The SAT essay score is measured on a scale of 2 to 8. The SAT essay score is measured on 3 criteria - reading, analysis, and writing with each section marked on 1 - 8. There are certain universities that consider the SAT Essay score vital for assessment despite it being optional. Therefore, a focus should be placed on the proper preparation of the essays for SAT and candidates should also be aware of the calculation of the SAT Essay score. The candidates need to produce an essay based on the arguments provided by the author to convince their audience within 50 minutes.
The SAT Essay Score ranges from 2 to 8 according to their proficiency level. SAT Essay is evaluated on three criteria – Reading, Analysis, and Writing.
SAT Essay is scored by two different people in between 1 and 4. Their grades are then summed up to give you a three-part grade. The highest grade you can receive is 8 for three, and while the lowest possible score can be 2 for each of the three sections of the SAT Essay Paper.
The SAT essay reading part of your grade assesses how well you read the essay that was provided. The SAT essay analysis part assesses how well you explained your point. The SAT essay writing part assesses how good your syntax and flow was.
The steps on how the SAT Essay is evaluated are given below:
For candidates wondering “What is a good essay score on SAT?”
Well, a good SAT Essay Score is scoring 19 out of 24. If a candidate manages to get above 22 out of 24, it is considered as an excellent SAT Score.
There are different ways and parameters for calculating the average SAT Essay Scores. However, an average SAT Essay score is 14 out of a maximum of 24 points for all the three sections. Logically, Average SAT Score should be equal to 15 for all three sections. But apparently, it comes out to be 14. The Analysis dimension is the part of the SAT essay task that is most different from what students have had to do on other standardized test essays. The average SAT Essay score is 5 out of 8 for the Reading section, 3 out of 8 for the Analysis Section, and 5 out of 8 for Writing.
The rough breakdown of the SAT essay score percentile based on the most recent College Board data is given in the table below:
Score | Reading | Analysis | Writing |
---|---|---|---|
8 | 99 | 99+ | 98 |
7 | 96 | 99 | 93 |
6 | 70 | 93 | 53 |
5 | 48 | 79 | 33 |
4 | 18 | 51 | 9 |
3 | 8 | 32 | 4 |
2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
In order to apply to the top foreign Universities of the English speaking nations, Candidates are required to obtain a decent SAT Essay Score. Universities like Harvard University, Princeton University, University of Pennsylvania, University of Chicago, Stanford University require a decent SAT Essay score of 5-6 out of 8 in Reading, at least 4 out of 8 in Analysis, and 5-6 out of 8 in Writing.
To attain a good SAT Essay score, students need to practice more and more with the reading part. Try to understand what the author is trying to say and then take time to analyze and organize your thoughts and finally present it in a better way. This is one of the quick and easy ways to boost your SAT Essay Score.
Candidates often wonder “Does Yale require SAT essay?” “Does UC Berkeley require SAT essay?” “Does NYU require the SAT essay?”
The following list will provide information about colleges that require SAT essay:
Universities | State/Country | Require or Recommend |
---|---|---|
Abilene Christian University | TX | Recommend |
Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences | NY | Recommend |
Allegheny College | PA | Recommend |
Augsburg University | MN | Recommend |
Austin College | TX | Recommend |
Benedictine University | IL | Require |
Caldwell University | NJ | Recommend |
California State University, Northridge | CA | Recommend |
Central Connecticut State University | CT | Recommend |
Central Michigan University | MI | Recommend |
Cheyney University of Pennsylvania | PA | Recommend |
City University London | UK | Require |
College of Wooster | OH | Recommend |
Colorado School of Mines | CO | Recommend |
Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art | NY | Recommend |
Corban University | OR | Recommend |
Cornerstone University | MI | Recommend |
Dallas Christian College | TX | Recommend |
Delaware State University | DE | Require |
DeSales University | PA | Require |
Dominican University of California | CA | Require |
Duke University | NC | Recommend |
Earlham College | IN | Recommend |
Eastern Illinois University | IL | Recommend |
Eastern Nazarene College | MA | Recommend |
Eastern University | PA | Recommend |
Endicott College | MA | Recommend |
Five Towns College | NY | Recommend |
Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University | FL | Require |
Gallaudet University | DC | Recommend |
ACT Vs SAT score conversion helps to determine the better performance of the candidate in these exams.
Essay | ACT | SAT |
---|---|---|
Nature of Prompt | Develop a unique point of view on a topic while incorporating three different, brief viewpoints on the topic given as part of the prompt. | Evaluate a long passage by a published author, identify the author’s argument, and show how the author makes his or her argument. |
Time Duration | 40 | 50 |
Support | Reasoning and examples taken from students’ personal experience in and outside of school | Rhetorical, stylistic, and logical reasoning from the passage itself |
Word Limit | 250-300 | 650-800 |
Here are SAT example essays for you:
*The article might have information for the previous academic years, please refer the official website of the exam.