Sat Scoring System

The SAT is one of the most important tests you’ll ever take. Your chances of acceptance increase if you have a high SAT score. Colleges use SAT scores to determine whether or not you will be a good fit for their school.Before taking it, it’s important that you learn as much as possible about it, to minimize the number of unwanted surprises you’ll encounter when you take the test and receive your score report. This article is intended to provide an overview of one of the most basic aspects of the test: the scoring system.

How Responses are Graded:

For the Critical and Math sections of the test, you’ll be presented with multiple-choice questions that have only one correct answer. Obviously, your score increases with every correct answer. But there’s a catch that some test takers may be unfamiliar with, especially if they’re more familiar with the ACT test: each wrong answer lowers your score slightly.

The Writing section includes an essay prompt, which is graded by official readers according to a rubric.

Sat Scoring Process
You can think of the SAT scoring process as 3 separate steps:
 (1) Calculate Raw Score

The raw score determine how well the student answered the multiple choice question. If you get the answer correct, you’re awarded 1 point. If you don’t get the answer correct, then you get .25 points subtracted from your score. If you don’t answer the question at all, then you get 0 points.

 (2) Equate Raw Score
Next, the score is equated. This involves performing a complex statistical analysis on the results of your exam.  This process makes sure that your final exam score will reflect your actual skills by taking into account the difficulty level of the exam you took compared to the difficulty level of the exams that all the other students took.

(3) Scaled Score or Final Score.
Once the equating process is done, your raw score is then converted to your scaled score or final score.

Scoring Limits

Writing (200-800)
Math (200-800)
Critical Reading (200-800)

Perfect Scores
A perfect score is 2,400 points. Approximately 1,000,000 students take the SAT each year and on average, only 20 of them get a perfect score.

What Final Scores Mean:

The possible scores for each section range from 200 to 800. The 50th percentile score for each section is approximately 500, meaning half of test takers score above 500 and half score below. Therefore, the average total score on the test is approximately 1500.

More statistically inclined readers may be interested to know that the standard deviation for each section score is 100. This means that a score of 600, for example, is higher than 84% of all test takers. Approximately 68% of all test takers score between 400 and 600 on each section of the test.

That is a basic breakdown of SAT scoring. Of course, there’s more detailed information available through College Board, the company that makes the SAT. More in-depth information is also provided on the scoring report each test taker receives after their test is graded.

Sat Test-Sat Test Dates and Deadlines

Sat Test Dates and Deadlines
Find Sat test dates and  Registration deadlines of 2011-2012

Test Date	Tests Offered	Regular Registration Closes	Late Registration Closes
Jan. 22, 2011	SAT&Subject Tests	Dec. 23	Jan. 7
March 12, 2011	SAT Test Only	Feb. 11	Feb. 25
May 7, 2011	SAT&Subject Tests	April 8	April 22
June 4, 2011	SAT&Subject Tests	May 6	May 20
October 1, 2011	SAT&Subject Tests	TBD	TBD
November 5, 2011	SAT&Subject Tests	TBD	TBD
December 3, 2011	SAT&Subject Tests	TBD	TBD
January 28, 2012	SAT&Subject Tests	TBD	TBD
March 10, 2012	SAT Only	TBD	TBD
May 5, 2012	SAT&Subject Tests	TBD	TBD
June 2, 2012	SAT&Subject Tests	TBD	TBD

International Registration Deadlines Important Information

• International deadlines apply to anyone testing outside of the United States, U.S. Territories, and Puerto Rico.
• International registration materials must be received by the international deadlines.
• There is no late registration for international testing. Online and telephone registrations must be completed by the international deadline dates listed above.
• Students registering through International Representatives must submit their paper registration with full payment by the early registration deadline.
• On March, the SAT is not offered outside of the United States, U.S. Territories, and Puerto Rico.

6 Common SAT Myths Busted

The SAT world is full of myths. Certain myths have been floating around, making this whole study harder than it has to be. These facts shown below are obtained through real testing and analysis not any hypothetical claims. So let’s get started .

Myth #1: The SAT is a measure of your IQ or aptitude
Fact: The SAT is NOT a measurement of your IQ or aptitude. Think about it – if the SAT were a measurement of IQ or aptitude, how do we account for score improvements? Did the test taker just suddenly become more intelligent after some time? Of course not. It would be great if people could just raise their intelliegence because then there would be no stupid people on Earth. The SAT only measures your ability to do well on the test and nothing else.

Myth #2: The SAT tests on skills you already learned from school
Fact: While it is true that the SAT tests on reading, writing and math, all of which you have learned in school, the type of reading, writing and math you do on the SAT is NOT the same as that of school work. Yes, you do rely on your knowledge of some basic subject matter you acquired from scool but ultimately, the SAT is a standardized test and the skills required to excel on the test is different from the skills required to excel in school.

Myth #3: The SAT requires years to prepare for
Fact: It is possible to prepare for the SAT in a short amount of time if you focus on the right preparation methods. Granted, some people will take longer then others to improve on the SAT. However, to say that improving on the SAT requires years of hard work is plain wrong.

Myth #4: The SAT is a complicated test with random questions
Fact: The SAT is a STANDARDIZED test which tests on repeated concepts over and over again. There are no random questions on the SAT. Every question put out by the College Board for every SAT administration must comply with the SAT standards or else the SAT cannot be considered as a standardized test. So the last thing you want to do is start working on some random math workbook thinking that it would improve your score on the SAT math section.

Myth #5: There is a best month to take the SAT
Fact: There is no best month to take the SAT. Every SAT administration has a unique moderating curve tailored to that specific test. If you happen to get an “easier” test on test day, then the curve would be harsher, meaning that your mistakes will result in more points lost. If you happen to get a more “difficult” test, then the curve would be more lenient, meaning that you each mistake would result in fewer points lost. This specific moderating curve serves to ensure that all SAT scores are comparable.
This means that someone who got a 2200 on the May 2010 SAT is considered to have the same standard as someone who got a 2200 on the January 2011 SAT. This is the only way for the SAT to be a fair college admission test. If there was any best month to take the SAT because that month had an “easier” test, then wouldn’t it be unfair to other SAT takers who didn’t take the SAT on that particular month? The college admission process would in turn by unfair.

Myth #6: You should always guess if you can eliminate at least one answer choice
Fact: Guessing will hurt your score more often than not. I have been analysing guessing for some time, and I have found that guessing will cause you to lose points more often than not. I go into a lot more detail on guessing in my book, The SAT Excellence Prep Book so if you’re interested go get yourself a copy (sorry for the shameless self promotion ). But for now, I want to you to do this – make a record of how many questions you get right and wrong when you guess based on an entire practice test (or more if you want to). See for yourself if guessing is helping your score.

Article extracted from http://www.satexcellence.com/6-common-sat-myths-debunked

Avoiding Trick Questions | SAT and ACT Tests

I bet you've heard this expression before, "If it looks too good to be true, then it probably is." That holds true for a lot of things, but it's also true for many of the questions on standardized tests, such as the SAT and ACT. If you are about to take one of these tests, then there is a truth that you need to keep in mind when you get ready for the exam.

While these tests are widely and commonly accepted as the only way to compare the academic foundation of students across the country, that does not mean that smart people always score high and the high scores are always by the smart people. Unfortunately, it just doesn't work that way all the time. These tests allow colleges to have some sort of standardized method for comparison, but many times, the smart kid in school will do poorly and the student you wouldn't expect to do so will score really high.

That's in part because the test is really only designed to test how well you test. Many of the questions on the SAT and ACT exam have false cues in order to distract you from the right answer, and so sometimes, the answer that looks obvious, may not be the right answer. Many students, smart and otherwise, get caught in this trap. Chalk it up to nerves, failure to think it through, or a "hunch" response, but this kind of question often trips up students who rush through the test.

The test makers are not looking to make your job easy. Keep that in mind. If an answer looks completely obvious, never just pick that answer and move on. Always think it through, because it may be a trick. The only way to avoid these types of questions is to make sure that you carefully read every problem on the SAT or ACT exam, even the "easy" ones.

If you are doing a test prep course, be sure that you select a course or program that teaches you methods for avoiding these traps. With practice and attention to the questions, not only will you recognize them right away, but you'll cut down the nerves and pressure of taking this type of exam. I recommend, as do others, that you take multiple tests. For instance, you can take the SAT and ACT every year, even more than once each year, beginning in middle school or early in high school. The more often you take the exam, and practice your skills of testing, the higher the scores will be. Remember, these tests are testing how well you test!

So, don't get caught rushing, invest in a program that will teach you specialized test-taking strategies, not re-teach math and science, and take the time to practice your skills. Your scores will rise, as will your confidence!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/5601169

Scoring a 2130 by William Sidell

I was just imagining of some SAT stories of how people scored 2400 or 1870.
Then I googled 'sat story'. One site I read was of William Sidell. The interesting part was that he had designed the site just for Stanford University meaning he wanted to get into Stanford and mad this site up to impress them. I donot know if he got into Stan for the class of 2014 or not but his sat story was quite interesting. Some of you may get some inspirations!

Extracted from: williamsidell.com/stanfordu/sat.html

Most people take the SAT sometime in their Junior or Senior year in high school. I decided to take in January of 2009 to see how I would perform and I received the score of 1730. I was fairly upset to see that I didn't score higher, so I decided that I would take the SAT again in May after doing a little bit of preparation. In May, I received a score of 1840.

At this point I was at least somewhat satisfied that my score had improved but I was not satisfied in the sense that I knew that I could easily do better, so I signed up for the June test. In June I received a 1940. Now having a 100 point increase two times in a row, I decided "What would be the harm in taking it again?" So in November of 2009, I took the SAT again and received a 2080. I was finally pleased with myself; I had gone from a 600 Critical Reading score to a 740 (2 questions away from an 800), a 550 Writing score to a 710, and a 580 Math to a 680 (if I include my highest math score.)
If I took my best score from each section, my overall score increased 400 points from a 1730 to an 2130.

The one surprising thing about my score is that I did not score well in math. I took several practice tests in Math before taking the SAT for the last time and consistently scored over 700. While I am good at math questions, I believe my problem was due to incorrectly reading the questions.

Overall, I believe that my experience with the SAT has taught me that no matter how bad a situation seems, you often have the power to alter your situation. One of the things that I believe helped my SAT score the most was reading several books about physics over the summer. The authors of the books had such incredible writing prose that I believe my ability to read and write increased dramatically, in turn affecting my reading and writing scores.

Life Saving SAT tips

1. Know the Question Types to Expect on the SAT I :
   * 19 sentence completion
   * 40 reading comprehension
   * 35 math multiple-choices
   * 10 student-produced responses
   The more you are familiar and know what is coming on the SAT, more the marks you get.
   


2. Learn the section directions now. Use the time saved during the test to work on questions.
   By now you should have got this. If not get with the directions right now.


3. As all questions carry equal marks, answer easy questions first. Mark skipped questions in your exam book to return to them later. Do not waste more than a minute on a question.


4. When doing multiple choice, remember to cross out a choice if you get the slightest hint that it is the wrong option. If you do not have a habit of crossing out the option, you will come to it again and again wasting your time and making your mind more cluttered with choices. Though a minor point this strategy can affect your score by more than 60 points.
   


5. Avoid stray marks on the answer sheet. Remember that your paper is going to be checked by an idiot machine that can't distinguish between a correct answer and a careless doodle.


6. Easy questions usually precede hard ones. Except with the passage questions which are arranged according to the the content in the passage.


7. Mark the pivotal words. These words, like however, but, change the direction of the sentence and you may not keep track of the change and loose points for even easy questions.
   


8. Understand the scoring! You get a point for a right answer. You lose a fractional point for a wrong answer. There is no deduction for omitted answers, or for wrong answers in the math section's student-produced response questions.



9. Remember that the SAT consists of a series of small, timed, mini-tests. Keep track of the time you're allotted for each one and how much time remains.


10. Bring a watch to the test center. You can't be guaranteed that there'll be a working clock there.

Best Price Sat Guide Books

What is a really good SAT score

High school students like to know how they did on the SATs. It's  that basic real step en route for college and one of the more determining factors in which college a student will move in. Every year SAT scores are published leaving many students questioning what that digit actually measures. Determining whether you exhibit a “bad” score or a “good” score is still relative, dependent on the school you’re applying to.

Your SAT mark can range between 600 on the lowest extremity, to a 2400 on the maximum end since every SAT section (Critical Reading, Writing, and Mathematics) is worth amid 200 and 800 points a section.

How to enhance SAT Critical Reading Section Score

To attain high on the SAT Critical Reading section, you need to be used to reading SAT-level material and lots of it. You also need to know with the intention of SAT reading isn't casual reading nor is it the textbook reading you do for school. When you're reading for the SAT, you have to read actively and understand the main idea of each passage. What you don't need to do is commit to memory every detail.

Read SAT Passages Actively

As you are reading, ask yourself questions around the passage. What is passage's central purpose? What way is the author writing in? Is the passage an opinion? Is it an account? These are all likely questions that possibly will be asked in one form or an alternative. Keen reading will help you stay better alert on the passage. Don't get jammed asking yourself what you just read!

SAT Study Plan - How to get into full paced Sat Study

Before you start one kind of SAT test prep, you must get on to a preparation. Decide could you repeat that? Exactly you're vacant to study, how you're vacant to study it, and as and everywhere you're gonna sort out it. The answer to a thriving SAT study preparation is to be point and to in fact stick to the preparation.

Make Your SAT Study Plan Specific

It's not sufficient to solely tell physically with the intention of you're vacant to study pro the SAT when you be inflicted with emancipated calculate. Inevitably you'll procrastinate and won't make as much made as you may possibly be inflicted with with a better study preparation. Write down everywhere, as, could you repeat that?, and how you are vacant to study pro a week. Work SAT prep into your routine and get on to it a priority.

How to Improve Your S.A.T. Score

The SAT (Standardized Aptitude Test) is the vital standardized test agreed to distinguished teach students pro access into privileged education (or college). This test could be the curse of many people's existence, as they could worry the three-hour test pro days and even months and years. However, it is not a desperate test. There are several ways to deal with the test, and consequently, such ways to increase your notch. After all, it will be lone of the deciding factors in the increasingly competitive college admissions process. You will need a strong and competitive notch pro admission into the privileged ranked schools. However, it is valuable to remember with the intention of your SAT notch is not the single deciding thing in the process. It is simply lone of several. The factors by generous are commonly the following:

GPA
SAT notch
ACT notch (optional)
SAT II (subject tests - optional)
Extra-curricular activities
Essays
Letters of Recommendation
Of these numerous components to your attention, the SAT is simply lone of many. However, it could pose the leading hindrance to your ultimate goal.