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

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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 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.

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).

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.

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.