Are you curious about what perfection means on the SAT Courses or how many students get perfect scores each year? In this article, we’ll show you what the top mark for the SAT is and the number of raw points you must score in each section to achieve the score you want.
We’ll also provide some tips and links to more thorough articles for those seeking that rare, but not impossible! SAT score.
What Is a Perfect SAT Score?
The top score you could get for the SAT Schedule is 1600 points. To get this score, you need to achieve an absolute 880 on each of the two areas: Math, and Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (ERW). These scores are then summed for the score for the entire test which is 1660.
A flawless SAT score is extremely uncommon. According to the latest College Board overall report of just 1.9 million students from the class of 2023 completed the SAT. Of those, just 7% (127,589 students) scored between 1400 and 1600. It is evident that very few achieved a score above 1400 or even an absolute 1600!
Unfortunately, it is the case that there is a problem with this. The College Board does not tell us exactly the percentage of test takers who scored an exemplary score. However, we can utilize the percentiles to estimate the number of test takers who could have scored a 1600. According to the most current SAT percentiles of less than 1percent of test takers scored between 1550-1600. Since 1% equals approximately 19,000 students, we could claim that less than 19,000 people scored between 1550 and 1600 on the SAT in 2023.
If you’re looking to defy the odds and achieve an SAT score of 1600, continue reading to find the raw scores you’ll need for each part of the SAT as well as tips on how to achieve the scores you want.
If you need help translating the raw score (the total number of questions that you answered right) for each section to the scaled score (your final score ranging between 200 to 800) Here are two charts of scores that provide the raw score converted to scaled scores. Both charts come from official SAT test preparations.
Be aware that because the Reading as well as Writing scores are merged to create an overall EBRW score of 800. Each score is converted first into the form of an exam result (out of 40) and then later to a score that is a combination of 800. For more information about how to determine the value of your SAT scores, refer to our detailed guide.
You may have noticed there are a few variations in the way raw scores are converted into scored scores that are scaled. For example, a math score of raw 57 will yield a 790 on the first test, however a perfect 800 on the next exam.
The reason is that every SAT test is equalized in a way that, even with minor differences in the difficulty of the exam, SAT scores are reliable for a variety of testing dates. For instance, a score of 1400 on the March SAT is the same level of proficiency as a 1400 score on a May SAT even though it was the case that the maiden SAT was harder. Check out the SAT score report for a more thorough explanation of the process for equating.
Maximum SAT Score on Math
Based on the above charts for an 800 in the Math section of the SAT, you have to answer all 58 questions correctly to get a basic score of. Occasionally, a 57 % could suffice however this isn’t the same for every test therefore, you’ll need a perfect score of 58.
That’s why when you’re studying, you’re striving for perfect results. Figure out which kind of questions you tend to skip. Perhaps you have trouble with a particular subject that you’re struggling with, like slopes or fractions. Perhaps you are frequently confused by grid-ins (the ones in which you need to answer).
In any event, find out what you’re making mistakes and keep working on them. For more advice, check out our guide to achieving an excellent SAT Math score, written by our expert.
Perfect Score on Evidence-Based Reading and Writing
To score an 800 in ERW, you can miss only one Reading question, but you need to be able to answer all 44 Writing questions correctly.
Remember that the scoring procedure for ERW is more complex than the scoring process for Math. For reference, Reading is half your ERW score, while Writing will be the second half. Every section’s score is transformed into an ERW test score using the scale 10-40. It is necessary to score an absolute score of 40 on each section to get an aggregate score of 80 which is an ERW final score of 800.
We suggest aiming for a flawless Raw score of at least 52 for Reading and a total Raw score of for Writing to score the perfect score of 800. Why? Based on the date test you sit for the SAT; raw scores may be adapted to scaled scores in a different way because of an equivalence. (Again, for more detailed details on this procedure read our scores for the SAT.) This means that a score of 51 on Reading in an earlier version of SAT could earn you an 800, but not score it on a different version.
Similar to the Math part, shoot for perfection when you exercise. For Reading, which requires you to read long pages, develop a strategy to approach the passages. This could include reading the passage first before answering the questions afterward or looking over the questions first before looking for the answers within the passage. Once you’ve settled on the strategy, you should test it (ideally by using reading tests for SAT) until you’re able to perform the task quickly, efficiently and without making a lot of mistakes.
The Writing section also has long sections; however, it is particularly quick (you only get around 47 seconds for each question!) It’s therefore important to test a range of reading strategies to discover which is the most suitable for your needs. Some students may prefer to read through the entire passage first before tackling the questions later, whereas others might prefer to go through the passage in paragraphs and then answer the tests when they arise.
If you’re struggling with your grammar, make sure to learn about the most important grammar rules that are tested by the SAT. You’ll require a good knowledge of these rules in order for you to complete the Writing test quickly and effectively!
The Bottom Line: Getting a Perfect SAT Score
Even though the perfect 1200 SAT result is extremely uncommon, with consistent study with a good selection of SAT sources and a thorough awareness of your capabilities and shortcomings, it’s not difficult to achieve this stunning score. Do your best and always think about the areas you can improve. Also, make sure to look through our other articles to get specific strategies and tips to help you with your SAT exam preparation!
