The score report you receive after taking the SAT® exam can be complicated to interpret, but you should know that there is no such thing as “passing” the SAT test. Getting a “good” score is relative to the schools you are applying to, and you should research the scores that resulted in acceptances from each university you hope to attend.
Once you have researched the scores that have gotten applicants into your prospective colleges, you can establish your goal score.
If you haven’t met the scoring threshold for the schools you are applying to, consider retaking the SAT test. If you have done everything you can to reach your goal score, remember that there are many other things colleges are looking at when reviewing your application.
Check out what scores got this year’s freshman into your dream schools through the College Board’s tool “Big Future.”
How the Reading Section Is Scored: Raw and Scaled Scores
The score you receive is based on the number of questions you answer correctly. For each correct answer, one point is added to your raw score. The Reading section of the SAT test has a total of 52 multiple-choice questions. If you answer all 52 questions correctly, your raw score will be 52.
Converting the Raw Score
The raw score you receive from the Reading section is combined with the Writing section’s raw score to create your scaled Reading and Writing score. Ultimately, there is one score between 200 and 800 for the Evidence-Based Reading and Writing section. This score is combined with a score between 200 and 800 for the Math section of the exam, for a total score of 400–1600 points.
What Is a Good Score for the Reading Section?
You should set your scoring goals based on the colleges you are applying to. If you receive your scores and find that you are within the scoring threshold for each school you apply to, then you should feel confident in your performance.
The score you receive for Evidence-Based Reading and Writing reflects your performance in the following skills: finding evidence, pinpointing how the author uses evidence to support claims, making connections between graphics and passages, using contexts to decipher the meaning of words, and reflecting on how word choice impacts the text.
You can practice the skills the Reading section tests through practice exams. UWorld’s SAT Prep Course offers thousands of sample questions with detailed explanations. If there is a specific question type in the Reading section that you consistently falter on, you can use these explanations to understand how to improve. Check out these study tools and more to boost your results and reach your goal score!