This way you can check to see if your uncertainty was valid or just test nerves when you’re going back to score yourself. When you’re taking a practice SAT test, mark which questions you feel uncertain about answering correctly. Work with the best so you can be the best. Make sure your tutor took home a top score of the SAT before you agree to work with them. I love a good test prep book as much as the next person, but using it with a tutor will improve your knowledge base of the exam. The reason I suggest working with tutors is you can learn their tips and tricks for getting the highest score possible and because you’ll actually perform better on the SAT due to the personalized study sessions. To really get the most out of your SAT prep, you need to find a tutor to work with. If you’ve looked and now realize you need to improve your score ASAP, I’m providing my three best tips for improving your SAT score. You know now which SAT scores really matter when you’re applying to colleges.

Specifically, you need to look at the average SAT scores for the students that have been accepted into the schools you’re looking at and use them as your guide. Because while these numbers are fascinating to look at and kind of a nice ego boost, the SAT scores you really need to pay attention to are the ones from the colleges you’re looking to apply to. So now that you’ve glanced over all this data, you’re probably wondering which of theseaverage SAT scores actually matter to you? The honest answer is: none of the ones I’ve shown you today. Up for a little battle of the sexes? Check out the table below for who scored better. What are the Average SAT Scores by Gender? I’ve included some of my favorites below. If you’re pulling in a score of 1100 or more then you’re well above the national average for SAT scores.īecause the College Board is very fixated on collecting data for its research purposes, you can look at the data on test-takers in multiple ways. And the average for the SAT User Percentiles is 1083. The average SAT score from Nationally Representative Sample is 1020. With these differences in mind, let’s look at the variances. SAT User Percentiles are the averages for college-bound students who typically take the SAT for the last time as juniors or seniors. The Nationally Representative Sample is the average for all juniors and seniors who take the SAT. One is called that Nationally Representative Sample and the other is the SAT User Percentiles. A below-average score of 400-1050, consisting of a Math Score of 200-520 and a Reading and Writing Score of 200-530, puts students below average compared to the testing population, but the combined score may be enough to get into a wide variety of college programs.įor more information on how testing factors into the college admissions process, check out our blog on Admissions Tests and Entrance Exams.When we talk about the national average SAT scores, there are two different groups we discuss. An above-average score of 1070-1190 puts students in the top half of test takers, but won’t be as advantageous when applying to highly competitive programs, with a Math score of 530-590 and a Reading and Writing score of 540-660. A competitive score of 1210-1340 puts students in the top 25% of all test takers, consisting of a Math score of 600-680 and a Reading and Writing score of 610-660. For example, a 25th percentile means 25% of students performed as well as or lower than the student.Īs the graphic above depicts, a top SAT score puts students in the top 10% of all test takers with a combined score range of 1360-1600, consisting of a Math score of 690-800 and a Reading and Writing Score of 670-800.

Consider the following SAT score range when advising students to make sure students understand their scores. Students typically research on their own what a good SAT score is, but language such as '25th percentile' and '75th percentile' can be confusing.

To make an informed postsecondary decision, students need to understand how they performed in comparison to their college or university's average admission scores. College entrance exams such as the SAT represent a significant milestone in the college admission process.

Sat scores range