Understanding Your SAT Score Khan Academy Understanding Your SAT Score

The main thing you need to know about your SAT scores is that they’re more detailed and more holistic than ever before. The SAT is now scored out of 1600 (the old SAT was out of 2400), and there are new subscores and cross-section scores to consider as you evaluate your performance.

Total Score Your total score is your overall score and is a combination of your section scores. The highest composite score for the redesigned SAT is 800+800, or 1600. The average score is 1000.

Section Scores Your section scores are the individual scores for the two main sections of the SAT: reading/writing and math. Each of these sections is scored out of 800, and they are added together to get your overall score.

Essay The essay is optional in the redesigned SAT and will not be factored into your overall SAT score. The essay scores will be shown separately on the report. Your essay, should you choose to write one, will be scored on three measures:  Reading, Analysis and Writing (a good way to remember it: RAW). You will receive a score of 2 to 8 in each of these areas.

Subscores Your SAT subscores show how well you're performing in different skill categories, to give you a clearer picture of where your strengths and weaknesses lie. Subscores can be within reading and writing and language (Command of Evidence and Words in Context), writing and language alone (Expression of Ideas and Standard English Conventions), and math alone (Heart of Algebra, Problem Solving and Data Analysis, and Passport to Advanced Math).