Hey everyone, I'm a junior who's been studying for the ACT. I heard that the scores are curved, but I'm not entirely sure how this works. Can anyone help clarify this for me? Thanks in advance!
Absolutely, happy to help clarify! In essence, the ACT "curve" isn't exactly a curve, but more of a predetermined scale. This scale is designed based on results from earlier, representative groups of test-takers who took the same set of questions. This process, known as equating, ensures fairness and consistency across different test dates, preventing one test date from being significantly easier or harder than another.
Since a particular ACT test isn't scored relative to the other students' performance on the same test day, it's technically not a "curve". The main purpose of the scale is to accommodate slight variations in difficulty between one test and another. So, an ACT score reflects the same level of proficiency, regardless of when the test was taken.
For example, when they set the scale, if a particular math section was found to be more difficult, the scale would be adjusted so that fewer correct answers might still result in a high score, like 34 or 35. Conversely, if a section is easier, you may require more correct answers to achieve a high score.
Please note, however, that ACT doesn't release its scales, so this is just the basic principle behind it. Hope this helps!
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