How the SAT turns raw answers into a 400–1600 score
Two steps sit between your answer sheet and the score you report. First, the number of correct answers in each section becomes a raw score: 54 questions in Reading & Writing, 44 in Math on the digital SAT, and a wrong answer costs exactly as much as a blank — nothing. Second, that raw score is converted to a scaled score of 200–800 per section through equating. The total, 400–1600, is simply the two section scores added together.
Why there is no fixed raw-to-scaled table
Equating is the reason no official table exists. Each test form is slightly harder or easier than the last, so the College Board statistically adjusts the conversion so that a given scaled score means the same thing across dates. A raw score of 44 in Reading & Writing might be a 720 on one form and a 690 on another. That is good news for fairness and bad news for anyone searching for "the" SAT conversion chart: the only authoritative curve for your test date is the one printed in your score report, and the full table appears in the Question-and-Answer Service (QAS) report if you ordered it.
Because of that, every table on this page is editable. The defaults are a straight line from 200 at zero correct to 800 at a perfect raw score, which is a reasonable estimate in the middle of the range and tends to understate the top end: real curves are usually steeper below the middle and flatter near the top.
The old −¼ penalty, and why it disappeared
Before the 2016 redesign the SAT was scored out of 2400 (Critical Reading, Writing and Math at 800 each), every multiple-choice question had five options, and a wrong answer subtracted a quarter of a point while a blank cost nothing. Grid-in maths questions were exempt from the penalty because there was nothing to guess. Armed with five options and a −¼ penalty, a completely random guess had an expected value of exactly zero, which is why the standard advice was to guess only after eliminating at least one choice. The redesigned SAT dropped the penalty, moved to four options, and cut the essay to an optional extra — so today the only way to lose points is to leave a question you could have answered correctly blank.
Reading your own score report
- Section scores: two numbers, 200–800 each; the total is their sum, and identical totals can hide very different section profiles.
- Raw score: printed on the QAS report as a number of correct answers per section, module by module.
- Percentiles: the score report also prints nationally representative percentiles, which is what actually matters next to a college's middle-50% range.
- Practice tests: the official linear (paper) practice tests come with their own conversion tables, because they were equated as standalone forms — use those, not a generic one.
Treat any calculator like this one as a planning tool. It is excellent for answering "roughly what does 40 correct in Math buy me?" and useless for predicting a score you have not earned yet.
Frequently asked questions
How is the SAT scored from raw answers?
Correct answers per section become a raw score (54 questions in Reading & Writing, 44 in Math on the digital SAT), and each raw score is equated to a scaled 200–800. The 400–1600 total is those two section scores added together. Wrong answers and blanks cost nothing.
Is there an official SAT raw score conversion table?
No. Because every form is equated, the College Board does not publish a fixed raw-to-scaled table. The authoritative curve for your test date appears in your score report, and the full version comes with the Question-and-Answer Service report if you ordered it.
How many questions do I need right for a 1400?
On the default linear table that is about 45 correct in Reading & Writing and 36 in Math, but real curves move this by 10–20 scaled points per section. Use your own report or a practice test conversion table for anything that matters.
Did wrong answers used to be penalised?
Yes. The pre-2016 SAT had five options per question and deducted one quarter of a point per wrong answer, with grid-in maths exempt. A blind guess was worth exactly zero, so guessing only paid off after eliminating at least one option. The redesigned SAT removed the penalty.
How many questions are on the digital SAT?
The digital SAT has two Reading & Writing modules of 27 questions each (54 total) and two Math modules of 22 questions each (44 total). Each section is scored 200–800, adaptive at the module level rather than per question.
Does leaving a question blank hurt me?
Not directly — a blank scores the same as a wrong answer, which is zero. But since wrong answers are no longer penalised, a blank is a guaranteed zero while a guess has a chance of being right, so answer everything.
Why is my practice test conversion different from this table?
Practice tests are equated as their own forms, so each comes with its own conversion table. Replace the default table here with that curve and the calculator will reproduce your practice test exactly.
Can I add my two section scores to get the total?
Yes — that part is exact. The 400–1600 total is simply Reading & Writing plus Math, with no further rounding or curve on the sum. Only the raw-to-scaled step involves equating.