Students often have trouble figuring out whether to take Level 1 or Level 2. Of course, a school you are interested in may have a preference, so you may not really have a choice. And if you are thinking about an engineering program, probably you need to take Level 2. Finally, read this (“Choosing between Math Levels 1 and 2”) from the SAT people about the scope of the respective tests. But suppose these factors do not make the choice clear. What should you do?
Level 1 is “easier,” and many students think “easier” = “higher score.” But “easier” can also mean “less forgiving” – because the tests are graded on a curve, you may have to do extremely well on Level 1 to get a high score. Using the scoring tables from the practice tests in the official SAT Subject Test guide for the math test to inform us, you can only afford to get 1 or 2 wrong on Level 1 to get an 800. In comparison, you can get 7 or 8 wrong on Level 2 and still get an 800.
Students with strong math skills may actually score higher on Level 2, provided they are willing to struggle a bit with the test, including leaving a few questions unanswered. Not for everyone – some kids become unglued if they start to sweat during a test.
You can decide as late as the day of the test (Saturday, June 4) which Math Subject Test to take (or even whether to take a Math test at all).
By the way, whereas the new “regular” SAT test no longer has a guessing penalty, the Subject tests still have a penalty, so be strategic about guessing.