SAT Score Results
Almost all colleges in America accept the SAT as a portion of their admission process. It is one test most used for admissions into colleges throughout the nation. The first SAT exam was offered in 1926 and was much similar to today’s format. The main purpose of the SAT exam is to demonstrate what students have learned as well as retained during their school years. It is usually taken by juniors and seniors in high school.
The College Board states that the SAT measures both writing skills and literacy that are needed for college success. They also state that it assesses how a student analyzes and solves problems, both of which are skills learned in school and will be needed in college. The SAT score and the high school GPA (grade point average) provides a good indicator of success in college.
Fairness in the SAT Test
The SAT has been created to be a test that is fair to all students. The standarized test is researched and studied around the world where each question of the test goes through pretesting and a review process to make sure it is fair to all genders and ethnic groups.
There is more to the SAT score than just the number; the percentile rank is also very important. This number compares students who have taken the SAT exam. One example of percentile ranking would be: 92%, meaning that student scored higher than 92% of others who have taken the test. College admission staffs use the score and ranges of the SAT to evaluate the score because no one score tells everything about how someone performed.
There are three sections of the SAT with each scored out of a possible 800 points and minimum 200. The highest someone can receive on the test is 2400, which is scoring perfectly. The average score of the exam is 1538 (510 in writing, 520 in math and 508 in reading). The average score is accepted in most colleges and universities, but there are some schools that only accept a score of 2,100 or more. This top score puts you in the 90th percentile which means your scoring was better than 90% of others taking the test.
SAT Test Times
The SAT exam is timed and students have three hours to finish all the sections: 75 minutes for the math section, 75 for the verbal and 30 for equating. Testing is offered in October, November, December, January, April, May and June and it must be registered for in order to take.
Students may take the test as many times as they like. Some colleges will accept the highest of the scores while other colleges will take the average of the all the tests combined. There are still some colleges that will only accept the most recent test score. A score of 2,400 points is considered perfect. About 1,000,000 students take the test every year and only 20 average getting a perfect score.
Online SAT Score Results
SAT score results are available online and and by telephone after one month of completing the exam. They are also mailed out one week later. The results will include separate scores for math, reading and writing with each between 200 and 800, with sub-scores between 2 and 12 for essay and between 20 and 80 for multiple choice questions.
There are various ways to prepare for the SAT:
- Study hard, including outside of class
- Take challenging classes in school
- Take the PSAT as a practice test
- Complete online practices tests