<p>“…if you got a total 7, that means one person gave you a 3 (out of 6) while a second person gave you a 4 (out of 6). Or, conceivably, a 2 and a 5, but usually I imagine the 2 scores are closer together!”</p>
<p>If the two scores vary by more than a point, they are sent somewhere (not back to the first two graders) for further grading. You might still end up with the sum of 2 and 5 but it might end up being higher or lower depending on what the new grade is. (My sat test prep teacher was one of the people who taught the essay graders. He told me this information himself.)</p>