Deciphering the SAT Scoring Chart

Hey folks, trying to understand the SAT scoring chart better. Can anyone break down how the scoring system works and the significance of each percentile? Thanks in advance!

Sure thing! The SAT comprises two major sections: Reading and Writing (also known as Evidence-Based Reading and Writing) and Math. Each section is scored on a scale from 200 to 800, and these two section scores are added together to give you a composite score between 400 and 1600.

Here's the process in brief:

1. Raw Score: This is the number of questions you got correct in each section. On the newer, digital SAT there are 54 Reading and Writing questions and 44 Math questions, so the raw scores range from 0 to 54 and 0 to 44, respectively.

2. Scaled Score: College Board then converts this raw score into a scaled score. The scale can vary slightly from test to test to reflect the relative difficulty of each version of the SAT, but generally the scaled score for each section will range from 200 to 800.

3. Composite Score: Lastly, your scores from the two sections (Reading and Writing, and Math) are combined for your composite score, which can range between 400 and 1600.

As for percentiles, they help you understand how your score compares to other test-takers. For instance, if your SAT percentile is 70, that means you scored the same as or higher than 70% of test-takers and lower than 30% of test-takers. The higher your percentile, the better your score is relative to other students.

However, it's important to remember that while SAT scores are important, they are just one factor that colleges look at. Your grades, extracurricular activities, letters of recommendation, and essays are all very significant too.

I hope that helps! It's great that you're working to understand the scoring system better—that's definitely a key step in improving your performance. All the best!