SAT Percentiles Explained: What Your Score Actually Means

The SAT percentile rank shows the percentage of students whose score is equal to or lower than their score.

For example, Milan attempted for an SAT Test. In his score-card, he saw Nationally Representative Sample Percentile as 67th & SAT User Percentiles as 58 in overall.

That means Milan’s score is compared to the scores of general U.S. students who attempted the SAT test known as Nationally Representative Sample Percentile.

Similarly, SAT User Percentile will compare Milan’s score to the scores of students who typically take the SAT test.

Scores in the SAT score report are

Total Scores

The total score is the sum of the two-section scores, its scale is 400–1600. The two sections named Evidence-Based Reading & Writing and Mathematics. The Essay Score is separated into the total score.

Percentiles for Total Score

Source: https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/pdf/understanding-sat-scores.pdf

Section Scores

Students receive scores on a scale of 200–800 for each of the two sections.

• The Evidence-Based Reading and Writing section score is combined with the scores for the Reading, Writing Test. 
• The Math section score is derived from the Math Test score, including the calculator and no-calculator parts.

Percentile for Section Scores

Source: https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/pdf/understanding-sat-scores.pdf

Test Scores

The scale for the following test scores is 10–40 and it includes: 

• Reading Test
• Writing Test
• Math Test

Cross-Test Scores

The scale for this test score is also 10–40. These scores display performance on select questions across the three tests and show a student’s abilities in the following domains: 

• Analysis in History/Social Studies
• Analysis in Science

Sub-Scores

Subscores in the scale of 1–15 offer feedback on student performance in the following skill sets:

• Command of Evidence
• Words in Context
• Expression of Ideas
• Standard English Conventions
• Heart of Algebra
• Problem Solving and Data Analysis
• Passport to Advanced Math

SAT Essay Scores

The following three scores for the optional SAT Essay are on a 2–8 scale:

• Reading Test
• Analysis Test
• Writing Test

These scores aren’t mixed together or combined with any other test scores. The online score report shows the result in the student’s responded to and the student’s essay.

Score Ranges

Student’s abilities are better displayed by score ranges than points. Score ranges are taken from the standard measurement of error and show how much a student’s scores would likely vary if they took a different direction of the test under identical conditions.

Score scales:

• Total: ±40 points
• Section: ±30 points
• Test scores, subscores, and cross-test scores: ±2 points

Also Read: What is a Good SAT Score?