Grading the SAT: The ins and outs?

Hey guys, I'm trying to understand the whole SAT grading thing a little better. How does the College Board score an SAT exam? What's the difference between a raw score and a scaled score? Thanks in advance!

The grading of the SAT can indeed be a bit complex, but let's break it down!

The grading process of the SAT begins with your 'raw score', which is the number of questions you answered correctly for each section (the SAT Reading and Writing section and the Math section). The new SAT, which came into effect in 2016, does not penalize for wrong answers, so your raw score is simply your number of correct answers.

This raw score is then converted into a 'scaled score' through a process called 'equating'. Equating is designed to account for slight variations in difficulty between different versions of the test, so that a scaled score represents the same level of ability regardless of which version of the test you took and when. The equating process ensures fairness and makes it possible for colleges to compare SAT scores from different test dates.

As a result of the equating process, the raw score you need to achieve a certain scaled score can differ for different versions of the test. Generally, though, if you get more questions right, your raw score will be higher, and correspondingly, your scaled score will be too.

For the SAT, individual section scores range from 200 to 800, so the highest possible combined score is 1600. The Reading and Writing sections are combined into one section score, so your score report will only show two scores: one for Evidence-Based Reading and Writing, and one for Math.

Remember, the College Board doesn’t simply add up the number of questions you answer correctly. Instead, it converts that raw score into a scaled score to account for the fact that different tests may have slightly different levels of difficulty. So, no worries! Your SAT score will accurately reflect your abilities, no matter when or which version of the test you take!