Section 1: What do we mean by a raw and scale SAT and ACT scores?

Section 2: How does one score affect the other?

Section 3: How are ACT scores broken down?

Section 4: Can I check my students' raw and scale scores on ChalkTalk?

The raw score is simply calculated using the number of questions answered correctly. For every question answered correctly on the SAT, a student receives one point.

The scaled score of between 200 and 800 is converted from the raw score a student earns on each section. The conversion happens through a process called equating, which ensures that the different forms of the test or the level of ability of the students do not affect a student score. In other words, equating makes it possible to make comparisons among test takers who take different editions of the test.

A raw score is the total number of questions a student gets right in a section (English, Math, Reading and Science). For example, if you got 70 out of 75 English questions right, your raw English score would be 70.

A scale score is the final score a student gets for each section, on a scale of 1-36. Specifically, it's a translation of the student's raw score via an equating process developed by ACT, Inc.

Your students' raw SAT/ACT scores won't tell you much about how a student's score compares with peers or other test takers in general.

Scale scores, on the other hand, reflect how well a student did in relation to other test takers who took any variation of the SAT/ACT.

So, equating is not curving a student score relative to other test takers of the same SAT/ACT version. Instead, equating controls for slight variations in different SAT/ACT exams to ensure that scaled scores represent the same level of ability across different test dates.

For instance, a 600 on SAT Math exam (x) has to represent the same ability level as a 600 on SAT Math exam (y). So if test (x) turns out to be more difficult for students, the raw-score to scaled-score calculation will be adjusted so that a slightly lower raw score still nets a 600 scaled score.

Standardized tests can feel challenging, and the complex scoring system can feel impossible to understand. However, when you break it down, it is much simpler than you might assume.

Your composite score, or overall ACT score, is the average of your four scale scores on each test. Your raw scores for each section are simply the number of questions you answered correctly. Let’s use the table below to practice calculating your composite score.

Now, to calculate your overall ACT score, you add the 4 scale scores from each section and divide by four: (33 + 31 + 34 + 28) / 4 = 126 / 4 → 31.4

Understanding your raw scores will allow you to calculate how many more points you need and how many more questions you must answer correctly to get those points. Adapted from PrepMaven

Also, you can check this article to Understand your ACT raw and scaled scores :D

Standardized tests can be overwhelming, and the complex scoring system can feel
impossible to understand. However, when you break it down, it is much simpler than
you might assume.

In the SAT Math section, you start with 200 points, regardless of how many questions you answer correctly. There are 40 questions and the number you answer correctly is your raw score. Your raw score corresponds with a specific scaled score as detailed by the SAT Score Chart. For example, if a student answers 22 Math questions correctly, then their scaled score is 530.
​
The scoring is similar for the ELAR (Evidence-Based Reading and Writing) sections. Your raw score is still your number of correct answers, and that raw score is translated into a scaled score as detailed by the SAT Score Chart. To calculate the scaled score, add the raw score from ELAR Module 1 and ELAR Module 2. Then, take that number to the conversion chart to find the scaled score. For example, if a student answered 12 questions in Module 1 and 14 in Module 2, their total would be 26, so their section score would be 510.

Yes! At ChalkTalk, we give you access to both raw and scale scores for each of your students.

We represent the scores for each student in two ways:

To check this data:

​

To check this data:

​
​

Contact us:

Reference:

https://blog.prepscholar.com/how-is-the-sat-scored-scoring-charts

Did this answer your question?