A common question about the SAT that we hear from students is some version of:
“I heard the SAT curve is harder in March and October because that's when all the smart kids take it. Is it easier in the other months?"
Here’s the answer—no. Not true. It’s a myth, an urban legend with absolutely no basis in fact.
The SAT is curved against a generation of test-takers, not against test-takers from one test date. The fact that the scoring curve doesn’t change from test to test is one of the many reasons why the SAT is in fact a standardized test.
That being said, it’s best not to take the SAT (or ACT) in June, but it has nothing to do with the curve. Students are academically exhausted in June. That’s not a good mental place in which to be when taking a standardized test.
Thanks to Paul, our resident standardized testing guru, for the details about the curve myth.