I’m a current sophomore in HS and was wondering what the below average. average, above-average score is for each section: Reading/Math. Thank you!!
1300
I’d say aim for at least 1300-1450 right now. This will secure a good spot in most schools and you have enough time to work on it if you want to get into very selective top 10 schools. But please don’t stress too much, the future of how these tests will be used in admissions is uncertain. Below average in the US is probably under 1100. Above average is probably 1470+
By available information, 460 per section represent average scores for a 10th grade student (so 920 combined). A score of 1120 reaches the 75th percentile, and a 1320 hits the 95th percentile.
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You can look up the scores and also the %. Just make sure you are looking at scores for Sophomore, Juniors if you are not a Senior. And don’t compare PSAT to SAT as the scores are lower on the PSAT.
I found that the % doesn’t really change much.
It depends, of course, on what “much” means. It also depends on the range.
So a kid who scores 1100 on a fall PSAT 10 as a sophomore can easily improve by 100 points to 1200 the next spring, which would move them from around the 80th percentile to the 90th. However, such a 100 point improvement from 1300 to 1400 would keep them within 2% of their original percentile, as they move from 97th to 99th.
However, the improvement from 1100 to 1200 is easier than the improvement from 1300 to 1400, and an improvement from the 97th percentile to the 99th is more profound than an improvement from the 80th to the 90th.
My point is that high scoring students tend to stay within a narrow range of percentiles because the cost of “moving” up each percentile is very high among students who initially score somewhere in the top 5%. However, for students who initially score in the middle, moving up 10 or even 20 percentile points is pretty common, especially for students whose school provides resources for SAT training, or whose parents can afford it.
Yes, correct. The % might change very little at the higher range and more in the middle ( more room to grow).
Scores will naturally increase as kids learn more material. Some kids do study for hours, weeks and months. Some don’t study at all. There are many resources at all price points from online guides to professional tutoring.
Hi, as a few others have stated 1300 is a good score for a sophomore. This places you in the 87th bracket and in a very good position to improve from there! It will leave you with some room for improvement but overall a great place to build from.
Yes I agree 1300 is good!
Good in what context?
Compared to the general 10th grade population, in your below/at/above average construct (if that means to 1/3s), probably <900, 900-1100, 1100+.
“Good” for an intention to apply to Caltech? A 1450+ probably indicates a path to a typical competitive score in Junior/Senior year testing.
Only on an inflated CC scale. 1470 is 97th percentile for juniors/seniors.