SAT Score Chart: Raw Score Conversion to Scaled Score

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You may be wondering how your SAT score is determined. Where does that score of 200-800 on each section of the SAT come from? What does your SAT score mean? Or, maybe you're familiar with the concept of raw scores, but you don't know how your raw score is converted into a scaled score. Hopefully, this article will answer your questions and clear up any confusion.

In this post, I'll clarify the difference between raw scores and scaled scores and provide charts that show the SAT raw score conversion to scaled score. Furthermore, I'll explain why the data from these SAT score charts can be helpful to you in your SAT preparation.

What Is a Raw Score?

Your raw score for each section is calculated from the number of questions you answered correctly and incorrectly. For every question you answer correctly on the SAT, you receive one point. For every question you answer incorrectly on the SAT, you receive minus ¼ point, with the exception of grid-ins in the Math section, for which you receive zero points for wrong answers. For every question you skip on the SAT, you receive zero points.

The maximum raw score varies for each section. For Critical Reading, there are 67 questions; therefore, the max raw score is 67. For Math, there are 54 questions; the max raw score is 54. For Writing, there are 49 questions and 1 essay. The maximum multiple-choice raw score is 49 and the maximum essay score is 12.

What Is a Scaled Score?

The scaled score is the score from 200-800 you receive on each section of the SAT. Your scaled score is determined from the raw score through a process that the College Board calls equating. Equating “ensures that the different forms of the test or the level of ability of the students with whom you are tested do not affect your score. Equating makes it possible to make comparisons among test takers who take different editions of the test across different administrations.”

Therefore, your scaled score is not dependent on the difficulty of the test or the skill level of the students who take your edition of the test. The College Board doesn’t release its formula for equating, but it does periodically release scoring charts to convert raw scores to scaled scores. The scoring charts change slightly for each edition of the test, but they remain somewhat consistent.

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Why Is This Data Important? How Can It Help You?

From your target scaled score, you can get a rough idea of how many questions you need to answer correctly on each section to reach your goal. For example, if you want to get a 750 on Critical Reading, you need to get a raw score of about 62. Therefore, you can only get about 4 questions wrong or omit 5 questions to reach your target score. Having this knowledge can inform your guessing and study strategies.

If you’re aiming for a 600, focus on the easy and medium level difficulty questions. To get a 600 in Reading, you only need a raw score of about 46 out of 67. This means that you can skip 12 questions, get 7 wrong, and still get a 600. Therefore, if your target score is a 600, don’t waste time on the most difficult, time-consuming questions. You can skip the hardest 20% of questions and still reach your target score.

Also, you'll see that the math curve is very harsh. For most tests, you have to answer every single question correctly to get an 800.

Finally, the essay has a big impact on your Writing score. It counts for almost ⅓ of your Writing score. If you get a multiple-choice raw score of 45 and an essay score of 12, your scaled score is about a 760. If you get the same raw score, but an essay score of 7, your scaled score is about a 670. If you can master the SAT essay, you’ll be well on your way to reaching your Writing goal.

Raw Score to Scaled Score Conversion Charts

Below is a sample SAT conversion chart released by the College Board. Remember that SAT score charts change for each edition of the test, but the changes are usually not that drastic. For example, a raw score of 46 in Math converted to a scaled score of 660 on the January 2010 and 2011 editions of the SAT. However, in May 2011 and 2009, a 46 in Math converted to a 680.

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Critical Reading

Raw Score	Scaled Score	2014 Percentile
67	800	99
66	800	99
65	800	99
64	790	99
63	770	99
62	760	99
61	740	98
60	730	97
59	720	96
58	700	96
57	690	95
56	680	94
55	670	92
54	670	92
53	660	91
52	650	90
51	640	89
50	630	86
49	620	84
48	620	84
47	610	82
46	600	80
45	600	80
44	590	78
43	580	75
42	570	73
41	570	73
40	560	70
39	550	67
38	550	67
37	540	64
36	530	61
35	530	61
34	520	57
33	520	57
32	510	54
31	500	51
30	500	51
29	490	48
28	480	44
27	480	44
26	470	41
25	460	37
24	460	37
23	450	35
22	440	31
21	440	31
20	430	28
19	420	25
18	410	22
17	410	22
16	400	19
15	390	17
14	380	15
13	380	15
12	370	13
11	360	11
10	350	9
9	340	8
8	330	7
7	320	5
6	310	5
5	300	4
4	290	3
3	270	2
2	260	2
1	240	1
0	220	1
-1	210	1
-2 or below	200	--

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Charts are fun.

Math

Raw Score	Scaled Score	2014 Percentile
54	800	99
53	790	99
52	760	97
51	740	96
50	720	95
49	710	94
48	700	93
47	690	92
46	680	90
45	670	89
44	660	87
43	650	86
42	640	84
41	640	84
40	630	82
39	620	80
38	610	77
37	600	75
36	590	73
35	590	73
34	580	71
33	570	68
32	560	66
31	550	62
30	540	59
29	540	59
28	530	56
27	520	53
26	510	50
25	500	46
24	490	44
23	480	41
22	480	41
21	470	37
20	460	34
19	450	31
18	440	28
17	430	25
16	420	22
15	420	22
14	410	19
13	400	17
12	390	15
11	380	13
10	370	11
9	360	9
8	350	8
7	330	6
6	320	5
5	310	4
4	290	2
3	280	2
2	260	1
1	240	1
0	220	1-
-1	200	--
-2 and below	200	--

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Charts are really fun.

Writing

Essay Score

Raw Score	12	11	10	9	8	7	6	5	4	3	2	0
49	800	800	800	790	770	750	740	720	710	700	680	670
48	800	800	780	760	740	720	710	690	680	670	650	640
47	790	770	760	740	720	700	690	670	660	640	630	620
46	770	750	740	720	700	680	670	650	640	630	610	600
45	760	740	720	710	690	670	650	640	630	610	590	580
44	740	730	710	700	670	660	640	620	610	600	580	570
43	730	720	700	680	660	640	630	620	600	590	570	560
42	720	700	690	670	650	630	620	600	590	570	560	550
41	710	690	680	660	640	620	610	590	580	560	550	540
40	700	680	670	650	630	610	600	580	570	550	540	530
39	690	680	660	640	620	600	590	570	560	550	530	520
38	680	670	650	630	610	600	580	560	550	540	520	510
37	670	660	640	630	610	590	570	550	540	530	510	500
36	660	650	630	620	600	580	560	550	530	520	500	490
35	660	640	620	610	590	570	550	540	530	510	490	480
34	650	630	620	600	580	560	550	530	520	500	490	480
33	640	620	610	590	570	550	540	520	510	490	480	470
32	630	620	600	580	560	540	530	510	500	490	470	460
31	620	610	590	580	550	540	520	500	490	480	460	450
30	610	600	580	570	550	530	510	500	480	470	450	440
29	610	580	570	560	540	520	500	490	480	460	440	430
28	600	580	570	550	530	510	490	480	470	450	440	430
27	590	570	560	540	520	500	490	470	460	440	430	420
26	580	570	550	530	510	490	480	460	450	440	420	410
25	570	560	540	530	500	490	470	450	440	430	410	400
24	560	550	530	520	500	480	460	450	430	420	400	390
23	560	540	520	510	490	470	450	440	430	410	390	380
22	550	530	520	500	480	460	450	430	420	400	390	380
21	540	520	510	490	470	450	440	420	410	390	380	370
20	530	520	500	480	460	440	430	410	400	390	370	360
19	520	510	490	480	460	440	420	410	390	380	360	350
18	520	500	480	470	450	430	410	400	390	370	350	340
17	510	490	480	460	440	420	410	390	380	360	350	340
16	500	490	470	450	430	410	400	380	370	360	340	330
15	490	480	460	450	430	410	390	370	360	350	330	320
14	490	470	450	440	420	400	380	370	360	340	320	310
13	480	460	450	430	410	390	380	360	350	330	320	310
12	470	460	440	420	400	380	370	350	340	330	310	300
11	460	450	430	420	400	380	360	350	330	320	300	290
10	460	440	420	410	390	370	350	340	330	310	290	280
9	450	430	420	400	380	360	350	330	320	300	290	280
8	440	430	410	390	370	350	340	320	310	300	280	270
7	430	420	400	390	360	350	330	310	300	290	270	260
6	420	410	390	380	360	340	320	310	290	280	260	250
5	410	400	380	370	350	330	310	300	280	270	250	240
4	400	390	370	360	340	320	300	290	270	260	240	230
3	390	380	360	350	330	310	290	280	260	250	230	220
2	380	370	350	330	310	290	280	260	250	240	220	210
1	370	350	340	320	300	280	260	250	240	220	210	200
0	350	340	320	300	280	260	250	240	220	210	200	200
-1	330	320	300	290	270	250	230	220	200	200	200	200
-2	310	300	280	270	250	230	210	200	200	200	200	200
-3	310	290	280	260	240	220	210	200	200	200	200	200

Writing Scaled Score	2014 Percentile
800	99+
790	99
780	99
770	99
760	99
750	98
740	98
730	98
720	97
710	96
700	96
690	95
680	94
670	93
660	92
650	91
640	89
630	88
620	86
610	84
600	82
590	80
580	78
570	76
560	74
550	71
540	68
530	65
520	62
510	59
500	56
490	53
480	49
470	46
460	42
450	39
440	35
430	32
420	29
410	25
400	22
3901	19
380	17
370	14
360	12
350	10
340	8
330	7
320	6
310	5
290	4
280	3
270	3
260	2
250	2
240	2
230	1
220	1
210	1
200	--

What's Next?

Now that you've seen the SAT score chart, find out what's considered a good and bad SAT score.

Also, find out how many questions you can miss to get a perfect SAT score.

Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points? We've written a guide about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Have friends who also need help with test prep? Share this article!

Justin Berkman

About the Author

Justin has extensive experience teaching SAT prep and guiding high school students through the college admissions and selection process. He is firmly committed to improving equity in education and helping students to reach their educational goals. Justin received an athletic scholarship for gymnastics at Stanford University and graduated with a BA in American Studies.

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