SAT Score Chart

The SAT scale at a glance

A total score is not a percent correct. A 1200 does not mean you answered 75% of the questions correctly. Adaptive scoring uses the questions and response pattern, not a fixed percentage conversion.

Score bands without admissions labels

These rows use College Board’s percentile table checked October 5, 2026. The user group is actual SAT takers from the last three graduating classes; the nationally representative group models all U.S. 11th and 12th graders, including students who do not take the SAT. The same percentile does not mean the same admission chances at every college. For every ten-point total, use the percentile lookup table.

Read the split before choosing a drill

A 1400 made from 760 Reading and Writing and 640 Math calls for a different plan than 700 in both sections. Open the lower section’s skill breakdown, then test two specific skills with fresh questions. Do not assume the lower section is easier to improve just because its score is lower.

For example, if your 640 Math review shows three system-of-equations setup errors, practice writing both equations before opening Desmos. If your 640 Reading and Writing review shows punctuation errors, label the clauses before comparing punctuation choices.

Compare with a college, then set a target

Find the college’s current testing policy first. For score context, record the year, 25th and 75th percentiles, and whether the statistics describe admitted or enrolled students. A range is a description of a previous group, not an entrance requirement.

A 1510 can sit at the lower edge of one college’s historical range and above the upper edge at another. Use that comparison to decide whether a retake is worth your available time. A higher score never guarantees admission.

Old scales and unusual numbers

The SAT in 2015 used a 600–2400 total; the current 400–1600 scale began in 2016. Do not compare a 2015 total directly with this chart. Digital and redesigned paper SAT scores use the same 400–1600 scale.

A value such as 1156 can be a school average or model output, but it is not an individual official SAT total. Likewise, a jump from 840 to 1550 in 17 days cannot be promised from a chart; take a fresh timed diagnostic and work from the errors it reveals.