Manhattan Review SAT Prep – Understanding the SAT Scoring System
SAT Scoring System
The SAT transitioned from a paper and pencil exam to a digital exam in 2023 for international students and 2024 for students in the United States. Several aspects of the exam changed as a result of this, and small changes were made to the scoring system. Here we will examine those changes, compare the current scoring system to the previous scoring system, and examine what these changes mean for students preparing to take the SAT.
Paper and Pencil SAT Scoring System
Prior to the digital SAT, the SAT was scored on a 1600-point scale. Test-takers received several test scores, including a total score, section scores, test scores, sub scores, and cross test scores. A total score fell between 400-1600 and was the result of Evidence-Based Reading and Writing and Math section scores. Students received two section scores for Evidence-Based Reading and Writing, and Math. Students received three test scores that ranged from 10-40: a Reading test score, a Writing test score, and a Math test score.
Included on the Writing and Language Test were two sub scores for Expression of Ideas and Standard English Conventions that attempted to represent student abilities in terms of writing substance and knowledge of standard academic English. The Command of Evidence and Words in Context sub scores related to questions on both the Reading Test and the Writing and Language Test. These sub scores ostensibly showed student ability and potential in the areas of inferring, interpreting, and using evidence as well as word choice and meaning in terms of the art of rhetoric. This version of the SAT used sub scores to evaluate specific skills on the Math Test, including knowledge of algebra, solving problems and analyzing data, and familiarity with more advanced mathematics (these three sub scores are entitled Heart of Algebra, Problem Solving and Data Analysis, and Passport to Advanced Math).
The paper and pencil version of the SAT also included cross-test scores that attempted to convey information about student analytical potential in several disciplines. These cross-test scores were Analysis in History/Social Studies and Analysis in Science. As the term implies, cross-test scores were built from questions on all three of the SAT's tests. Specific subject-matter knowledge was not required; the focus is on the ability to analyze information given alongside the SAT questions.
Changes to Digital SAT Scoring System
When the SAT went digital, a few relatively minor changes were made to the scoring system, the most notable being that test scores, sub scores, and cross-test scores were done away with entirely. After taking the digital SAT, students receive only three scores:
- Total Score (400-1600)
- Reading & Writing Section Score (200-800)
- Math Section Score (200-800)
According to the College Board, these changes were made in order to streamline score reports and make them more accessible, as well as easier for students and parents to understand.
Score reports contain a section entitled, “Knowledge and Skills,” which represents a student’s performance on each of eight content areas measured by the SAT. There are four content areas in Reading and Writing and four in Math. The four content areas in Reading and Writing include Information and Ideas, Craft and Structure, Expression of Ideas, and Standard English Conventions. The four content areas in Math are Algebra, Advanced Math, Problem Solving & Data Analysis, and Geometry & Trigonometry. For each content area, students will see:
- The approximate number of questions in the particular content area.
- The percentage of the section covered by that area (for example, roughly 12-14 Information and Ideas questions would account for 26% of the Reading and Writing section).
- A visual indication of how the student performed in each content area.
This is intended to help students identify content areas they may wish to focus on improving if they did not achieve their optimal score the first time they took the SAT.
Students taking the digital SAT in the United States receive an additional section on their score reports entitled, “Career Insights Snapshot.” Test-takers learn about growing careers in their state that connect with their test scores as a way of sparking their interest in learning more about future career options. Each provided career example:
- Connects to the math, reading, and writing skills the student demonstrated on the SAT
- Has projected job growth in the student’s state over the next 5 years
- Meets the requirements of a living wage in that particular state
- Offers one example per interest area to help expose students to a variety of different career types
- Requires some kind of postsecondary education, which might be college but could also be a trade school or other form of advanced education and/or training
The careers provided as part of this snapshot are not recommendations or endorsements, but rather opportunities for students to learn about careers they might not have initially considered.
Scoring Changes and Student Preparation
While students are advised to understand SAT scoring changes, the most recent changes made to the exam do not alter anything about the test itself or the process of preparing for the exam. Students receive fewer scores and a more streamlined score report, in addition to information about growing careers in their state, which may be helpful for career planning purposes. With the transition to a digital exam, students also receive their scores much faster than with the paper and pencil test, which allows them to make informed educational decisions when applying to colleges and scholarships.