If you’re considering SAT classes or small group SAT prep, you should know that the ERG specializes in highly personalized, 1-to-1 tutoring and test preparation. Though we also offer small group SAT preparation, having a private tutor allows your child to receive undivided attention, leading to greater lesson engagement and accountability. Regardless of whether you chose a 1:1 or group environment, an ERG SAT coach will ensure that your child is prepared and confident to master the SAT.
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* Note: The recommended tutoring start dates are suggested start times for a full-length SAT program. Actual start dates vary based upon program length, student scheduling availabilty, and other factors. Contact us to discuss your child’s specific scheduling needs.
Before taking the SAT, it’s important to understand how SAT scoring works. Here’s the breakdown:
Scoring for the Critical Reading, Math, and Writing Sections
- Students earn 1 point for each correct answer, lose ¼ point for each incorrect answer (except on the student-produced response math questions), and neither lose nor gain points for each omitted answer.
- A student’s raw score for each of the main test sections (Critical Reading, Math, and Writing) is calculated by adding 1 point for each correct answer and subtracting ¼ point for each incorrect answer (again, except on the student-produced response math questions).
- A student’s raw score for each of the three main test sections is converted to a scaled score, which ranges between a 200 and an 800, with 800 being the highest possible score. Because the essay factors into a student’s Writing scaled score, the score conversion for the Writing section is a bit more complex. See the “Scoring for the Writing Test” section below for details.
- A student’s total SAT score is the total of the student’s scaled scores for the three main test sections. Example: If a student scored a 550 Critical Reading, a 500 Math, and a 600 Writing, his total SAT score would be 550 + 500 + 600 = 1650.
Scoring for the Writing Test
- Two readers read and score each student’s Writing test essay. Essays are scored holistically (i.e., based on the overall impression the essay makes).
- Each reader gives the essay a score ranging between a 1 and a 6, with 6 being the highest possible score. The two scores are added together to get a student’s total essay score, which can range between a 2 and a 12, with 12 being the highest possible score. If the two readers’ scores differ by more than one point, a third reader will be called in to resolve the disagreement.
- Students receive three Writing scores: their multiple-choice subscore (ranges between a 20 and an 80), their essay subscore (ranges between a 2 and a 12), and their overall Writing scaled score (ranges between a 200 and an 800). The overall Writing score is calculated by scaling the multiple-choice subscore and the essay subscore. The multiple-choice subscore accounts for about 2/3 of the overall Writing scaled score while the essay subscore accounts for the remaining 1/3.
The main difference between the SAT & ACT is how each exam tests a student’s knowledge. The ACT is a straightforward test of a student’s content knowledge while the SAT places slightly more emphasis on logic and reasoning skills.
