Hey everyone, I've recently taken the SAT and I'm a bit confused about the scoring system. Can someone explain how they score the SAT and what's considered a good score? Thanks in advance!
Sure, I'd be happy to help explain the SAT scoring system!
The SAT is scored on a scale of 400 to 1600. It is made up of two sections: the Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (ERW) section and the Math section. Each section is scored on a scale of 200 to 800, and the total score is the sum of the two section scores.
The ERW section consists of two parts: the Reading test and the Writing and Language test. For these assessments, you will receive a raw score based on the number of questions you answer correctly. The raw score is then converted to a scaled score using a process called equating, which accounts for the difficulty level of the specific test you took.
The Math section has a similar scoring process, but there is only one raw score for the entire section. Like in the ERW section, your raw score is the number of math questions you answer correctly, which is then converted to the scaled score using equating.
Once you have your scaled scores for the ERW and Math sections, you add these together to get your total SAT score.
As for what's considered a "good" score, that depends on where you want to apply to college. It's best to research the middle 50% SAT score range for the specific colleges you're interested in. The middle 50% represents the range in which 50% of admitted students score. For competitive colleges, a score above the 75th percentile of their admitted students could be considered "good." Generally, a score of 1300 or higher is considered above average, and a score of 1500 or higher is considered "highly competitive."
Remember, however, that test scores are just one part of your college application, and many colleges practice holistic admissions. Other factors like your GPA, extracurriculars, essays, and letters of recommendation play important roles in admissions decisions, too. Good luck!
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