How to Calculate an Overall SAT Score

Students can access SAT scores online as well as receiving them by mail.

The College Board's Skills Assessment Test (SAT) consists of three sections: critical reading, mathematics and writing, known collectively as the SAT Reasoning Test. The College Board scores each section on a raw scale by adding a full point for correct answers and subtracting a fraction of a point for incorrect answers. The College Board then turns this raw score into a scaled score of 200 to 800 points for each section. Your overall SAT score is the sum of your scaled score on each of the three sections.

Instructions

1. Check the College Board's SAT Score Availability website online (see Resources) to see if the scores for your SAT testing date are available. Click the "Available Online" button to login and see your scores. If you registered for the test online, you should already have a login and password; however, you can create a login and password on the College Board site at any time. You should be able to access your scores online within three weeks of taking the test. If you choose to have your score report delivered by mail rather than accessing it online, your scores should reach you in five weeks.

2. Look at your "My SAT" page. Under "My Scores," search the test date for which you would like to see your SAT Reasoning Scores. The scaled scores for each of the three sections should be displayed. If receiving your scores by mail, you should see a clearly labeled section on your report with the scaled scores for the critical reading, mathematics and writing sections.

3. Add the scaled scores for each section together to determine your overall SAT Reasoning score. A perfect score on the SAT Reasoning Test would be a 2400, or a score of 800 on each of the three sections.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't confuse the three SAT Reasoning Test scores with subject test scores. If you have taken a subject test or tests, these scores will be listed below your Reasoning Test scores on the "My Scores" page (or below your Reasoning Test scores on a paper report). The College Board does not use subject test scores in the calculation of overall SAT score, as different students will take different subject tests based on the admissions requirements of the schools to which they apply.

References

• College Board: Getting to Know Your Scores

Resources

• College Board: SAT Score Availability