How the SAT is scored
The 400–1600 score, in plain English: where the number comes from, how the adaptive modules factor in, and why there's no such thing as a passing SAT score.
The SAT is scored from 400 to 1600 — a Reading & Writing score (200–800) plus a Math score (200–800). Each section reflects how many questions you got right and which Module 2 you reached, since the harder module reaches the top of the range. There's no penalty for a wrong answer, and digital scores arrive about 13 days after test day, with percentiles showing how you rank.
Aim at a target, not a threshold
The SAT has no passing score — no line you clear or fail. What matters is the score the colleges on your list want, so the right goal is a target, and the right question is how far you are from it.
Two section scores make the total.
Reading & Writing and Math are each scored 200–800. Add them for the 400–1600 total — so a balanced 650 + 650 and a lopsided 750 + 550 both land at 1300.
The adaptive path shapes each section.
Scoring is rights-only, but it also accounts for which Module 2 you reached. The harder module is what lets a section climb to the top of its 200–800 range.
"Good" is defined by your colleges.
Because there's no pass mark, your benchmark is each school's middle-50% range. Set a target above it and measure your gap as you prep.
See your gap to a target — as a range.
PrepScore turns your practice into an estimate (shown as a range) toward the target score you set, weighted to the official domains.
Right answers, then the path
Each section starts from how many questions you answered correctly, then accounts for difficulty through which second module you were routed into. That's why two students with the same number correct can land on slightly different section scores — one reached the harder module, the other didn't. There's no deduction for wrong answers, so leaving a question blank only ever costs you.
What's in your score report
- A total score from 400 to 1600.
- A Reading & Writing section score (200–800).
- A Math section score (200–800).
- Percentiles showing how you rank nationally.
- Scores posted to your College Board account, about 13 days out.
How the SAT score is built
The total score is the sum of two section scores; there is no wrong-answer penalty.
| Score component | Range | What it includes |
|---|---|---|
| Reading & Writing | 200-800 | Short passages, grammar, vocabulary, and comprehension. |
| Math | 200-800 | Algebra, advanced math, data, geometry, and trigonometry. |
| Total score | 400-1600 | Reading & Writing plus Math. |
| Wrong answers | No penalty | Always answer every question. |
SAT scoring questions
How is the SAT scored?
What is the highest SAT score?
Does the SAT penalize wrong answers?
How does the adaptive part affect my score?
When do SAT scores come out?
Keep going on SAT scores.
Know the scale. Now see where you land on it.
Start free, then get a practice estimate (as a range) toward the target score you set.