Manhattan Review Blog - Test Prep, Admissions Consulting and Career Training

General Information

• The SAT provides five scores:–three multiple-choice section scores for Critical Reading, Mathematics, and Writing; an essay score; and a total score.
• Each multiple-choice section is on a 200-800 scale.
• The total score is the sum of the three multiple-choice section scores.
•  The range of total scores could be anywhere from 600-2400. It is valid for five years.

Sections

• Each section of the test differs slightly in its scoring method.
• Writing, the newest section on the SAT, is divided into a short essay and two multiple-choice sections.
•  The essay is given a score of 0 to 6, with 6 being the highest score, by two human graders.
• The two scores are added together to create the complete essay score.
•  The essay score will influence your overall writing score.
• Critical Reading and Mathematics consist of three multiple-choice sections.
•  In addition to multiple-choice questions, mathematics will include 10 student-produced response questions, for which no penalty is given for a wrong answer.

Scoring

• For each correct answer you give, you will be awarded one point.
• For each incorrect answer you give, one-quarter of a point will be deducted from your overall score.
• There is neither a penalty nor an award for any questions left blank.
• Your essay will be given a score anywhere between 2-12. You will be given a zero if your essay is in pen, illegible, or off topic.
• The end score report should be available online three weeks after the test, and by mail after approximately a month.
• It will provide not only your overall score, but also the scores you received on each section.

Administration

• The SAT is offered seven times a year.
• The most popular administration has traditionally been the May exam, but the SAT is also offered in June, October, November, December, January, and February/March.
• Registration is required approximately one month before the exam date.

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Do you ever wonder which is more important to high school seniors: the ACT or SAT?  It appears they are both equally important as some admissions offices even consider both tests to be cut-off points for a certain percentage of students.

According to the New York Times, there was a report published through the National Association of College Admission Counseling, where researchers asked 250 colleges whether they used either the SAT or ACT as a cut-off for admission.  Of those who participated in the report and accepted the SAT, 1 in 5 said they used certain scores as a “threshold” for admission.  Those who claimed to use the ACT for admission purposes used 1 in 4 said they used a similar cut-off, too.

There is good news, though, for students not in the top percentile of both tests.  According to the study, three-quarters of the colleges report using scores “holistically.”  What does that mean?  Typically, that means the tests are just one factor out of many in how a candidate is evaluated.  After-school activities, recommendations, GPA and their curriculums are taken into consideration, as well.  Also, according to the study, “strength of curriculum” and “grades in college prep courses” appear to matter most when reviewing a candidate.

The colleges and universities that said they use SAT and ACT grades as cut-offs chose not to disclose their names.  However, the New York Times claims that using SAT and ACT grades as cut-off points might be at odds with the highly venerated “Principles of Good Practice,” which states they “cannot use test scores as the sole criterion for admission.”

In essence, what’s the difference between the SAT and ACT?  Here are some quick facts about both tests that might give light to any confusion.

SAT: Originally, the SAT was designed to democratize admissions and has been around for more than 80 years.  In 1999, the SAT was more popular amongst test-takers by about 10%, but now both the SAT and ACT are even.

ACT: The ACT was created more recently than the SAT and was initially aimed at measuring classroom achievement rather than internal ability.  For a number of years the test was only popular in the Midwest and states in the surrounding area, but has branched out nationwide as of late.

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