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Duke University
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Unweighted GPA: 3.7
1.0
4.0
SAT: 720 math
200
800
| 800 verbal
200
800

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How does SAT scoring and percentile ranking work?

I'm a little confused about the process for scoring the SAT and how our scores are associated with percentiles, could someone give me a brief explanation on how this works? Thanks!

10 months ago

Hey there! I'm happy to help clarify SAT scoring and percentile rankings for you.

The SAT is made up of two main sections: Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (EBRW) and Math. Each section is scored on a scale of 200 to 800, and the scores from these two sections are combined to give you a total score ranging from 400 to 1600.

Now, let's talk about percentiles. A percentile rank demonstrates how you performed relative to other test-takers. For example, if your percentile rank is 75, it means you scored better than 75% of the other students who took the test. It's important to note that the percentile rank isn't related to the raw score (the number of questions you answered correctly).

The College Board, which administers the SAT, uses the data of all test-takers from a specific testing period (usually the most recent one) to calculate percentile ranks. This means that, when you receive your scores, you'll be able to see both your raw scores and the percentiles associated with them.

I hope this clears up your confusion about SAT scoring and percentiles. Best of luck with your testing and college applications!

10 months ago

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