New SAT vs. Old SAT Score Conversion Chart

What’s Covered:

• New SAT to Old SAT Conversion Chart
• Explanation of Methodology
• How Does Your SAT Score Impact Your College Chances?

The new SAT scoring system placed the process of interpreting scores into uncharted territory. Before March 2016, the test was out of 2400, but the new test is out of 1600. If you’re wondering how your score stacks up to the old test, or how your old score converts to the new test, check out the chart below for a comparison of scoring scale and percentile ranges! 

Is your SAT score strong enough to get into your dream school? Calculate your chances of admission using our free chancing calculator.

What Exactly Changed?

The old SAT was out of 2400 and had three sections out of 800: Math, Critical Reading, and Writing.

The new SAT combines the former Critical Reading and Writing sections into a single section called Evidence-Based Reading and Writing. This section has a Reading test and Writing and Language test.

The Essay also became optional and was separated from the composite score (previously it factored into your Writing score). As of June 2021, the SAT Essay is actually discontinued.

The New to Old SAT Score Conversion Chart

Explanation of Methodology

Standardized tests are a useful way to determine a student’s ability, relative to that of his or her peers, because the tests are designed such that there will always be an equal ratio of high scores to medium scores to low scores. This allows us to assign each score a percentile — a figure that represents where a score sits on a distribution curve.

For example, obtaining a perfect score on the old SAT (2400)­ puts you in the 99^th percentile, meaning you scored higher than 99% of all other test takers. An 800, the lowest possible score on the 2400 scale, would be in the 1^st percentile, meaning you scored higher than 1% of the other test takers.

In order to make our score and percentile conversion chart, we worked under the assumption that the College Board is aiming to keep the old SAT distribution similar to the new one (with a few at the top, lots in the middle, and few at the bottom).

It’s difficult to compare scores on the old SAT and the redesigned version. Once comprised of two sections (Critical Reading and Writing, that amounted to 1600 total points) has now been compressed into one section (English), amounting to 800 total points. To create the percentile conversions, we took a blended average of the Critical Reading and Writing percentiles (adjusted for the relative frequency of Critical Reading and Writing questions on the new version).

Because the scoring scale of the Mathematics section has not been altered, we used the same percentile distribution as the old SAT.

To convert score percentiles on the 2400 scale to those on the 1600 scale, we assumed the distribution of scores on both tests would be the same and compressed the 2400 values to a 1600 scale.

How Does Your SAT Score Impact Your College Chances?

Selective colleges use a metric called the Academic Index (AI) to represent the strength of applicants’ grades and test scores. If your AI is too low, a school may not even review the rest of your application. 

We’ve made it easy to understand the impact of your SAT score by creating a free Admissions Chances Calculator. This calculator will let you know how your score stacks up against other applicants’, and give you tips on improving the rest of your profile, including grades and extracurriculars.

You can also search for schools based on preferences like location, major, cost, and more. Give it a try to get a jumpstart on your college strategy.