Scoring at the SAT

You get one point for each correct answer you supply on the SAT, and for everything but the essay and math grid-ins, you lose ¼ point for each incorrect answer.  (If you make a mistake on a grid-in, you receive no points but nothing is deducted).  Two (severely underpaid) English teachers who have undergone special training in SAT scoring read the essay.  Each reader awards it 1 to 6 points.  If the readers disagree by more than one point, which happens in about 6 percent of the essays, a third super-expert weighs in.  When you get your Writing score, you see a 20 to 80 score for the multiple-choice questions and an essay subscore of 2 to 12. The multiple-choice score counts of 70 percent of your total Writing score, and the essay for 30 percent.

The SAT isn't curved, but raw scores are converted to the 200 to 800 format.  You receive 200 just for showing up, and an 800 - the hightest score - can be achieved even if you've made a few errors.  Hod did the test makers settle upon this score range?  I have no idea!

TIP: To guess or not to guess, that is the question.  The answer is a definite maybe.  On the grid-in, always guess because there is no penalty for a wrong answer.  If you have no clue on the grid-in, bubble in your birthday or the number of cavities you had during your last checkup.  For the other five-answer, multiple-choice questions, try to eliminate obviously wrong answers.  If you can dump one, you have a one in four chance of guessing correctly.  Go for it.  If you can't eliminate anything, leave the question blank.  Always guess if you can eliminate two of the five choices because the odds favor you.  Students who make this sort of educated guess usually score higher on the SAT than they would have if they'd left more blanks.

The basic fee for the test is $47, with the first four score reports being free, but you pay about $10 extra for additional score reports.  (Prices, of course, are always subject to change, and don't expect any to go down.  Check the College Board Web site for pricing changes.)  You can request additional score reports on the (how do they think of these names?)  Additional Score Report Request Form, which you can download from the Web site.

For a higher fee ($12.50), you can get a detailed analysis of your test performance - how many of each sort of question you answered right and wrong.  Then you can tailor your prep hours to the stuff that's hard for you.  Ask for Student Answer Service when you register.  For even more money ($18), the SAT sends you a copy of the questions and your answers, but only for certain test dates.  Look for Question and Answer Service when you register.

TIP: If you're planning to take another SAT, spring for the Answer Service.  Seeing what you got wrong gives you a blueprint for review.

Score reports arrive at your high school about five weeks after you take the test. (Home-schooled?  Call your local high school for results.)  If you're the antsy type and are willing to fork a few more dollars, you can find out the good news by phone.  Call Customer Service (within U.S.: 866-756-7346; outside the U.S.: 212-713-7789; TTY 888-857-2477 for the U.S. or 609-882-4118 for outside the U.S.)  Have a credit card, your registration numbers, and your birth date ready.  If you have access to the Internet, you can create a free (yes, something's actually free!) account on the College Board Web site (www.collegeboard.com).  Look for My SAT Online Score Report. It tells you your 200-800 scores in Critical Reading, Writing, and Mathematics, and some information on how well you did on various types of questions.