The SAT is a standardized college admissions test from the College Board that measures reading, writing and math skills, reported as a total score from 400 to 1600.
How the score is built
According to the College Board’s score guide, the SAT has two sections, each scored from 200 to 800:
- Reading and Writing
- Math
The total is the sum of the two. A student with 650 in Reading and Writing and 700 in Math has a total of 1350.
Your score report also shows percentiles, which compare your scores with other students who took the test. A percentile is not the percent of questions you got right; see percentile rank.
Estimating a score from practice
Practice tests give you a raw count of correct answers per section, which is then converted to the 200 to 800 scale. The SAT score calculator estimates that conversion so you can track progress between practice tests.
How colleges use it
Colleges set their own testing policies: some require scores, some are test-optional, some don’t consider them. Many that accept scores look at your best section scores across test dates, a practice called superscoring.
The SAT family
The College Board also offers the PSAT/NMSQT and PSAT 10, which use a 320 to 1520 scale, and the PSAT 8/9. The junior-year PSAT/NMSQT doubles as the entry test for the National Merit Scholarship Program; the PSAT score calculator covers it. If you’re deciding between tests, compare with the ACT using the ACT score calculator.
Related: ACT · PSAT/NMSQT
Frequently asked questions
What is a perfect SAT score?
- That’s a top score of 800 on both the Reading and Writing section and the Math section. The lowest possible total is 400.