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If you took the SAT from 2008-2010, you may be wondering what your percentile score is on the SAT. Is a 2000 on the SAT in 2010 the same percentile score as a 2000 in 2008? Do percentile scores change over time?

In this article, I will explain SAT percentile scores, how they change, and I'll provide the percentile scores for SAT combined scores and section scores for 2010, 2009, and 2008.

What Are Percentile Scores?

Percentile scores reveal how well you did in relation to other people. If you scored in the 99th percentile, then you did better than 99% of the people who took the test. If you scored in the 40th percentile, then you scored higher than 40% of the people who took the test.

The College Board determines its percentile scores annually from the scores of college-bound high school seniors who took the SAT. The higher your percentile score, the better you did relative to other high school seniors.

Do Percentile Scores Change?

Generally, percentile scores for equivalent SAT scores stay the same from year to year. For example, a combined SAT score of 1800 was the 81st percentile in 2010, 2009, and 2008.

However, percentile scores for the same combined and section scores can change very slightly. A combined score of 2100 was the 96th percentile in 2010, but it was the 97th percentile in 2009 and 2008. Similarly, a score of 640 on Critical Reading was the 88th percentile in 2010 and 2009, but it was the 87th percentile in 2008.

The SAT does try to utilize its scoring system so that equivalent SAT scores are indicative of the same percentile scores and skill level, regardless of when the test was taken. The purpose of the SAT is to provide a valid way to compare students. A score of 1700 from April 2015 is supposed to be equivalent to a 1700 from both May 2015 and May 2007. 

How Should You Use This Data and Why Is It Important?

Your percentile score is the most straightforward way to determine if you got a good or bad SAT score. If you scored higher than the majority of test-takers, then you did well. However, when you apply to a specific college, you're being compared to the other students who apply to that school. Most colleges publicize their 25th and 75th percentile SAT scores. If you want to be competitive for admission at a certain college, then your target score should be around the school's 75th percentile score.

Also, percentile scores help put your scores in context. There may not seem to be much difference between a 680 on the Critical Reading section and a 600 on Math, but that Critical Reading score is the 93rd percentile while the Math score is the 74th or 75th. Raising each section score by 100 points would raise the Critical Reading percentile ranking by 6 points but the Math by about 15. If you're considering retaking the SAT, your percentile scores can help you determine how you should prioritize your time.

Similarly, a small composite score increase can have a huge impact on your percentile score if you received a middle score. For example, a 1520 is the 51st or 52nd percentile but a 1760 is the 77th or 78th. Raising your score 250 points can raise your score from average to among the top 1/4 of test-takers.

Finally, seeing the percentile scores for multiple years shows how little variance there is between percentile scores for the same SAT composite or section score in different years. If you're worried about how an older SAT score stacks up with more recent scores, take a look at these charts to get an idea of how it compares.

 Frii Spray/Flickr

Composite Score Percentiles, 2008-2010

Enokson/Flickr

Section Score Percentiles

Here are the percentile scores for each section for 2008-2010.

Critical Reading

Mathematics

Writing

What's Next?

Check out the SAT historical percentiles for 2014, 2013, 2012, and 2011, and learn more about how to understand your SAT scores. Also, you may be interested in this post about whether SAT scores predict success.

Finally, read this article if you're wondering if you need SAT scores to transfer colleges.