How does SAT scoring work? Is it curved?

Hey y'all, I'm a bit confused about the SAT scoring process. I've heard it's curved, but I'm not exactly sure what that means? Can someone explain how this works?

Hi there! I'd be happy to help clarify the SAT scoring process for you. The SAT is not curved in the traditional sense, but it does use a process called "equating" to ensure fairness and consistency across different test dates.

Equating takes into account the slight variations in difficulty across different test versions. To account for these variations, the College Board uses a statistical method to determine a score that is equivalent to the same level of performance regardless of which version you took. This process ensures that a score on one test date is just as meaningful as an equivalent score on another test date, even if one test version was slightly easier or harder than another.

The scores on the SAT are not determined by comparing your performance to other test-takers on the same test date, which would be the case if it were truly curved. Instead, the equating process is established based on pretesting and analysis conducted before the test is administered.

Here's a quick overview of the SAT scoring:

1. Raw scores: For each section (Reading and Writing, and Math), you receive a raw score based on the number of questions you answered correctly. There's no penalty for incorrect answers.

2. Equating: Your raw scores are then transformed through the equating process into scaled scores, which range from 200 to 800 for each section (Reading and Writing, and Math).

3. Total score: Your two section scores are added together to form a total SAT score that ranges from 400 to 1600.

In summary, while the SAT is not curved based on other test-takers' performance, it does use equating to ensure that scores are consistent and fair across different test dates and test versions. I hope this clears up any confusion!