Dear College Board,

I am a junior who took the October 24th, 2018 PSAT, and I just wanted to express my feelings about the test I was given and how the College Board decided to score it.

While I agree the PSAT test was easier than I expected, missing one math question on the October 24th PSAT does not equate to missing four or five questions on the October 10th PSAT, nor is missing one reading question equivalent to missing three or four reading questions on another test, regardless of test difficulty. I understand you have explanations and formulas and your “equating process”, but the fact of the matter is that this curve does not standardize scores fairly. Getting five questions wrong demonstrates lacking in understanding of a concept. Getting one question wrong does not imply such a conclusion. Missing more questions on a harder test does not reflect the same level of knowledge and understanding as missing less on an easier test, yet the way the PSAT was scored this year demonstrates the College Board believes otherwise.

I took the PSAT/NMSQT last year, earning an NMSC selection index of 222, putting me past the cutoff score of 220 in Arizona. I had a 740 in Math and a 740 in Reading and Writing. This demonstrates that I have the capability of scoring high enough to qualify for NMSP recognition. And if this year, I had screwed up during the test or made legitimate mistakes on my own part to deserve a 710 on the math portion, I would not be writing this email. However, I missed one question on the math section. No matter how easy the test is, one question should not be worth 50 points. My NMSC selection index score dropped 3 points this year, despite the fact that I missed 6 less questions. I acknowledge the difficulty of the PSAT is not the same every year, but the College Board should aim to keep its measurements consistent every year. By allowing students to take a test knowing it is “too easy” and then trying to “fairly” compensate with a harsh curve, you offer neither consistency nor equality.

I do not know the process of how the College Board writes tests, but as a student, I know one thing: I worked hard for this test and the opportunities it could bring, and many other students do as well. We studied for a test that can have a real impact on our futures, and the least we deserve is to have it graded fairly. It is not our fault that the PSAT given to us was apparently made too easy. When a test is made too easy, it can not accurately distinguish between top-scorers and lower-scorers. College Board evidently understands this, as an abnormally harsh curve was needed to try to separate scores, so why are these dysfunctional tests being released for students to take?

College Board made this same exact mistake last year for the June 2017 SAT test, and faced the backlash of many students and parents.The fact that the College Board is able to make the same mistake again at the expense of students’ time, money, and effort is one I can only interpret as blatant disregard and disrespect for students and their futures.

There are summer programs that require a PSAT math score of at least 740. How does a student explain that unless they got the full 760, the next best score was a 710. The PSAT is an important factor in many opportunities, from scholarships to research programs. I, and every student who hopes to pursue such opportunities, would appreciate it if the College Board wrote the tests with a little more examination and consideration. Don't waste our time with test questions that need to be fixed. We should not be punished with a 50 point drop for one question because the College Board couldn't be bothered to write fair questions.

I hope the College Board can reevaluate how the October 24th , 2018 PSAT was scored, or at the very least, rethink what the PSAT should reveal about students— that they have an understanding of concepts or that they are test-taking machines who can score perfects scores. Because right now, that is what the October 24th  PSAT score needs to be, apparently. 

Thank you,

Disappointed students, crushed dreams, and college debt