Score Percentage change!

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mrfotih
Posts: 56
Joined: Wed Jul 06, 2011 6:02 pm

Score Percentage change!

Post by mrfotih » Wed Jul 03, 2013 12:03 pm

Initially my score and its percentage were 780 (70%). Recently I have noticed from my online account that they have changed it to 780 (69%)!
They changed the percented from 70% to 69%.
Can anyone explain it why?

Scooter
Posts: 14
Joined: Tue Jun 11, 2013 10:28 am

Re: Score Percentage change!

Post by Scooter » Wed Jul 03, 2013 12:16 pm

I believe percentiles are calculated from the past three (I think) years. So every time people take the test, the test scores they use to calculate what percentile you are in changes slightly, and thus the percentile you are in can change slightly.

If I'm not mistaken.

mrfotih
Posts: 56
Joined: Wed Jul 06, 2011 6:02 pm

Re: Score Percentage change!

Post by mrfotih » Wed Jul 03, 2013 12:36 pm

I took April 2013Test!? There was no test after that!

Scooter
Posts: 14
Joined: Tue Jun 11, 2013 10:28 am

Re: Score Percentage change!

Post by Scooter » Wed Jul 03, 2013 12:48 pm

Hmm, did it change just recently or could it have changed months ago?
I really have no idea why it would then. :?

mrfotih
Posts: 56
Joined: Wed Jul 06, 2011 6:02 pm

Re: Score Percentage change!

Post by mrfotih » Wed Jul 03, 2013 12:56 pm

It was changed couple of days ago.

blighter
Posts: 256
Joined: Thu Jan 26, 2012 6:30 pm

Re: Score Percentage change!

Post by blighter » Wed Jul 03, 2013 2:14 pm

Yup. So has mine. Dropped down by 1%.

TakeruK
Posts: 941
Joined: Mon Jan 02, 2012 3:05 pm

Re: Score Percentage change!

Post by TakeruK » Wed Jul 03, 2013 2:32 pm

It probably changed on July 1. Here is some more info: http://www.ets.org/gre/subject/scores/understand/

And also: http://www.ets.org/s/gre/pdf/gre_guide_table2.pdf

This PDF shows how percentile rank are converted from your scaled scores. The text at the top says that this file shows the conversion for all exams taken between July 1 2009 through June 30 2012 (i.e. a 3 year period). I would guess that your percentile rank are recomputed every July 1 compared to scores of all exams taken in the past 3 years (i.e. rolling window). Thus, if you took the April 2013 test, when you got your score in May/June 2013, your percentile rank was computed based on the July 1, 2009 to June 30, 2012 window. However, today, when you check online, it's likely that your new percentile rank is computed based on the July 1, 2010 to June 30, 2013 window.

If this is right, then your scaled score should never change (that score is specific to the test you wrote on your particular exam date). But, your percentile rank is updated every year because it compares your performance on your specific test to the performance of everyone on the past 3 years worth of tests.



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