Curious about how SAT scores have changed over time

I recently learned that SAT scoring has evolved quite a bit over the years. What was considered a perfect SAT score in the 70s or 80s? Is the highest possible score today the same as it was back then? Just curious about the evolution of the test!

You're right that the SAT scoring system has evolved over the years. I'll provide a brief overview of the changes in SAT scoring so you can understand the differences.

In the 70s and 80s, the SAT consisted of two sections: Math and Verbal (now referred to as Evidence-Based Reading and Writing). Each section was scored on a scale of 200-800, and the perfect score was 1600. This version of the SAT remained relatively unchanged until 2005.

In March 2005, the College Board introduced a significant redesign of the SAT. The test now had three sections: Math, Critical Reading, and Writing. The Writing section included an essay, which was scored separately from the multiple-choice questions. Each section was still scored on a scale of 200-800, so the highest possible score was now 2400.

However, this scoring format didn't last long. The College Board went through another revamp of the SAT in 2016 and returned to the 1600-point scale. The revised SAT has two sections: Math and Evidence-Based Reading and Writing. The optional Essay section was introduced in this redesign, but it was scored separately on a scale of 6-24 and did not contribute to the overall score. In 2021 though, the SAT did away with the optional essay altogether. So in the current version of the SAT, the highest possible score is 1600, just like it was in the 70s and 80s.

To sum it up, a perfect SAT score was 1600 in the 70s and 80s, then changed to 2400 from 2005 to 2016, and is now back to 1600. I hope this clears things up for you!