Percentage points vs. percent
SAT glossary · Math
Definition
The absolute change in a percentage (24% to 42% is 18 percentage points) versus the relative change ((42-24)/24 = 75%). When an option writes '%' where it means 'percentage points' it is wrong full stop, even when its conclusion happens to be defensible — a true conclusion resting on a false statement is still a false statement.
Percentage points vs. percent in plain English
This distinguishes two very different ways to describe a change in a percentage, and mixing them up makes a statement flatly false, even if its overall conclusion happens to sound reasonable. 'Percentage POINTS' is the raw, absolute difference between two percentages — going from 24% to 42% is a change of 18 PERCENTAGE POINTS (just subtracting 24 from 42). 'PERCENT' change is the relative change compared to the starting point: (42-24)/24=75%. If an answer choice uses the word '%' when it should have said 'percentage points' (or vice versa), that choice is wrong, full stop — even if whatever it's trying to conclude happens to actually be true in reality, because a true idea built on a technically false statement is still considered false.
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