How Do You Convert Old SAT Scores to New?

I've been looking for information on converting old SAT scores to the new system. My sibling got a 2150 on the old SAT, and we're trying to make sense of how it compares to my new SAT score. Any help would be rad!

To put it simply, the current SAT score differs from the old one as it's based on a 1600 scale rather than a 2400. Let's break it down:

The current SAT has two sections: Math, and Evidence-Based Reading and Writing, each scored from 200 to 800. Summing both sections gets you a total score ranging from 400 to 1600.

The old SAT also had three sections: Reading, Writing, and Math, which were each scored from 200 to 800. The Writing section contained an essay that was a substantial part of the score, which is not the case in the current SAT. Thus, the old SAT total score ranged from 600 to 2400.

To compare a new SAT score to an old SAT score, we first have to remove the writing component from the old SAT since the new SAT's combined score for Reading and Writing is compared to the old Reading score alone.

So, in your sibling's case, they received a 2150 on the old SAT. Subtract the Writing score, leaving you with the combined Math and Reading score. Then, you can compare it directly with your new SAT score.

Conversion tables to help correlate old and new SAT scores are available, but remember, even with this conversion, the two scores may not be entirely equivalent due to the structural differences in the two tests. While these scores can give a valuable comparison, they might not convey the whole picture of a student's performance or potential.