Written by Chris Hernandez
Approximately 0.07% of students (7 in 10,000) who take the SAT achieve a perfect score. Since roughly 1.7 million people take the test each year, that comes out to around 1,000 people who score a perfect 1600. If that 1.7 million includes people who took the test multiple times, then just a few hundred people score the perfect 1600 each year.
Around 1% of SAT test-takers score between 1550 and 1600, with 22,000 students from the Class of 2020 falling within that range.
A perfect score on the SAT is a 1600. This is arrived at by getting 800 on the Evidence-Based Reading and Writing section and 800 on the Mathematics section.
The SAT's composite scoring range is from 400 to 1600. Your raw score is converted into a scaled score on the 200 to 800 point scale, with each test having a slightly different scoring scale.
The average SAT score from the Class of 2020 was 1051. The average Reading score was 528 and the average Math score was 523. This average represents nearly 2.2 million test-takers from the United States
The two elements to receiving a perfect score on the SAT are a little luck and a bit of hard work. It helps to have familiarity with the SAT sections, style, the timing and pacing of the sections within the exam, and the content found within it.
For example, you can't confidently answer SAT Math questions if you don't know the concept of margin of error.
To achieve a perfect score on the SAT, you have to get nearly every question right in three distinct subjects. However, it's worth noting that a perfect score does not guarantee admission to any university.
You donât need a perfect SAT score. Perfect scores are helpful in the application process, but not everyone who takes the SAT gets into the top 1% of schools. High scores are helpful, but they aren't the center of why a school may accept an applicant.
You should also look into whether or not your preferred college superscores the SAT.
A good score on the SAT is one that helps you get into the college of your choosing. Check university admissions webpages (such as this one for UNC) to see where high school graduates accepted by the schools of your choosing tend to land. If more than half of them scored between 1050 and 1250, youâll know that you also require a score between those numbers, or better yet, above 1250.
Related article: Is 1300 a Good SAT Score? Best Colleges That Accept 1300
If you want to set yourself up for success on the SAT and beyond, contact Amikka Learning for help.