Scoring for the SAT is straightforward. Your raw score equals the number you get right minus a fraction of those you get wrong. The raw score is then converted to a score on the venerable 200–800 scale.  As we explain below, it is generally to your advantage to answer every question. Assuming that you do, the chart below tells you roughly how many questions you need to get right and wrong for various scores. The data is based on a version of the test given in May 2000.

Exact figures fluctuate slightly from test to test and may change further with the New SAT. In school, 88 percent is a B+—a disappointing grade for many ambitious students. But on the SAT, 88 percent means a score of roughly 700, outstanding by almost anyone’s standards. The bottom line: you can probably miss 5–10 questions and still get the score you are looking for. Don’t come undone if there are a few that you have no clue how to solve. Focus on getting the ones that you do know how to solve. (Computations based on data from 10 Real SATs, Third Edition.)