 |
|
|
What is the Average SAT Score?What is an "average" SAT score? Taking the SAT is a grand rite of passage. It marks the end of twelve years of childhood education, and the beginning of many future years of serious adult academic work. A good SAT score can make the difference between entry into an elite school with a successful career to follow, and entry into an average school and a middling, unfulfilling professional career.
Average SAT ScoreBut now that you have it you want to know, what does it mean, exactly? Does a good score or a high percentile-ranking mean you'll be getting into that elite school? On the other hand, should you buck up and settle for that "safety school" instead? You've got to know, how does your SAT score stack up against others? Just what is an average SAT score, anyway? The information listed here should help you become more informed about just what the score you've achieved means, and how it measures against the scores of the general SAT test-taking population. The national average SAT score in 2008 stayed flat, so the average score is not a moving target. At least, it's not moving very fast. Mean SAT Scores
The SAT consists of three sections with three separate scores, each on a scale of 200 to 800. The mean score in each section are as follows.
These three scores are tallied together for your total score. The mean total score is approximately 1,538 points. For SAT subject tests, mean scores will vary because different groups of students will take different tests. Therefore, you shouldn't fall prey to the trap of comparing scores across the different subject tests, as those taking each test will have differing levels of ability in each subject. Instead, you'll want to compare your scores just to those of that particular test to get a more accurate sense of where you stand. SAT Scores Average
English
History and Social Sciences
Mathematics
Sciences
Language Tests
Average SAT Scores
Don't confuse "percentiles" with "percents". Your percentile ranking is not like scoring a certain percent of answers correct on a test. Here's how percentiles work. For example, if your Critical Reading score is 515, and the national percentile for a score of 515 is 67, that means that you scored better than 67 percent of that group of test takers. These rankings are based on the test results for the previous year's graduating class. The SAT results you receive will contain both a national and state-based percentile. Since your ranking will differ depending on the size and performance of the group you are included in, your national and state percentiles will likely differ. When looking at percentiles for the SAT subject tests, keep in mind that students with varying degrees of skill levels take different tests, so a percentile that seems mediocre at first may in fact be quite satisfactory. For instance, students taking the Mathematics Level 2 test will likely have a higher skill set in Mathematics than those taking the Mathematics Level 1 test. Therefore, the same score will likely result in a higher percentile ranking on the Mathematics Level 1 test than on the Mathematics Level 2 test, but won't necessarily be a "better" score representing a higher degree of Mathematics ability. Are my SAT scores good enough?A school's admissions board will use your SAT score to help it determine whether or not you are a good fit with the rest of their student body. Although other factors will be considered, SAT scores are highly important, and your chances of admission are improved greatly if you have a higher than average SAT score. Average SAT scores are fine for admission into most universities. However, most elite scores will require you to achieve a score totaling at least 2100 points or more, placing your total score in the 90th percentile nationally (meaning you've scored higher than 90 percent of test takers). So, whether or not your score is "good enough" depends on the school to which you are attempting to get in. For example, the average SAT score for Harvard looks something like this:
A perfect score on the SAT is 2400 points. Only about 20 students a year on average will achieve this feat. If you've earned a perfect score, then congratulations are in order! You probably don't need to be reading this article. Now you have some information as to how your score stands against other average SAT scores. Hopefully this will set your mind at ease and allow you to better plan for the rest of your academic career. No matter what score you've achieved, the best part is still ahead of you: college! Get ready for plenty of late night study sessions and the adventure of dorm room living. Happy schooling! When it comes to the SAT, average scores may or may not be good enough. Additional Content Planned We do have plans to expand this site with information about some of the following subjects:
|
So, of course, you prepared, you studied
hard, you bought books and you took practice tests. You ate a
hearty dinner (cooked by your mom) and got a good night's sleep,
then got up bright and early and sat down at the testing center
will all the other nervous high school kids. You took the test
and waited for your score. 
One way to consider how your SAT score
stacks up against the average is to look at the mean scores for
a given year. These mean scores are based on the most recent SAT
scores of a particular graduating class. Comparing your scores
to these scores should give you a general idea of where you
stand in the general population of SAT test-taking students. 
For 2009, here are the mean scores for
College-Bound Seniors taking SAT subject tests. SAT scores average differently by subject, use the scores listed below to
compare to your own scores in each individual subject.
Another way of gauging where your score
stands in terms of the general population of SAT test-takers and
an average SAT score is to look at and evaluate your achieved
percentile. Your percentile is a numerical representation of how
your score compared to the average SAT scores of other students who also took
the test.