SAT Scores: Everything You Need To Know About SAT Results, SAT Percentiles & More

Preparing for the SAT exam is just one aspect. Once the SAT test score release dates are announced, students have a different process to undertake here. With the SAT score results in hand, students have two decisions to make: send the SAT test scores to college or retake this exam to achieve better SAT scores. 

It is always better to be prepared well in advance in order to conduct any required actions, as learned above. Thus to help you stay on track and guide you towards the course that will take place after receiving the SAT score percentiles, this blog covers all the essential information to help you get started. 

Process Of SAT Scores

In this section, we will understand how each SAT section is scored. We will also explore how these section scores are scaled. Note that what you see on your scorecard are scaled scores.

To help you start, let us first understand what a raw score means and then we’ll later see how it is converted to a scaled score.

Each right answer is assigned a raw score of +1 .

Then, according to a conversion table that the SAT authorities derive, your overall raw score is, mapped to a scaled score. Please note that this table varies according to test dates to ensure that your score lies in an optimum range regardless of when you give your SAT test.

Let's help you with SAT raw score conversion calculation and the SAT marking scheme step by step.

• For calculating your SAT score, start with knowing your raw score. If the reading section has 52 questions and you answered 48 correctly, your raw score will be 48.

• According to the SAT mapping table, this raw score is mapped to a scaled score. For example, in the Math section, there are a total of 58 questions. Therefore, your raw score of 58 may translate to 800 (maximum) or 790, depending on the table. This table changes according to test dates, so knowing the exact translation is impossible.

• The translation of the Math section raw scores is simple and directly done through the table. However, the calculation is a bit different for the Reading and Writing and Language section. After mapping, the raw scores of each section (EBR and W) get scaled to test scores. These test scores are multiplied by 10 to arrive at the final EBRW section score. We will explain this to you through an example.

Suppose the following table is an example SAT mapping table that SAT authorities use. Let us now take an example:

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Suppose you answered 40 questions correctly in the Math Section. Your raw score will be 40, and hence the Math section's score will be 610.

Now, consider that you have answered 42 questions correctly in your Reading section and 44 questions in your Writing and Language Section. In that case, your raw scores will be 34 and 40, respectively. The test scores, according to the table above, the test scores shall then be 34 and 40, respectively. Thus, your EBRW scores shall be (34+40) * 10 = 740 out of 800.

For calculating the overall SAT score, you can add the section scores. According to our example, your SAT score shall be 610+740=1350.

A Detailed Guide On SAT Scores Related Queries

To give you better insights about SAT scores, we have shared the below information for your reference. This category will cover all your related queries related to SAT results time and more. 

1. SAT Result Dates

The SAT result dates are as follows:

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2. Use Of SAT Scores

The purpose of using SAT scores is to apply for an undergraduate program abroad. Most universities abroad accept SAT scores as part of their admission process. A good SAT exam score helps students get enrolled in their dream university much quicker. 

3. When to re-take SAT exam?

You are allowed to take a SAT exam anytime you wish to after your results are out. As stated above, based on your next SAT exam, you can apply for the same. Most students take SAT exam twice a year too. 

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4. Why to take SAT re-test?

If a student feels that the score received does not match their expectations or wishes to score a better mark, re-taking a SAT exam makes more sense. The center allows you to write a SAT exam anytime without any limitations on the instances. 

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How To Send SAT Test Scores To College?

Sending SAT scores to college can be conducted in multiple ways. Based on the requirements, here is an overview of how SAT results can be sent to colleges:

• You can send only four free score reports to colleges/universities selected at the time of registration. Also, you can send these up to 9 days after attempting the SAT.

• If you plan to send your scorecards after nine days of your test date, you will have to pay an additional fee.

• SAT scores are generally available after 4-5 weeks of the exam.

• If you have attempted the SAT on multiple dates, the Score Choice option shall help you choose scores you would like to send to colleges. However, some colleges may require all your scores. Hence, we suggest you check with the college first.

• Now, we would like to talk about a SAT overall score called SAT Superscore. Sending a Superscore to a college means out of all your SAT exams. The college shall consider individuals highest scores of the EBRW and Math section and calculate overall SAT scores accordingly.

We would also like you to understand two scenarios of SAT score reporting.

• Some colleges require all your SAT scores. For such colleges, you can choose to send your scores while registering. The idea is that no matter what your scores are, sending scores to colleges can be done without any additional fee.

• For some colleges, you can send you Superscore. There is a fee of $12 for sending SAT scores to colleges apart from the 4 free scorecards. If you want to send your Superscore, you can pay this fee so that the college sees your best scores.

There are some other types of SAT scores and ways of reporting as well, explained as follows:

• Archived scores: These can be sent after 1 year of attempting SAT. Pay an extra $31 for an additional report card.
• Old Scores: Scores to be sent after five years of attempting SAT
• Rush Reporting: Score report to be sent to colleges within 2-4 business days.

What Is The Rescoring Process Of SAT Scores?

If a student is unsure about the SAT scores they received overall or in any section, they can request a resourcing process. You can request a rescore 3 months after your test date. Students will have to pay a set fee which works in two ways:

• If your score requires a change, the fee amount will be refunded
• However, if the scores are good, the amount will not be refunded

You can expect to hear the results within three to five weeks. Before you consider the rescoring process, ensure your confident about this decision. 

How To Retrieve Scholarships From SAT Scores?

Students applying for SAT exam will benefit from scholarship opportunities. Once the SAT results time is announced, based on your SAT scores, two types of scholarships will be offered:

• Automatic scholarships are offered by the university based on the SAT scores. 
• Merit-based scholarships wherein students can get scholarships based on their SAT scores.

There are multiple websites where you can apply for scholarships for SAT exams, for instance, scholarships.com. 

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SAT results are a huge deal for students looking to apply abroad for further education. A good SAT score range helps determine how simple or difficult it will be to enroll in a student’s dream university. Now that you wait for the next SAT score release dates have an overview of the expected SAT percentiles required for students who wish to study in US colleges. 

Frequently Asked Questions About SAT Scores

Ques: Is a SAT total score of 400 good?

Ans: Having a SAT total score of 400 just passes you from this exam. However, enrolling in a top university might be a bit difficult. Universities accept a good SAT score range. 

Ques: What are good SAT scores?

Ans: 1600 is considered the best and most preferred SAT results to achieve. 

Ques: What are the average SAT scores?

Ans: The average SAT score is 1068. 

Ques: Why can’t I see my SAT results on Collegeboard?

Ans: You cannot access or view your SAT results on Collegeboard because the SAT percentiles are not revealed yet. 

Ques: When is the SAT score release date?

Ans: The SAT results time is 2-4 weeks after the exam dates.