What is a good SAT score?
What is a good score on the SAT test? The answer will be ‘the one that is appropriate for the educational institutions of your choice.’ Sure, the higher your score is, the better it is for you. However, it is always pleasant to know which minimum result guarantees your entry.
Your SAT Scores vs the National Average Scores
The SAT score range is 400 (minimum) – 1600 (maximum). One of the section scores is Math, and the rest is a combined Evidence-Based Reading and Writing score. Keep in mind that you will get scores for two blocks: Math and Writing, together with Evidence-Based Reading, are calculated separately.
As for the general average score that is appropriate for entering the institution, it is 1059. On the one hand, you can get 528 for the Math section. On the other hand, you can get 531 for reading and writing.
Note that the test’s score corresponds to a specific ranking system – the percentile ranking. How does it work? Knowing your score, you know how many students have the same result as you do. For you, it is an excellent way to weigh odds and decide on whether your results are good SAT scores.
Your SAT Scores vs Typical Scores at Target Schools
Good new SAT scores can help you to become a part of the university or college you are dreaming about. However, what are good SAT scores for you specifically? First and foremost, find out the requirements of the desired institution. There might be some differences as to the scoring between the colleges of diverse states.
Note that your task is to perform well at a local level; how you perform at the national level is less important. So, focus on your target schools and the scoring margins they offer. The thing is that these results may even exceed the ones defined on a national level. So, you are likely to have this warm feeling that you did even more than you could.
If you are eager to join one of the top 100 most selective colleges, you need to work harder. The point is that you will need higher than average scores. In practice, it merely means you will have to prepare better. The minimum you must have to enter the desired institution is 1200 and more.
How is the SAT Scored? General rules
After you complete your test, the College Board will check the Math part to announce your raw results, while the answer sheet will be scanned. The good thing is that the students get the cores for the right answers only, wrong answers are not taken into account.
You can get from 200 to 800 for the Math section. Considering such a distribution of the scores, keep in mind that the writing or reading part mistakes can cost you more ratings. Yet, it does not mean you should concentrate on some sections more than on the other ones.
All in all, if you are asking yourself ‘is my SAT score good?,’ you should also question yourself, ‘did I do enough for the preparation?’ Moreover, the higher results broaden your choice of educational institutions.
Explore what is a Good SAT Score within this Chart
What is a good SAT score? Trying to figure out your SAT score goals for 2020, look at the SAT averages for the schools where you are applying to. There is a great official resource: the College Board where you can search for colleges according to the average test scores.
The SAT test is based on a 1600-point scale (2 sections:Math and Evidence-Based Reading and Writing—scored between 200 and 800). That scores are converted to scaled scores, for determining percentile ranks. The percentile ranks shows how well is your result compared to all other test takers (Ex.: if you score in the 75th percentile, your result is better than the results of 75% of all test takers).
What is the best SAT score?
About 10% of the best results among all test takers are within:
What is the competitive SAT scores?
About 25% of the best results among all test takers are within:
What is a good SAT scores?
About 50% of the best results among all test takers are within:
What is a bad SAT scores?
The SAT scores seem to be bad when they are below average compared to all test takers. But, usually, it is enough for getting into a wide variety of college programs:
SAT Score Ranges for Popular Colleges and Universities(2021)
Here are what was a good SAT Scores for the Popular Schools including Ivy League and Liberal Arts Colleges(2019) for comparison
The table below will give you a sense of the types of scores that you need to get according to the school.