Manhattan Review SAT Prep – Scoring Overview
Scores Reported
As of 2025, the SAT is a completely digital exam that features a scoring system first introduced in 2016. While scoring used to be quite complex, including a total score, section scores, test scores, sub scores, and cross-test scores, the most recent scoring system is much more straightforward and easy to understand. Following the transition to a computerized exam in 2023 for international students and 2024 for students in the United States, only three SAT scores are now reported: a total score, a Reading and Writing section score, and a Math section score.
Total Scores
The total score on the SAT ranges from 400 to 1600 and is the sum of the scores on the Reading and Writing and Math sections, each of which counts equally toward the total score. The total score, sometimes also referred to as the "composite score," is the most well-known of the SAT numbers reported by the College Board, and is the score most frequently referred to in statistical analyses, rankings of student academic performance, and everyday discussions of the SAT.
Section Scores
Students receive section scores of 200 to 800 for the Reading and Writing section and for the Math section. Section scores are first calculated from the percentage of correct answers on each section's tests, which the College Board refers to as "raw scores." These raw scores are then converted to the 200-800 point sectional scores through a process that the College Board calls "equating," which is meant to provide consistency of scoring across all administrations of the SAT by accounting for variations among the several distinct versions of the test.
Retention of Traditional Scoring
The 2025 SAT retains the 800-point sectional structure that has been in place in one form or another since the test was first divided into verbal and math sections in 1930. With a minimum score of 200, this system has the advantage of providing a clear midpoint of 500 in the scoring range. Mean sectional scores have generally hovered around this level for much of the SAT's history, either through actual student performance or via College Board scaling of scores to reach this average.
Receiving Scores
When the SAT was taken in paper and pencil format, students typically waited somewhere between three to six weeks to receive their scores. This was because test forms had to be transported to scoring centers before they could be scored, making the process a lengthy one subject to delays and disruptions. With the transition to an entirely digital SAT, scoring the exam no longer requires the transportation of any test materials, and students can now expect to receive their scores within two weeks of completing the exam. Students receive an email when their scores are ready to be viewed, and score release dates are posted on the College Board website so students know exactly when they can expect to learn how they performed on their test.
Career Insights Snapshot
Students who take the SAT in the United States will find a section of their score report entitled, “Career Insights Snapshot.” This section is intended to help students discover growing careers in their state that are related to their test scores. All provided careers are examples, not recommendations or endorsements, that allow students to understand key aspects of certain jobs expected to grow over the next few years, such as if a particular career requires a college degree. Each job included on a score reports meets the following criteria:
- The job is growing in the state where the student took the SAT, which means there are jobs available.
- The job pays a living wage.
- The job requires more education after high school, which may mean college, but in other cases may involve trade school or other specialized training.
- The job applies to a variety of interest areas, which are divided into categories including Doers, Helpers, Creators, Organizers, Persuaders, and Thinkers.
- The job connects to the math, reading, and writing skills the student demonstrated on the SAT.