SAT Historical Percentiles for 2005, 2004, 2003

If you took the SAT in 2003, 2004, or 2005, you may be wondering what your percentile score is on the SAT. Is a 1400 on the SAT in 2005 the same percentile score as a 1400 in 2003? Do percentile scores change over time? 2005 was a big year in SAT history; the maximum score for the SAT changed from a 1600 to a 2400 in March of 2005. In March of 2016, the SAT will be going back to the 1600 maximum score. For this post, I will be focusing on percentile scores from before the SAT changed its format in 2005.

In this article, I will explain SAT percentile scores, how they change, and I'll provide the percentile scores for SAT composite and section scores for 2005 and 2004.

What Are Percentile Scores?

Percentile scores reveal how well you did on the test in relation to other people. If you scored in the 90th percentile, you did better than 90% of test-takers. If you got a 40th percentile score, you did better than 40% of the people who took the test.

The College Board determines SAT 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 college-bound high school seniors from that year.

Do Percentile Scores Change?

Typically, percentile scores for equivalent SAT scores stay roughly the same from year to year. For example, a 1400 was the 96th percentile in both 2005 and 2004. However, percentile scores can change very slightly. In 2005, a 1260 was the 85th percentile, but in 2004, it was the 86th percentile. (That's equivalent to about an 1860 on the current SAT.)

The SAT does try to use its scoring system so that equivalent SAT scores are indicative of the same skill level and percentile scores regardless of when the test was taken. A 1300 in 2004 should be equivalent to an 1300 in 1984.

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

Your percentile score is the most straightforward way to determine if you got a good or bad score. If you did better than the majority of test-takers, then you did well. However, when you apply to a college, you’re being compared with the other applicants to that school. Most schools publicize their 25th and 75th percentile SAT scores. If you want to be competitive for admission, your target score should be the school’s 75th percentile score.

Keep in mind that if you took the SAT in 2003-2005, you probably won’t need your SAT score for college since scores are usually only valid for 5 years. However, a future employer may want to know your SAT score.

Percentile scores help put your scores in context. A small composite score increase can have a huge impact on your percentile score if you received a middle score. A 1010 is roughly the 46th percentile, but a 1230 is the 82nd.

2003 Percentile Scores

I was unable to obtain percentile scores from 2003, but as you’ll see, there is very little variation from year to year. I was able to determine that the average Verbal score for 2003 was 507 and the average Math score was 519.

Composite Score Percentiles

Section Score Percentiles

Before the SAT changed its format in March 2005, the Critical Reading section was known as the Verbal section. The Verbal section included analogies. There were no iPads. Times were different.

Critical Reading (Verbal)

Math

What's Next?

If you're interested in looking at more recent percentile scores, check out SAT historical percentiles from 2014, 2013, 2012, and 2011.

Also, find out if the SAT predicts success and who uses SAT scores.