What’s a good SAT score? If you’re trying to figure out your SAT score goal for admissions, you’ll want to look at the SAT averages for the schools you’ll apply to. also Get an overview of what a good SAT score is and how to improve your score. What’s a good SAT score goal for this year admissions?
What Is a Good SAT Score?
One of the first things you’ll learn about the SAT is that there is no “perfect” score. Because of this, there isn’t one best SAT score to aim for.
However, as with any standardized test, there are some recommended measures of average performance. To break things down, take a look at what some top college admissions officials have to say about SAT scoring.
“Standardized tests like the SAT are flawed, not because the number of questions is off but because the way the tests are designed.”
-Kevin Kruger, CEO & Founder of the College Board
Essentially, the SAT questions are created to be relatively easy to answer in a short amount of time. However, when it comes to the writing section, the average score isn’t as consistent.
The highest possible SAT score you can earn is 1600 points.
Wondering how to earn such a high score? Dive into this comprehensive article and use it as your one-stop destination to know about the most proven hacks to crack the highest SAT score.
Let’s look by turning the table.
How is the SAT scored?
Before we head into the scoring pattern for the SAT, we need to have a clear understanding of the SAT raw score to the composite score conversion chart.
| Raw Score | Reading Test Score | Writing Test Score | Math Scaled Score |
| 0 | 10 | 10 | 200 |
| 1 | 10 | 10 | 200 |
| 2 | 10 | 10 | 210 |
| 3 | 11 | 10 | 230 |
| 4 | 12 | 11 | 240 |
| 5 | 13 | 12 | 260 |
| 6 | 14 | 13 | 280 |
| 7 | 15 | 14 | 290 |
| 8 | 15 | 15 | 310 |
| 9 | 16 | 15 | 320 |
| 10 | 17 | 16 | 330 |
| 11 | 17 | 17 | 340 |
| 12 | 18 | 17 | 360 |
| 13 | 19 | 18 | 370 |
| 14 | 19 | 19 | 380 |
| 15 | 20 | 19 | 390 |
| 16 | 20 | 20 | 410 |
| 17 | 21 | 21 | 420 |
| 18 | 21 | 21 | 430 |
| 19 | 22 | 22 | 440 |
| 20 | 22 | 23 | 450 |
| 21 | 23 | 23 | 460 |
| 22 | 23 | 24 | 470 |
| 23 | 24 | 25 | 480 |
| 24 | 24 | 25 | 480 |
| 25 | 25 | 26 | 490 |
| 26 | 25 | 26 | 500 |
| 27 | 26 | 27 | 510 |
| 28 | 26 | 28 | 520 |
| 29 | 27 | 28 | 520 |
| 30 | 28 | 29 | 530 |
| 31 | 28 | 30 | 540 |
| 32 | 29 | 30 | 550 |
| 33 | 29 | 31 | 560 |
| 34 | 30 | 32 | 560 |
| 35 | 30 | 32 | 570 |
| 36 | 31 | 33 | 580 |
| 37 | 31 | 34 | 590 |
| 38 | 32 | 34 | 600 |
| 39 | 32 | 35 | 600 |
| 40 | 33 | 36 | 610 |
| 41 | 33 | 37 | 620 |
| 42 | 34 | 38 | 630 |
| 43 | 35 | 39 | 640 |
| 44 | 35 | 40 | 650 |
| 45 | 36 | 660 | |
| 46 | 37 | 670 | |
| 47 | 37 | 670 | |
| 48 | 38 | 680 | |
| 49 | 38 | 690 | |
| 50 | 39 | 700 | |
| 51 | 40 | 710 | |
| 52 | 40 | 730 | |
| 53 | 740 | ||
| 54 | 750 | ||
| 55 | 760 | ||
| 56 | 780 | ||
| 57 | 790 | ||
| 58 | 800 |
Till 2005, the SAT included Critical Reading and Mathematic Sections, both scored from 200 to 800. According to that the highest SAT score possible was 1600 can also be said as a Perfect SAT Score.
Later in 2005, the College Board thoroughly renewed the SAT for the 2005-06 academic year. A Writing Section (scored from 200 to 800) with grammar questions and an essay was added to the reframed SAT format. During 2005-16, the highest SAT score possible was 2400.
Then in 2016, again the College Board launched the newest version of the SAT. The latest test features new content and a revised format. There are currently four sections: the Reading Test, the Writing & Language Test, the Math Test, and an Essay (optional).
What is the highest SAT score on EBRW?
The highest score for the SAT involves two sections that are merged into Evidence-Based Reading and Writing.
The scoring methodology for EBRW is a tad bit more complicated as compared to the rest of the sections. EBRW is split into sub-sections: Reading and writing. Each sub-section is scored on a scale of 10-40, with 40 being the highest score. This score is, in turn, converted to a scaled EBRW score of 800. To achieve the perfect score of 800 in EBRW, the candidate is required to earn 80 points as a combination of his/her reading and writing scores.
What is the highest SAT score for Math?
SAT Math (that includes arithmetic, algebra 1 and 2, geometry, and trigonometry) has 58 questions in total. To achieve the perfect score of 800, one must answer all the 58 questions correctly.
In both sections, will earn 1 point for each correct answer. There is no reduction in points for incorrect answers.
The Essay (optional) is scored separately from the two main sections, so 1600 is maximum.
College Board’s most recent statistics show only 7% of test-takers scored between 1400 and 1600 in 2018. And the SAT Score National Averages for the Class of 2018.
| ERW | Math | Total SAT score |
| 536 | 531 | 1068 |
The College Board reports that out of 2.1 million students took the SAT in 2018 and only 7% of the total received a perfect score.
How to Get a Perfect Score
The score that you end up getting on the SAT or ACT is called the “Max SAT Score.” You’ll need a perfect SAT score to get into most high-end colleges.
Who needs a perfect score? If you’re trying to get into a top-10 college, or even top-10 national public university (your family income must be under $150,000 for this), you need a perfect SAT score to get into most colleges.
What’s a perfect SAT score? Here are the ways you can get a perfect SAT score.
What’s a perfect SAT score? College Admissions Experts Recommend a Perfect SAT Score
Kerby Anderson | The College Fix
The College Fix used College Scorecard to identify colleges with low acceptance rates to show that they’re filled with “high-achieving students.
The Benefits of a Good SAT Score
Given the huge numbers of applications and scores we have, it can be hard to know how to set realistic SAT score goals.
However, there are some clear benefits to having a high SAT score.
Firstly, the higher your SAT score, the more of a competitive advantage you’ll have when applying to elite schools.
Because the SAT is a college admissions tool, there’s an incentive for students to do as well as possible on the test, as there’s potential for future scholarships and financial aid.
This means that although you might not have the most inspirational reason to work hard and increase your SAT score, it will pay off for you down the road.
If your goal is to get into a top college, you can use this competitive advantage to your advantage.
Why You Should Aim for a High Score
All schools factor in a student’s SAT score when they make admissions decisions. Here are a few reasons to aim high:
- You can get a great score for entry-level jobs.
- If you’re not a top student, applying to top schools can help your chances of getting in.
- A great SAT score boosts your chances of getting into graduate school.
- The test is pretty forgiving if you have a learning disability.
- Your score affects your GPA.
These are just a few of the reasons why an average or below-average SAT score is a mistake. To be fair, scores aren’t everything; there are other admissions criteria that should be considered, such as your grades and a few extra qualifications you can bring to the table.
How to Improve Your Score
How do you make your SAT score better? Practice a lot (one of the easiest ways to improve your SAT score is by learning new vocabulary words). Or, change the way you study: for example, ask yourself:
- If I scored 20 percent above my benchmark score, which one can I improve on?
- How can I do a little bit better?
- Note: A perfect SAT score is a score of 2,360.
- Learn more about how you can improve your SAT score.
Conclusion
The last item you’ll want to know is what to do with the scores when you get them. The most recent version of the SAT offers a number of options for students to use in the application process. For some students, the old SAT is too much of a hindrance and they decide to do without it altogether. For those students, some companies will make a (very) small charge to test students. There are other options as well.
That being said, most students are interested in the scores because they’re submitted to colleges so they’re going to use them in the application process. That’s when you have to decide what to do with them.
If you’re applying to the school of your choice, you’ll want to use the SAT scores as part of your admissions criteria.