What Are SAT Scores? A Complete Breakdown

Understanding SAT scores is essential for every college-bound student. This comprehensive guide breaks down everything you need to know about SAT scoring, from raw scores to percentiles.

The SAT Score Range

The SAT is scored on a scale of 400 to 1600, combining two main sections:

• Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (EBRW): 200-800 points
• Math: 200-800 points

Your total SAT score is the sum of these two section scores.

Raw Scores vs. Scaled Scores

It's important to understand the difference between raw scores and scaled scores:

Raw Scores

Your raw score is simply the number of questions you answered correctly. The SAT does not deduct points for wrong answers.

Scaled Scores

Raw scores are converted to scaled scores using official College Board conversion tables (equating).

SAT Percentiles

Percentile rankings show how you performed compared to other test-takers:

• 1200: ~75th percentile
• 1400: ~94th percentile
• 1500+: 99th percentile

What's a Good SAT Score?

• 1200-1300: Competitive for most state universities
• 1300-1400: Strong score for selective colleges
• 1400-1500: Excellent score for highly selective schools
• 1500+: Top tier