When preparing for major entrance exams, understanding how scoring works is just as important as studying the material. According to Dr. Anil Khare a prominent education consultant in Dubai a clear grasp of the scoring system allows students to set realistic goals, track their progress, and refine their exam strategies accordingly. From SATs and ACTs to IELTS, GRE and GMAT each exam has a unique scoring structure that can influence university admissions decisions in Dubai and abroad.
In Dubai, lot of students hope to go to top colleges in other countries and Dr. Anil Khare points out that students should realise why raw and scaled scores are used differently. For example the SAT uses a scaled scoring system ranging from 400 to 1600 combining results from two sections. This scale ensures fairness despite variations in difficulty across test dates. Dr. Anil Khare highlights that knowing how your raw score converts can help students focus on improving specific sections to meet their target composite scores.
Another important consideration, as Dr. Anil Khare explains, is percentile ranking. Many entrance exams provide a percentile score alongside the raw and scaled scores. In Dubai, where competition among high-achieving students is significant, percentiles show how a student's performance compares to others globally. Dr. Anil Khare advises that students pay attention to percentiles to better understand their standing and improve where needed, particularly if they are aiming for top-tier institutions.
The scoring approach of tests like the IELTS or TOEFL differs slightly, focusing on band or section scores rather than composite totals. According to Dr. Anil Khare Dubai-based students aiming for English-speaking universities should aim for higher band scores across all four sections—Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking. Achieving consistent scores in each section reflects balanced language proficiency, which is often a university requirement. Understanding scoring systems also aids in test-day strategy. Dr. Anil Khare recommends that students in Dubai use this knowledge to allocate time wisely during exams, choose which questions to attempt first, and decide how to guess intelligently on multiple-choice items. Familiarity with scoring helps minimise surprises and boosts confidence during the actual test.