What's the SAT Scale Score?

Hi, does anyone have a clear understanding of the SAT scale score? How does it work and how does it impact my total score?

The SAT Scale Score is derived from your raw score on each section. Your raw score is simply the number of questions you answered correctly. The test does not deduct points for incorrect answers. This raw score is then converted to a scaled score through a process called equating, which accounts for slight variations in difficulty between different test versions.

The SAT consists of two sections: Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (ERW) and Math. Each section is scored on a scale of 200-800, combining to give a total score range of 400-1600. When your raw score has been converted into your sectional scaled scores, these are added together to create your total score.

To give an example: let's say you correctly answered 52 out of 58 questions in the Reading section, 40 out of 44 questions in the Writing and Language section, and 50 out of 58 questions in the Math section. This would give you raw scores of 52, 40, and 50. After equating, these might convert to scaled scores of 320, 360, and 710, respectively. Adding your scores together, your total SAT score would be 320 (Reading) + 360 (Writing and Language) = 680 (Total ERW), and 710 (Math). Your total SAT score would be 680 (ERW) + 710 (Math) = 1390.

So you see, your scale scores are an essential part of determining your total SAT score. The conversion from raw scores to scaled scores ensures that scores are fair and comparable across different test dates. It also provides colleges with a consistent measure to compare applicant performance, regardless of when you took the test. However, note that many colleges consider much more than just your SAT score when deciding on admissions - they also look at grade point average (GPA), course rigor, extracurricular activities, and application essays.