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New SAT Scores to Old SAT & ACT Comparison: Conversion Chart

A student taking a test at a classroom desk.

The SAT has gone through a number of changes in recent years, to better reflect students’ real preparation for higher education. In March 2016, the College Board released the newest version of the SAT. This new test returned to two sections, each on an 800-point scale: a math section, updated to better reflect high school curricula, and a combined Reading and Writing section, which brought in elements of the old Writing section but scored the essay separately.

What does this mean for you? First, it means that you shouldn’t assume any old SAT scores (or PSAT scores) are directly analogous to yours. If you want to compare your score to one that you or someone else received prior to 2016, use one of our concordance tables below.

Second, important changes took place in the content of each section, which we describe in more detail below. This means you should not use any test prep materials, or take any practice tests, that were produced before the new SAT.

Finally, it may be that the changes in the new SAT affect your decision about whether to take the SAT or ACT. You can read more about where ACT scores fit into this discussion below.

Old SAT Math to New SAT Math

The new SAT math is similar to old SAT math section; both sections have scores out of 800. However, the new math section has some different content than the old section; the College Board says the section has moved away from highly abstract problems to emphasize concrete, skills-based math.

The revisions in the new SAT math section mean that new SAT scores are very similar to old ones, but not identical. Below you can see that new math scores are slightly higher than old ones.

Old SAT	New SAT	Old SAT	New SAT	Old SAT	New SAT
800	800	600	620	400	440
790	800	590	610	390	430
780	790	580	600	380	420
770	780	570	590	370	410
760	780	560	580	360	400
750	770	550	570	350	390
740	760	540	570	340	380
730	760	530	560	330	370
720	750	520	550	320	360
710	740	510	540	310	360
700	730	500	530	300	350
690	720	490	520	290	340
680	710	480	510	280	330
670	700	470	510	270	310
660	690	460	500	260	300
650	670	450	490	250	280
640	660	440	480	240	260
630	650	430	470	230	250
620	640	420	460	220	230
610	630	410	450	210	220

Old SAT Reading + Writing to New SAT Reading + Writing

This is where the conversion gets tricky. The old, 2400-point SAT test had two sections for verbal: a critical reading section, with passages and questions, and a writing section, focused on grammar and writing skills. In the new SAT, the College Board has combined these two sections, while scoring the essay separately.

Elements of both the old critical reading and writing sections appear in the new SAT reading test. The reading passages are chosen to be less confusing, with fewer highly uncommon words, to test comprehension rather than vocabulary.

Old SAT	New SAT	Old SAT	New SAT	Old SAT	New SAT	Old SAT	New SAT	Old SAT	New SAT	Old SAT	New SAT
400	200	600	350	800	450	1000	560	1200	650	1400	730
410	210	610	360	810	450	1010	560	1210	660	1410	740
420	220	620	360	820	460	1020	570	1220	660	1420	740
430	230	630	360	830	460	1030	570	1230	670	1430	740
440	240	640	370	840	470	1040	580	1240	670	1440	750
450	260	650	370	850	480	1050	580	1250	680	1450	750
460	270	660	380	860	480	1060	590	1260	680	1460	750
470	280	670	380	870	490	1070	590	1270	680	1470	760
480	290	680	390	880	490	1080	600	1280	690	1480	760
490	300	690	390	890	500	1090	600	1290	690	1490	760
500	310	700	400	900	500	1100	610	1300	700	1500	770
510	310	710	400	910	510	1110	610	1310	700	1510	770
520	320	720	410	920	510	1120	620	1320	700	1520	770
530	320	730	410	930	520	1130	620	1330	710	1530	780
540	330	740	420	940	530	1140	630	1340	710	1540	780
550	330	750	420	950	530	1150	630	1350	710	1550	780
560	330	760	430	960	540	1160	640	1360	720	1560	790
570	340	770	430	970	540	1170	640	1370	720	1570	790
580	340	780	440	980	550	1180	650	1380	730	1580	800
590	340	790	440	990	550	1190	650	1390	730	1600	800

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SAT-ACT Conversion Chart

There are two standardized tests used in college admissions: the SAT and the ACT. A generation ago, these two tests were divided by geography. Now, because colleges accept both tests with no preference, high school students should take whichever test is the best fit for their learning style.

Unlike the SAT, ACT scores come from four sections: math, reading, writing, and science. Each section is scored out of 36, and then a composite score is created to average the four scores. Thus, each test-taker receives a total ACT score of up to 36.

In the table below, you can find the most recent conversion rates between new SAT scores (total) and composite ACT scores. Note that there are multiple ACT scores for each SAT score total. The SAT score mid-point per individual ACT score is marked with an asterisk (for instance, an ACT score of 28 is, on average, a 1310 on the new SAT).

SAT Total Score	ACT Composite Score	SAT Total Score	ACT Composite Score	SAT Total Score	ACT Composite Score	SAT Total Score	ACT Composite Score
1600	36	1340*	29	1080*	21	820	14
1590*	36	1330	29	1070	21	810	14
1580	36	1320	28	1060	21	800*	14
1570	36	1310*	28	1050	20	790	14
1560	35	1300	28	1040*	20	780	14
1550	35	1290	27	1030	20	770	13
1540*	35	1280*	27	1020	19	760*	13
1530	35	1270	27	1010*	19	750	13
1520	34	1260	27	1000	19	740	13
1510	34	1250	26	990	19	730	13
1500*	34	1240*	26	980	18	720	12
1490	34	1230	26	970*	18	710*	12
1480	33	1220	25	960	18	700	12
1470	33	1210*	25	950	17	690	12
1460*	33	1200	25	940	17	680	11
1450	33	1190	24	930*	17	670*	11
1440	32	1180*	24	920	17	660	11
1430*	32	1170	24	910	16	650	11
1420	32	1160	24	900	16	640	10
1410	31	1150	23	890*	16	630*	10
1400*	31	1140*	23	880	16	620	10
1390	31	1130	23	870	15	610	9
1380	30	1120	22	860	15	600	9
1370*	30	1110*	22	850*	15	590*	9
1360	30	1100	22	840	15	580	9
1350	29	1090	21	830	15	570	9

Official SAT Composite Score Conversion Chart

This chart compares new SAT scores to old SAT scores to ACT composite scores, and vice versa. Here you can compare new and old scores across all these standardized tests.

Old SAT	New SAT	ACT	Old SAT	New SAT	ACT	Old SAT	New SAT	ACT	Old SAT	New SAT	ACT
2400	1600	36	1950	1380	29	1500	1090	21	1050	800	14
2390	1600	36	1940	1370	29	1490	1090	21	1040	790	14
2380	1590	35	1930	1370	29	1480	1080	21	1030	780	14
2370	1590	35	1920	1360	29	1470	1070	21	1020	780	14
2360	1590	35	1910	1350	29	1460	1070	21	1010	770	14
2350	1580	35	1900	1350	29	1450	1060	21	1000	760	14
2340	1580	35	1890	1340	28	1440	1050	20	990	760	14
2330	1570	35	1880	1340	28	1430	1050	20	980	750	13
2320	1570	35	1870	1330	28	1420	1040	20	970	740	13
2310	1560	35	1860	1320	28	1410	1030	20	960	740	13
2300	1560	35	1850	1320	28	1400	1030	20	950	730	13
2290	1550	34	1840	1310	28	1390	1020	20	940	730	13
2280	1550	34	1830	1300	27	1380	1020	20	930	720	13
2270	1550	34	1820	1300	27	1370	1010	19	920	710	12
2260	1540	34	1810	1290	27	1360	1000	19	910	710	12
2250	1540	34	1800	1290	27	1350	1000	19	900	700	12
2240	1530	34	1790	1280	27	1340	990	19	890	690	12
2230	1530	34	1780	1270	26	1330	980	19	880	690	12
2220	1520	34	1770	1270	26	1320	980	19	870	680	12
2210	1520	34	1760	1260	26	1310	970	18	860	670	12
2200	1510	33	1750	1250	26	1300	960	18	850	660	12
2190	1510	33	1740	1250	26	1290	950	18	840	650	12
2180	1510	33	1730	1240	26	1280	950	18	830	640	12
2170	1500	33	1720	1230	25	1270	940	18	820	630	12
2160	1500	33	1710	1230	25	1260	930	17	810	620	11
2150	1490	33	1700	1220	25	1250	930	17	800	610	11
2140	1490	33	1690	1210	25	1240	920	17	790	600	11
2130	1480	32	1680	1210	25	1230	910	17	780	590	11
2120	1480	32	1670	1200	25	1220	910	17	770	580	11
2110	1470	32	1660	1200	25	1210	900	17	760	560	11
2100	1470	32	1650	1190	24	1200	890	16	750	550	NA
2090	1460	32	1640	1180	24	1190	890	16	740	540	NA
2080	1450	32	1630	1180	24	1180	880	16	730	530	NA
2070	1450	32	1620	1170	24	1170	870	16	720	520	NA
2060	1440	31	1610	1160	24	1160	870	16	710	510	NA
2050	1440	31	1600	1160	24	1150	860	16	700	500	NA
2040	1430	31	1590	1150	23	1140	850	15	690	490	NA
2030	1430	31	1580	1140	23	1130	850	15	680	480	NA
2020	1420	31	1570	1140	23	1120	840	15	670	470	NA
2010	1410	30	1560	1130	23	1110	830	15	660	460	NA
2000	1410	30	1550	1120	22	1100	830	15	650	450	NA
1990	1400	30	1540	1120	22	1090	820	15	640	440	NA
1980	1400	30	1530	1110	22	1080	810	15	630	430	NA
1970	1390	30	1520	1110	22	1070	810	15	620	420	NA
1960	1380	29	1510	1100	22	1060	800	14	600	400	NA

Final Thoughts

Your test scores are not your whole application, but they are an important piece. Doing well on the new SAT or ACT is essential to create a competitive application for most schools. Make sure you have a strategy. Know which test is better for you, how to prepare, and which test dates will fit best with your schedule. Lastly, don’t be afraid to take the SAT or ACT more than once, since colleges mainly care about your highest scores.

About The Author

Dr. Rachel Rubin

Dr. Rachel Rubin is the co-founder of Spark Admissions and a highly accomplished college admissions consultant. With a doctorate from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education, where she was a Presidential Scholar, Dr. Rubin combines her academic expertise with her experience on admissions committees at selective universities. A former university faculty member and high school teacher, she understands the needs of adolescents and excels in guiding them through the admissions process, from identifying best-fit colleges to refining application essays. A U.S. Presidential Scholar and member of the Independent Educational Consultants Association, Dr. Rubin has helped hundreds of students achieve acceptance to their top-choice schools.

See author's posts

New SAT Scores to Old SAT & ACT Comparison: Conversion Chart

Old SAT Math to New SAT Math

Old SAT Reading + Writing to New SAT Reading + Writing

SAT-ACT Conversion Chart

Official SAT Composite Score Conversion Chart

Final Thoughts

About The Author

Dr. Rachel Rubin

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