The SAT reasoning test is a standardized entrance exam for colleges around the country. This three hour and forty-five minute test is designed to measure a student's "college readiness". The SAT is the most researched admission test and is recognize as a reliable and valid measure of college readiness and scholarship potential. The test is divided into three main sections; critical reading, mathematics, and writing. The critical reading section includes reading and sentence completion, the mathematics section includes algebra, geometry, statistics, probability, and other operations, and the writing section includes a short essay and multiple choice questions.
SAT scores range between 200 and 800, while the writing portion includes sub-scores for the essay and multiple choice questions. Students with a higher SAT score have better chances of getting admitted to a college of their choice. Having a higher SAT score can also pave the way for a scholarship.
SAT scores percentiles allow college staff to compare a student's score with that of others. A student's percentile indicates the percentage of students who scored lower than them on the SAT. For example, a student with a score of 700 for example, scored more than 96 percent of other test takers. Similarly, a student with a score of 500 scored more than 54 of other students. SAT score percentiles are based on research carried out and published by The College Board, the creators of the SAT.
Many college profiles mention certain SAT scores against certain percentiles of students. These scores are based on the performance of the previous year's graduating class. If a score of 500 has a percentile of 50, that means 50 percent of the students scored 500 or lower on their SAT. Having a higher score on the SAT greatly improves the chance of gaining admission at a preferred school. By understanding the SAT scores percentiles, students can easily know their chances of admission at a particular college. They can also figure out which other colleges they should apply to, and which ones can be chosen as safety schools.