How the SAT and ACT Are Scored
Before you begin interpreting SAT scores and ACT scores, understand that the scoring systems are quite different. The SAT has three sections (reading comprehension, math and writing / essay), each of which are worth up to 800 points, so a perfect score is 2400.
The ACT has four sections (English, math, reading comprehension and science, with an optional essay section). The scores are averaged after they’re tabulated, so a perfect ACT score is 36.
Interpreting SAT and ACT Scores: What is a Perfect Score?
Don’t beat yourself up if you don’t get a perfect score! Only about one in every 10,000 students achieves an SAT score of 2400, while about one in 4,000 test-takers gets a 36 ACT score.
Most top American colleges (Harvard, Princeton, Columbia, etc.) are looking for scores above the 90th percentile, or the top 10% of all that year’s test-takers. For the SAT, that generally means 2100 or above. The 90th percentile for ACT scores is about a 28 or above.
While a less-than-perfect score doesn’t mean you won’t get into the top colleges and universities in America, a perfect score doesn’t mean you will. The admissions committee at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has actually wait-listed or deferred a few applicants who have gotten perfect test scores, and it’s likely that other schools have as well.
Comparison chart:
http://www.eguidancecounselor.com/ac...comparison.htm
