Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Identification, Testing & Assessment What's the top scaled score on the SCAT?

Sorry for all the questions, but I've had SCAT on the brain lately (I know of bunch of kids who just took the test).

Does anyone know the range of scaled scores, and in particular, what is the maximum scaled score that you can receive?

Thanks.

I can see that logic is not going to get me anywhere!

What I'm trying to do is to use the SCAT scores as a proxy for other achievement tests so that I know whether to encourage friends to pursue further testing in the hopes of getting into DYS. Perhpaps that's asking too much from a 44 minute test!

Do SCAT scores tend to correlate reasonably well with SAT or WJ-III or WIAT? Or is it too limited a test for that?

Forgive my continued musings on this, but I find testing quite interesting, although from everything I've seen it seems a terribly inexact science.

I wonder how much above level the SCAT really is. At least from the sample tests (and from guaging the results that I know of), the questions do not seem that advanced compared to the typical curriculum in a good school district or private school. (And it's not as if I think the typical curriculum is particularly good.)

I'm thinking that the EXPLORE may be a more useful test for mid- and upper-elementary grades.

The SCAT is useful for qualifying for CTY programs and i believe that's its intent. I don't think it tells you much. Some kids do well, others don't do as well, regardless of how they may do on the WISC/WIAT or some other combination of tests.

This first time post. My son got V.433, Q. 463. He is in grade 2. From above post, 477 is the highest score. Anyone knows about the grade 2, state 1st/2nd place scores for Q?
thanks.

I'm not sure that you could really predict that as the top place scores will vary by state and by year, and won't be known until the testing season is over.

But perhaps someone knows if they tell kids in advance if they are getting a special award, or if they have to show up to find out?

I don't think the sample tests are a good representative sample of what's on the test according to my son. He had fun taking ALL the sample tests at all levels and took the 2nd to 3rd grade test. These would be similar to perhaps the easiest questions. It's only to introduce the format, not to really challenge. He did well and did qualify for awards, but not mind blowingly so. He breezed through the samples though without any problem.

But I do agree, for older kids the Explore would be a more informative test. The SCAT scores mean very little as they are presented. It's nice to qualify for an award and know you are in those top percentages for cheap skates like us that haven't done full testing. We'll probably do the Explore next year.

I believe the state and national awards are a surprise from what I gleaned at the awards ceremony this fall. You can tell right away if your DC qualified for regular awards, although formal notice does not come for quite some time. And they have both fall and spring awards ceremonies now, so it doesn't matter when your child takes the test.

Just received SCAT results for DS8 (grade 4)
99% for quantitative 482

Poor DS is youngest and Mom didn't even realize he had strong math ability.

Wow Cym - amazing!