New SAT Scoring

What does your SAT score mean on the ‘new’ scale? With only one year of student score data, a general assessment of the new national score range is: 1220+ is very good, 1080 is average, and <950 is very low. It will take a few more years to see what the nationwide average looks like with the new SAT, as well as, all schools updating their new SAT data.

How did the SAT come about? The College Board (formerly, the College Entrance Examination Board) was organized at Columbia University on December 22, 1899 and it was founded to expand access to higher education by creating a set of standards of what should be taught in high school and a reliable way for colleges to compare students to each other on a national level. In 1926, the College Board designed the Scholastic Aptitude Test or SAT (changing Aptitude to Assessment in 1993) to assess academic readiness for college in a way that is fair to all students. The SAT measures the knowledge and skills that research shows are essential for college and career readiness and success, and is composed of two sections, 1–Evidence-Based Reading and Writing and 2–Math .

The SAT taken in January 2016 and earlier had a total of 2,400 points. The new SAT is a different test than the previous test, so a numerical score on one test will not be equivalent to the same numerical score on the other. The new SAT has a total of 1600 points (800 maximum for each section). To help educators understand old and new SAT scores in relation to one another, the College Board is providing concordance charts that show how to relate the scores.

We at CFAST will continue to assist our clients through changing college assessment and admission standards. Please with any questions.