How To Get A Perfect 1600 Score On The SAT | Your Comprehensive Guide

What Is A Perfect SAT Score?

While difficult to attain, a perfect SAT score is a valuable advantage in the college admissions process, especially if you are shooting for top schools like Harvard and Princeton in the Ivy League. A perfect score can also be an important supplement to your application if you don’t have the highest GPA.

The scoring system of the SAT can seem confusing, and you may be wondering what getting a perfect score on the SAT even looks like. Understanding the scoring system is a great way to craft strategies for you that allow you to get a top score. The highest score on the new SAT is a total score of 1600 (half of these points coming from math and half of them coming from reading and writing). We’ll get into that breakdown in a bit. In this post I’ll discuss how to get a perfect score on the SAT, including how to understand the scoring system, courses of action and strategies to get you on your way to your own high score!

Is Getting A Perfect SAT Score Even Possible?

The SAT is a massive test with so many parts, you may be wondering if it is even possible to get a perfect score. It can feel overwhelming to ace a regular exam in school, let alone a multi-subject and notoriously difficult one such as the SAT. However, with the approach of transparency regarding the calculation of the score, getting your top score on the SAT becomes much more manageable.

How Many People Get a Perfect Score

Only the top one percentile of all SAT test takers get a perfect score. However, this shouldn’t discourage you. A perfect score is not necessary to do well enough on the SAT to achieve your goals in college applications. This test isn’t meant for everyone to do perfectly. The idea here is to understand how to maximize the points you can pick up in different places and get the highest possible score score for you.

How To Get A Perfect 1600 Score On The SAT In Each Section

The SAT has three different sections: reading, writing and math. Here I’ll explain how to get all of the questions correct in each section by breaking each one down into subjects. Each section tests a subset of specific skills, many of which you use every day! Since the SAT is a standardized test, it will test the same topics within each section, just with different questions, passages, and problems. Through knowing exactly what is covered in each section you will drastically improve your chances of getting a perfect SAT score.

How to a get a Perfect 800 SAT Math Score

The math section of the SAT encompasses a range of skills designed to reflect the everyday applications of mathematical concepts. This should be good news! There are so many different types of math out there, but you don’t need to worry about them to be prepared for all of the different types of questions the SAT can test you on.

The SAT math questions fall under one of the following categories:

• Heart of Algebra, which focuses on the mastery of linear equations and systems
• Problem Solving and Data Analysis, which is about being quantitatively literate
• Passport to Advanced Math, which features questions that require the manipulation of complex equations” (according to the official SAT website. Read more here).
• The test also includes additional math topics such as trigonometry, complex numbers and more (see here for a complete list).

To maximize your score on the math portion of the exam, you should familiarize yourself with problems in each of these areas. Once you do so, it becomes clear that there is a finite amount of problem types you can be asked, and if you are prepared for them all to the best of your ability, you will maximize your points in this section. There is a calculator section of the math exam which you are allowed 55 minutes, and a non-calculator section which allots 25 minutes.

How to a get a Perfect SAT Reading Score

The reading section of the exam is structured differently giving passages and then asking questions about them. The time crunch here is a bit more apparent because you must spend time both answering the questions, like in the math section and reading the passages. The reading test, however, is formulaic similarly to the math test.

Each test includes “a passage from a classic or contemporary work of U.S. or world literature, one passage or a pair of passages from either a U.S. founding document or a text in the Great Global Conversation they inspired, a selection about economics, psychology, sociology, or some other social science, and Two science passages (or one passage and one passage pair) that examine foundational concepts and developments in Earth science, biology, chemistry, or physics” (according to the official SAT website. Read more here).

As you can see, there is a wide range of readings, but the transparency of knowing what kinds of readings are coming can help you prepare. Reading more of each of these types of passage and familiarizing yourself with the types of questions they can ask you about them greatly increases your ability to get a perfect score. They will ask questions which test your understanding of command of evidence, words in context, and analysis in history/social studies and in science. Once again, the idea that realizing this test can test you a finite amount of ways and that you can prepare for each of them should give you some comfort about your ability to study for this exam. The reading exam is 65 minutes long.

How to a get a Perfect SAT Writing Score

The writing portion of this exam once again tests a finite amount of skills valuable in everyday life. Through knowing what you are up against you can master the editing skills necessary to ace this portion. Writing tests your ability to find mistakes in writing and correct them by giving passages with numbered sentences and asking questions on how to fix them, or sometimes asking how to fix the passage as a whole.

The specific topics in the written exam include “command of evidence, words in context, analysis in history/social studies and in science, expression of ideas, and standard english conventions.” For a more complete explanation of each of these skills check out the official website: here. The writing exam is 35 minutes long.

How Many Questions Can You Miss And Still Get a Perfect SAT Score

Thankfully, it is not necessary to get a perfect score to receive max points. The reading and writing sections make up 800 points of the total 1600 points that you can earn and the math makes up the other 800 points. Each section has a raw score of 40 which is then adjusted to each respective count of the 1600 points.

I will touch on the weight and calibration of each section in this paragraph. This recalibration, according to the official SAT site is “a process that adjusts for slight differences in difficulty between various versions of the test.” A more in depth guide of these calculations can be found here. What this means for you is that each section is adjusted differently so that you can miss a different amount of questions to get full points. The math section undergoes the least adjustment, and you must typically get the correct answer on all the questions to earn all 800 points. On the other hand it is possible to miss one or two questions and still score perfectly. Typically you can miss one on the writing section.

General Guidelines on How To Get A Perfect SAT Score

Get To Know The Test

Getting to know the SAT test is a critical first step towards getting a new SAT perfect score, since the structure has undergone a few major changes in past years. The test used to be on a 2400 point scale, but has since been reduced to 1600 points. Half of your points come from the math section and the other half come from a section that includes both reading and writing. Within each section there are specific topics which are tested, mentioned in the previous part of this post which breaks down the topics in each test subject.

Understand How The Scores Work

The scoring system I mentioned before may seem confusing, but once you become more familiar with its ins and outs you will be better able to ace this exam! It can be confusing viewing the large 1600 score in comparison with the ACT’s 36 point scale, for example.

The SAT is really not that different. Each section has a 40 point maximum, the difference is that the scores are adjusted for fairness to a larger number of 1600. Part of this includes room for imperfection, so you can be more at ease during the exam. Knowing how many mistakes you can make for a perfect score in each section is a great way to prepare yourself for what lies ahead. See the previous section for a breakdown of how many points you can miss and still receive a top score in each section.

Start Preparing In Advance

The best thing you can do is give yourself time to get familiar with all of these different topics within the exam. If you give yourself the time you will know that you are ready for whatever the exam can throw at you. Take it from me, you don’t want to be cramming all of this information at the last minute. This test is way too expensive to do that. Starting early and seeking resources such as SAT prep tutoring, practice problems and breakdowns of the exams will help you make the best possible score you can. You can find these resources through your high school guidance office, from family and friends who have taken the exam in the past, and even online. Take SAT practice exams and seek expert help so you can prioritize which areas you spend the most time developing… after all, some of this stuff you probably already know how to do perfectly!

Set Some Goals

Once you have taken the time to familiarize yourself with the exam, you can start to set some goals. Goals are important because they give you something to practice towards and they can provide a framework to measure your own success. Even if a perfect score doesn’t seem to be in the books for you, small goals, such as achieving certain section scores, can lead you closer to achieving a perfect score than you might have ever imagined.

When I was taking the SAT, I wish I had set more goals, because without the structure, I often had a tough time trying to figure out which skills were the most important to develop. If I had sought more help and tried to understand my own weaknesses I could have spent more time correcting my mistakes and reaching the academic achievements I hoped to achieve. Goals are a good way of checking in with ourselves and being honest about our own strengths and weaknesses. An honest assessment of strengths and weaknesses is critical to improvement in the long term, which may eventually lead to a perfect 1600 SAT score!

Begin The Preparation By Reviewing Content

Once you have set your goals, you can focus on reviewing the necessary content. For example, I might take a practice reading test and see that I am strong on the fiction and history passages, but that I am struggling with comprehension of the science passages. Especially since there are two science essays, I might set a goal to improve my comprehension and question answering on science essays.

This assessment is a blend of knowing my strengths and weaknesses, and knowing the weight each portion holds on the exam. Once I have narrowed down which area I plan to focus on, I can begin my preparation by reviewing the content and doing relevant practice questions. Understanding types of questions that will be asked of you and areas of knowledge required, as well as knowing your strengths and weaknesses will help you create the perfect study plan.

Keep Practicing And Reviewing

So, you have made goals and made yourself familiar with the content… what now? It’s time to start practicing. A good SAT test score can emerge from just a good understanding of the concepts, but a perfect SAT score comes with lots and lots of practice and commitment. Practice is the only way to make yourself more efficient with your time and make sure you can complete the whole exam, which is necessary to get a perfect score.

One way to practice is through practice problems with explanations, but an even better way is through full exam sections at a time with time constraints, as if it were the actual exam. Many students are perfectly capable of answering each of the questions on their own, but the time pressure often crushes what could be perfect scores. Practicing with the time stress of an actual exam is the best way to master the skill of time management and the content of the SAT. Keep reviewing the mistakes you make and ask yourself what is causing these mistakes. Are you paying close enough attention to what the questions are asking? Or do you misunderstand the actual material? Tutors are a great resource to tackle both of these issues.

Common Problems That Prevent Students From Scoring Highly

Spending Too Much Time On A Single Question

I definitely had this problem when I was taking the SAT. I understand the temptation to want to finish a problem once you have started it, but sometimes it is better to leave it for later.

If you go through the exam and answer the questions you are certain you are capable of you will maximize your points. Imagine if all of the ones you knew how to solve came at the end, but you wasted your time on a difficult question early on. You will always be able to go back to those tougher questions, but you will never get back the time you spend on them. Make sure to note these questions so that you can minimize the time you spend on them next time. Is there a pattern in the questions that consistently take the most time? How can you get around this?

Rushing Through Questions

Or perhaps you do the opposite; you may be skipping through questions too quickly to fully understand what they are asking you, and make silly mistakes on what would have otherwise been a simple question. It could be nerves, or that you didn’t give yourself enough time, but either way, glazing over questions is never the way to go. You will surely make a silly mistake that could have easily been avoided with a bit more time. Blocking out your time and making sure to give yourself enough time on each question is a big part of this.

Tutors can help you break down how long each question should take you and help you devise strategies for time management. Reducing distractions is another strategy. Minimize the time you spend doing anything other than the test. This means being well rested, and as calm as you can be before you take the test. It can be a nerve wracking experience, I always shake during every SAT, but doing some breathing exercises or listening to your favorite music in the morning can get you in the right headspace to crush your test.

Misreading A Question

Misreading a question could very easily be a product of rushing, but sometimes it happens even when we have plenty of time. The key here is to focus and calm your mind. Read each question several times until it makes sense to you, but if something isn’t making sense after a few reads, go ahead and skip it. If something doesn’t make sense initially, go back and take another look at the question, odds are you have misread the question, and it may be simpler than you are making it out to be.

Not Knowing An Academic Concept

Not knowing an academic concept is unavoidable when you first begin the SAT; there are some subjects you may not have learned in school and there may be things that seem confusing at first because they are not in a format which you are used to. Taking practice tests and seeking help from tutors and teachers is the best way to overcome this, and practicing as much as you can is the key to discovering which topics you may have never encountered.

Discover How To Get A 1600 On The SAT With SoFlo

This seems like a lot of work, but the good news is that you aren’t in it alone! WIth SoFlo Tutors, there are plenty of test prep resources like tutors, practice exams and other blog posts like this one to help you make a plan towards your perfect SAT score! Tutors with SoFlo are trained to help you make a plan which knows your strengths and prioritizes your weaknesses so that you are ready for anything the exam might have on it. We help you understand the exam so that it is more transparent and manageable, and together you can maximize your points and get rid of things that stand in the way of you and getting a perfect SAT score!