How Is the SAT Reasoning Test Scored?
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Raw Score
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The raw score is calculated for the math test, critical reading test and the grammar section of the writing test like this: 1 point for each correct answer, -1/4 point for an incorrect multiple-choice answer and 0 points for incorrect student-generated answers and omitted questions. The essay section of the writing test is scored by two readers, each giving 1 to 6 points. The scores are totaled for the raw score.
Point Score
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The raw scores are turned into scaled scores through a process called equating. Equating factors in all of the different editions of the test and differing conditions to reach a statistical score. Each section, critical reading, writing and math, is scored on a point system from 200 points to 800 points. The raw scores are equated so that the students' average score for that year becomes 500 points. 500 points is always considered the average score. The lowest possible total score is 600 points, 1500 is average and a perfect score is 2400.
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Percentile Score
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The percentile score compares your work to all of the graduating seniors who took the SAT Reasoning test the previous school year. If you score in the 80th percentile, that means 79 percent of the other students who took the test had a lower score the you did. You will get a national percentile score, which compares your score compared to everyone in the nation. You will also get a state score, which compares your score to everyone in the state.
The Essay
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The essay section of the writing test is scored by two readers, each giving 1 to 6 points. If the two scores are more than 2 points apart, a third reader checks the essay, and the two closer scores are used. So the raw score for the essay can be anywhere from 2 to 12 points. The essay score counts for 30 percent of the writing score, and the multiple-choice writing section counts for 70 percent.
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The essay is scored based on developing a point of view consistent with the essay's topic, critical thinking, excellent vocabulary, varied and rich sentence structure, error-free grammar, usage and mechanics.
Scaling Scores
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While the exact details of how each year's exam is equated are not shared by the College Board, in general you can assume that these raw scores equal the perfect 800-point scaled score:
Reading: 67 (67 questions)
Math: 54 (54 questions)
Writing, Multiple-Choice: 49 (49 questions)
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These scores will be around 650 points:
Reading: 52
Math: 45
Writing, Multiple-Choice: 40
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These scores will be the approximate average of 500 points:
Reading: 30
Math: 25
Writing, Multiple-Choice: 25
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These scores will be around 300 points:
Reading: 5
Math: 5
Writing: 5
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