Reading and Writing, and Math). The equating process accounts for the differences in difficulty among different tests.

Because of equating, a slightly easier test might have a higher threshold for each scaled score point, while a slightly harder test might have a lower threshold, essentially spreading the scores out to maintain consistency and fairness.

While some students might experience more challenging tests and thus feel that the curve was harsher, it's important to remember that the "curve" primarily exists to ensure that no one is at a disadvantage due to differences in test difficulty.

In summary, the SAT is technically not graded on a curve, but the equating process ensures that scores from different test dates are fair and consistent by accounting for differences in question difficulty.