The SCAT test is a challenge for many school-going students, one of the few tests that test a student against a senior, grades above them.
Being a student writing the SCAT for the first time can not only be frightening but also quite a hurdle to cross.
If you’re here to find a short and concise write-up about the JH-CTY exam and how it’s scored, you’ve come to the right place.
What is the SCAT test and what is the JH-CTY?
The SCAT is a standardized test conducted in the United States that measures the Math and Reasoning abilities of its candidates. It is conducted by the JH-CTY, also known as the John Hopkins Centre for Talented Youth.
This is conducted as an entrance test to the various programs and schemes offered by the center.
The question of how the test is formatted now arises.
The test consists of two sections, one verbal reasoning, and the other mathematical reasoning. These are 50 questions in the multi-choice format as well as 5 unmarked experimental questions.
These two sections are each 22 minutes long and are separated by a 10-minute break. The break is discretionary and picked by the student. In other words, the test center supervisor will not start and end the break. The student must return to the test on time. If a student chooses to take any other breaks during the test, the test timing will continue. The appointment time will be 90 minutes but the test itself, under normal circumstances, takes less than an hour.
How is the test evaluated?
When it comes to the SCAT test evaluation, it is scored on the basis of how many questions a student answers correctly out of the 50 MCQ based questions.
There are three fundamental divisions of SCAT test scores, these being:
- The Elementary level: Made for students of grades 2-3 and is on the level of grades 4-5.
The Verbal Range falls at around 401 – 471.
The Quantitative Range falls at around 412 – 475.
- The Intermediate level: This is meant for candidates of grades 4-5 and is on the level of grades 6-8.
The Verbal Range falls at around 405 – 482.
The Quantitative Range falls at around 419 – 506.
- The Advanced level: This is the highest level and is meant for students of grades 6 and above and is on the level of grades 9 to 12.
The Verbal Range falls at around 410-494.
The Quantitative Range falls at around 424-514.
Scoring is a three-step process in which a child’s raw score is calculated based on the test version and then weighed against the results of the test scores of the average student of a higher-level grade. The group of average students being evaluated against took this test in 1979. So, the candidate’s percentile ranks could be different if compared to a more recent group of examinees.
Based on individual grades, the scores for the summer courses are:
- Grade 2 requires 430 or greater SCAT Verbal or 435 SCAT Quantitative
- Grade 3 requires 435 or greater SCAT Verbal or 440 SCAT Quantitative
- Grade 4 requires 440 or greater SCAT Verbal or 450 SCAT Quantitative
- Grade 5 requires 445 or greater SCAT Verbal or 465 SCAT Quantitative
- Grade 6 requires 450 or greater SCAT Verbal or 470 SCAT Quantitative
- Grade 7 requires 455 or greater SCAT Verbal or 475 SCAT Quantitative
- Grade 8 requires 460 or greater SCAT Verbal or 480 SCAT Quantitative
- Grade 9 requires 465 or greater SCAT Verbal or 485 SCAT Quantitative
- Grade 10 requires 470 or greater SCAT Verbal or 490 SCAT Quantitative
Most of the scores mentioned above are relatively good scores. Writing such a test made for students of a grade much higher than your own is a feat in itself.
The traits of being hard-working and the necessity to study will become more and more apparent to you and lead you to realize your flaws and patch them up.
The SCAT involves thousands of students every year, yet only a few manage to pass. This test is meant as a test of hard work and skill and can be cleared through it.
