Understanding the SAT scoring system can be a little tricky. Here are some key points to help you interpret your scores:
For the Mathematics, Critical Reading, and Writing sections:

• For multiple-choice questions, 1 point is awarded for every correct answer, and 1/4 point is subtracted for every incorrect answer.
• Questions not answered do not incur any penalty, and neither do wrong answers on math questions with student-produced responses.
• “Raw scores” for each main section (Mathematics, Critical Reading, and the Writing multiple-choice section) are obtained by tallying up a student’s awarded points, with any 1/4-point “guessing penalties” subtracted.
• Raw scores for the Mathematics and Critical Reading sections are then converted into “scaled scores,” which range between 200 and 800.
• The scaled score for the Writing section also includes the essay, which is scored by two readers on a scale of 1 to 6. The two scores are then added together, giving a possible range of 2 to 12. The raw essay score and the raw multiple-choice Writing score are then scaled together to reach an overall section score between 200 and 800. (The raw essay score makes up approximately 1/3 of the scaled total, and the raw multiple-choice score makes up about 2/3 of the total.)
• Your overall SAT score is the sum of the three scaled scores for the Mathematics, Critical Reading, and Writing sections, with a possible total of 2400 points.

You can learn more about your scores and how they are determined at the College Board’s website.
 

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