A STUDY OF LARGE SCORE CHANGES ON THE SCHOLASTIC APTITUDE TEST

Candidates who take the SAT more than once seldom receive exactly the same scores each time. This study was concerned with reasons for “large” score changes from a candidate's junior to senior years. A large score change was defined as an increase of 125 or more points or a decrease of 75 or more points in either SAT‐V or SAT‐M. Sixty candidates showing large score changes on the SAT were asked about these changes in interviews. From their responses, the candidates were placed in six categories. The three largest of these were (a) the candidates who explained their score change in terms of relatively specific subject matter preparation, e.g., “I didn't take math as a senior,” (b) those who explained their score changes in terms of “organismic” variables, e.g., health or motivation, and (c) those who could offer no explanation for their changes. Total test scores, in conjunction with the interview data, allowed for some consistency checks on the information provided by the candidates. A further analysis was made of the popularity of the correct and of the incorrect alternatives each candidate chose and the number of items omitted. These measures, which were related to total test score, yielded an additional check on the interview information provided by the candidates and also suggested a mechanism behind some of the increases in SAT‐V. The results were in agreement with Davis and Fifer's finding that the particular wrong alternatives a candidate chooses may provide useful information.