A student might leave the test feeling great— and then get a score way lower than expected. Also, a student might leave the test feeling awful about it— and might score much higher than expected. This happens with every test administration; someone is always shocked when they receive their scores.
Each test administration is substantially different. As such, they have significantly different curves. On a recent SAT, a student could have missed 15 math questions and score a 700. Conversely, on the October 2018 SAT, a student could only miss 6 for that same score (data from CollegeBoard rubrics!). On the August 2019 test, 7 questions missed resulted in a 600!
This kind of variation can make scores difficult to predict.
This variation also exists for the ACT, especially among top scorers. Some ACTs allow students to miss a few (1 or 2) questions per section and still score a perfect 36. However, on another test, you miss 2 questions and you’re down to a 33!
So when students wish for an “easy” test, what are they really asking for? Do they want a test that feels easy, but ends up having a nasty curve? Or do they want a test that feels hard, but ends up having a forgiving curve?
Obviously, there are pros and cons to each situation. The best way to manage either scenario is to prepare for any possibility and do the best you can.