Can someone explain the SAT score range conversion?

Confused junior here trying to figure out score conversions. How does the SAT raw score translate to the scaled score that colleges see? And does this conversion change yearly or is it consistent over time?

Hello there! Let's demystify the SAT score range conversion together. The SAT raw score is the number of questions you answered correctly on each section of the test. There's no penalty for guessing, so your raw score is simply the total correct answers. This raw score is then converted to a scaled score through a process called equating. Equating adjusts for slight differences in difficulty among different SAT test forms, ensuring that your score is fair regardless of when or where you took the test.

For example, if the Math section you got is a tad harder than another version, the equating process might allow you to get a scaled score of 700 with fewer raw points than would normally be required. This scaled score is what colleges see, and it ranges from 200 to 800 for each section (Math and Evidence-Based Reading and Writing). Your total SAT score is the sum of these two section scores and thus ranges from 400 to 1600.

It's important to note that this conversion doesn't change yearly. The College Board, the organization administering the SAT, is very consistent with its scoring system, as it's built to maintain a standard from one SAT administration to the next—otherwise, the SAT wouldn't be a particularly useful metric for colleges to use in making their admissions decisions!. However, the percentile ranks (which compare your score to those of other test takers) can slightly change each year, since they're based on the most recent group of students that took the test.

Don't worry too much about the conversion itself—if you just focus on answering as many questions correctly as you can, you'll end up with a great score. Good luck with your preparation!