SAT Scores

Your SAT Scores are comprised of three items: your SAT Score, your percentile, and your score range. Each of the three main sections (critical reading, math, and writing) is scored on a scale of 200-800. Additionally, you will receive subscores for the essay (scale of 2-12) and multiple choice writing questions (scale of 20-80).

Your test score is determined by first calculating your raw score, and then determining a scaled score. Your raw SAT Score is determined by giving you 1 point for each correct answer and deducting ¼ point for each incorrect answer. Your raw score is then “equated” to derive a scaled score. A scaled score reduces the impact of different test versions and the students who take specific versions.

SAT Score Range

Your score range is an attempt to measure your true performance on the SAT Test. The SAT Score Range represents an estimate of how your scores might vary if you were tested repeatedly.

Interpreting your SAT Scores

The best way to understand your SAT Scores is by comparing them to other students and seeing what your preferred colleges require. The table below lists your percentile compared to other students. For example, if you scored a 580 on your SAT Critical Reading score, this implies that your percentile score is 75 (i.e., you scored better than 75% of the other students who took the SAT Test). For the most recent graduating class, the average (mean) SAT Scores were 502 for Critical Reading, 515 for Math and 494 for Writing.

SAT Score Percentiles

Score	SAT Critical Reading	SAT Math	SAT Writing
800	99	99	99+
790	99	99	99
780	99	99	99
770	99	98	99
760	99	98	99
750	98	97	99
740	98	97	98
730	97	96	98
720	96	96	97
710	96	95	97
700	95	94	96
690	94	93	95
680	93	91	94
670	92	90	93
660	91	88	92
650	90	85	90
640	88	84	89
630	85	82	87
620	84	80	85
610	82	77	84
600	79	75	82
590	77	72	79
580	75	69	77
570	72	66	74
560	69	64	71
550	66	60	69
540	62	57	65
530	59	54	62
520	56	51	59
510	52	48	55
500	49	44	52
490	45	41	49
480	42	38	45
470	38	35	42
460	35	31	38
450	32	28	34
440	28	25	31
430	26	23	28
420	22	20	24
410	20	17	22
400	17	15	18
390	15	13	16
380	12	11	13
370	11	10	11
360	9	8	9
350	8	7	8
340	6	6	6
330	5	5	5
320	4	4	4
310	4	3	3
300	3	2	3
290	2	2	2
280	2	2	2
270	2	1	1
260	1	1	1
250	1	1	1
240	1	1	1
230	1	1	1
220	1	1-	1-
210	1	1-	1-
200	–	–	–

Source: College Board (pdf)

SAT Test and College Requirements

The table below summarizes the SAT Test requirements for public and private 4 year institutions.

	Public 4-year institutions	Private 4-year institutions
SAT scores
Critical reading, 25th percentile	463	485
Critical reading, 75th percentile	572	598
Mathematics, 25th percentile	474	486
Mathematics, 75th percentile	584	599