Understanding Your Scores
In addition to your scores, your SAT score reports also include percentiles and score ranges. Admissions staff use the percentiles and ranges to evaluate the scores because no single score can tell everything about how you performed on the test. Keep in mind that colleges use more than your SAT scores when making admissions decisions. Your high school record is most important, and colleges may also consider essays, recommendations, interviews, and your involvement in extracurricular activities.
SAT
SAT scores are reported on a scale from 200-800, with additional subscores reported for the essay (ranging from 2-12) and for multiple-choice writing questions (on a 20-80 scale). Your scores tell college admissions staff how you did compared with other students who took the test. For example, if you scored close to the mean or average-about 500 on SAT critical reading and 500 on SAT mathematics—admissions staff would know that you scored as well as about half of the students who took the test nationally.
SAT Subject Tests
All currently administered SAT Subject Test scores are reported on a scale from 200-800, with SAT Subject Test subscores being reported on a scale from 20 to 80. Reading and listening subscores are reported for all Language Tests with Listening, and a usage subscore is also reported for the Chinese, Japanese, and Korean tests. Your scores tell college admissions staff how you did compared with other students who took the test.
View the flyer Understanding Your SAT Scores (.pdf/583K).
