SAT scoring explained
What the numbers mean and what to aim for.
The scale
Your total SAT score ranges from 400 to 1600. It's the sum of two section scores, each ranging from 200 to 800: Reading and Writing, and Math.
How raw answers become a score
Your number of correct answers is converted to a scaled score. Because the test is adaptive, the difficulty of the second module you receive factors into that conversion. There's no deduction for a wrong answer, and College Board says it's better to guess than to leave a question blank — so answer every question, ideally after eliminating an option or two.
What's a "good" score?
It depends entirely on where you're applying — there's no universal cutoff. A useful way to think about it:
- The national average is around 1030; a score near 1050 puts you just above the middle.
- 1200s is around the range many state universities report.
- These are rough orientation only, not cutoffs — always check the published middle-50% range for the specific colleges you care about.
- 1400s is common at more selective schools.
- 1500+ is roughly the 98th percentile — the top few percent of test takers.
The most reliable approach is to look up the middle 50% score range for the specific colleges you're interested in — most publish it — and aim for the upper half of that range.
Score choice and retaking
Many students take the SAT more than once, and retakers often improve. Many colleges "superscore," meaning they combine your best Reading and Writing score with your best Math score across test dates. Check each college's policy.