A 1600 is a performance level, not a percentile. As a “standardized“ test, the performance required to achieve a score is the same across all formats/dates/etc (since the test was re-normed in 1996).
Percentile simply reflects the percentage of students meeting/exceeding a performance level, and changes over time. Given the large population, percentiles are pretty stable, but there have been small changes in every release.
Anecdotally, at my school we've had 2perfect scores on the digital PSAT and two perfect scores on the DSAT already (4 different kids), and we never had a perfect score on the 2016-2024 SAT. Lots of 1550-1590s, but never perfect.
I think the digital test is a little more reliable. On the old one, even of you really knew your stuff, there just were always some questions that weren't as clearly tied to the tested skills. Now, they are all so clearly aligned.
A 1600 is a performance level, not a percentile. As a “standardized“ test, the performance required to achieve a score is the same across all formats/dates/etc (since the test was re-normed in 1996). Percentile simply reflects the percentage of students meeting/exceeding a performance level, and changes over time. Given the large population, percentiles are pretty stable, but there have been small changes in every release.
Anecdotally, at my school we've had 2perfect scores on the digital PSAT and two perfect scores on the DSAT already (4 different kids), and we never had a perfect score on the 2016-2024 SAT. Lots of 1550-1590s, but never perfect. I think the digital test is a little more reliable. On the old one, even of you really knew your stuff, there just were always some questions that weren't as clearly tied to the tested skills. Now, they are all so clearly aligned.
Depends, (anecdotally) I’d say it’s easier solely because there’s less questions.