My DD8 is grade accelerated to 3rd. She just took the SCAT test and I got the results. She did not qualify for the verbal portion but did qualify for the quantitative. Her verbal scaled was a 428; even as a 2nd grader she wouldn't have made it. Do you think it is worth having her test again so she could qualify for some of the summer programs if she was interested in future years? Has anyone retested with SCAT and noticed an increase in test scores? I wonder if the test environment could have made her nervous, ie the computerized testing, older testers being there, she was the only child, etc. We always thought of her gifted area as being more the verbal area.

I can't speak to how much of an increase you can expect from one year to the next, but I would definitely try again. I think that test-taking is a learned skill for most kids, and I'm sure that your DD will be more comfortable the next time around.

Also, keep in mind that the SCAT verbal test covers only one particular skill (analogies). That may not be your DD's strongest verbal skill, so don't assume that she is not gifted verbally just because she didn't as well on this one test.

Good luck.

Dorothy,

We are in the same situation, but haven't received the results yet. DS8 in 4th grade - but he didn't finish the Math - so I'm worried about the scores, and if we'll have to retest. Did you have to wait 3 weeks for the results?

DS had the same testing environment - and there was a lot of entering/leaving the test room, and starting new testers, all older as well. DS asked if he could go back and re-take just the math as it was easy but he just didn't finish it.

We'll see when the results arrive.

AZ, I actually got my results on line. She took the test on Friday and the results are already there. I was thinking if I was going to retest her, it might be advantageous to test her again this academic year as they do allow one retest per year.
My DS would qualify for DYS with IQ testing and really wanted to do some achievement testing, but will need to wait until we can sign her up for Explore as other testing is out of our price range. I figured the SCAT would be good practice for her. I knew the test only tested analogies but was still hoping she would make it.

I may be of some help on this. DS7 accelerated to the 3rd garde took the SCAT a couple months ago. Math was great but verval was just below cut-off. So we re-tested, (He was not feeling well day of the test). On the re-test, he scored just hair higher perecent wise on Math, and exactly the same on Verbal. Short 5 points, which would have qualified him for summer courses had he tested as a 2nd grader. I contacted JHCU and explaned in an e-mail that he would have qualified as a 2nd grader for one of the summer writting courses we wanted to enroll him in. They agreed to allow him to enroll in the one course this year. Note the course was a 2nd/ 3rd grade course. This was a one time exception and if we wanted to do more he would have to re-test next year. I think ret testing would be my first choice, and if ovber 430 ask for an exception.

I actually had DS7 (1 year grade skipped to 2nd) retest a few weeks ago and he scored higher in both sections. The first time he tested (in November) he was recovering from the H1N1 flu virus. The first time he also ran out of time in the quantitative section because he didn't realize that he should not spend too long on one question if he was stuck and that guessing was ok. For us, the retest allowed him to get honors for qualitative and qualify for courses in both areas.

I am having my DD8 (third grader) re-take the SCAT too. She barely missed qualifying in quantitative. She also did not finish and did not really understand that she needed to just guess and move on rather than struggle with a few questions. She just missed the cutoff and only (she told me) answered "30 something" questions, but she got 30 right. So I think with the experience of having done it once, she will do better the next time.

But she was happy because she gets to take the verbal course she wanted this summer. I just want her to re-test before she's a 4th grader.

We just tried the SCAT test DC6+ not quite 7. DC is 1 year accelerated. DC took the whole test without a break and finished. DC tried to get the person's attention but that person never went in to check DC -- in a room of adults. That made DC rather upset afterwards and DC never wants to go back there. (That is the only prometric in the area.) DC will probably be ok in a year.

I was expecting DC to get a high verbal score, which DC did, close but not good enough to take online courses.

Luckily, we easily qualify with the WISC-IV at Stanford's EPGY. So I think we'll be doing that instead.

However, I will definitely consider prepping DC more as now DC has some experience with a timed test. DC also knows about going back to review.

So, if it is what you want, I think definitely retest. It is good testing experience for sure. The second time must be easier because now they know what the test is like.

Good luck!

Thanks everyone for your experiences with the retesting. My DD wasn't sick that day nor did she run out of time. I don't know how much of a change I can expect, but figured it might be easier to test her again before the end of May when the testing period ends as next year she would need to test on the 4/5 grade version.

The environment was a little intimidating I think for her with all adults, people coming and going during the testing, etc. She also did not take a break between sections as no one told her she could other than computer screen so she said she just sat in chair and stretched a bit then continued onward.

I don't know that we will take any of the their courses, but if we decided to I do like to have all the options open.

How did you get your results online? I would love to know. DS took the SCAT last week.

There is a MyCTY login ... it should be in your letter(?) and when you login there is an area that shows the scores.

I actually had to call and get my login and password from them. I had read in previous posts on this site of others getting them on line and just called to inquire how to do it. The gentleman I spoke with was extremely helpful.

Yes, I had to call too. I don't see DS's scores, though. I see his last years scores. I guess they are not available yet.

I just wanted to add the story of my youngest ds who took the SCAT last year at age 7. He was in 2nd grade. He is not a great student, and not all teachers recognize him as above average intellectually. We did not get the JHU CTY referral from the school, since they don't refer before 4th or 5th grade, and quite honestly I think they would not have chosen to refer ds anyway, based on school performance. On the first try, he did not finish either SCAT section. He took his time and did thirty something problems in math and forty something in verbal (according to him, right after the test). I was sure he must have done poorly (since he did not even finish) but he made the cut for CTY in math and just missed qualifying by one point in verbal. So I signed him up to take it again at the end of May, telling him only that he had done great and qualified for special programs, "but take it again and see if you can finish this time!" On the second time, the math score was similar (and still he did not finish), but the verbal score was something like 8 -10 points higher, and not only did he qualify for verbal courses, he won a "high honors" award on that section. So scores can go up, sometimes by a lot. This year (in 3rd grade) he has been doing EPGY math (not open enrollment) and has quickly gone through all of third and half of fourth grade math (in a short time) so when he takes the SCAT again in a couple weeks (which we will have him do for fun and practice), I will be interested to see the new scores. This year he became quite a voracious reader (which he was not last year) and he knows so much more math. I wonder if the scores will change? Maybe I will return when we get his scores this year and post the results (along with exact numbers from last year, which at the moment I am too lazy to look up).

I never understood the point of the award ceremonies for the high test scores (when older ds was getting them). My older ds knew he was really smart and the award was gratifying but seemed unnecessary and in some ways silly (why award someone for something outside their control, like being smart?) OTOH my youngest ds has only this year come to see himself as smart (I think) and the award ceremony for the high honors verbal score was a very high point for him this year (he received it late in the fall 2009 for the May 2009 test score). I think he gained confidence from it, which was something he needed.

I should add that ds (above) is no longer in that school where teachers generally seemed to underestimate his potential (where he attended k -2nd grade). This year the teachers do recognize his ability much more (but perhaps that is partly because these teachers have seen his SCAT results).