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Students taking the latest version of the SAT have a lot of questions about the Essay section in particular. When the College Board redesigned the SAT in 2016, the Essay section was the aspect of the test that changed most substantially.

As a result, it is the section that is least understood. Keep reading to learn how we approach setting a good target score for this often enigmatic section of the SAT.

What Is the SAT Essay?

Students taking the optional Essay section are provided with a written argument and asked to analyze it. Check out the College Board’s example prompt with sample graded responses to get a sense of what the exam looks like.

Is the SAT Essay Required?

This is the only optional section of the SAT. It does not impact your overall score out of 1600. Instead, your Essay grade stands alone on your score report.

While the College Board does not require the SAT Essay, certain schools do. 

Schools that Require the SAT Essay

• All of the University of California schools
• Benedictine University
• City University London
• Delaware State University
• DeSales University
• Dominican University of California
• Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University
• Howard University
• John Wesley University
• Kentucky State University
• Martin Luther College
• Molloy College
• Schreiner University
• Soka University of America
• Southern California Institute of Architecture
• Texas A&M University—Galveston
• United States Military Academy (West Point)
• University of North Texas
• West Virginia University Institute of Technology
• Western Carolina University

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Additionally, these schools do not require the SAT Essay but recommend it.

Schools that Recommend the SAT Essay

• Abilene Christian University
• Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
• Allegheny College
• Amherst College
• Art Institute of Houston
• Augsburg University
• Austin College
• Caldwell University
• California State University, Northridge
• Central Connecticut State University
• Central Michigan University
• Cheyney University of Pennsylvania
• Coastal Carolina University
• Colby College
• College of Wooster
• Colorado School of Mines
• Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art
• Corban University
• Cornerstone University
• Dallas Christian College
• Duke University
• Eastern Illinois University
• Eastern Nazarene College
• Easternn University
• Endicott College
• Five Towns College
• Gallaudet University
• George Washington University
• Georgia Highlands College
• Greenville University
• Gwynedd Mercy University
• High Point University
• Hofstra University
• Holy Family University
• Husson University
• Indiana University South Bend
• Indiana University Southeast
• Indiana Wesleyan University
• Inter American University of Puerto Rico: Barranquitas Campus
• Juilliard School
• Keiser University (West Palm Beach)
• Lehigh University
• Madonna University
• Manhattan College
• Marymount California University
• Massachusetts Maritime Academy
• McMurry University
• Mercy College
• Modern College of Design
• Montana Tech of the University of Montana
• Morehouse College
• Mount Saint Mary College
• Mount St. Joseph University
• National-Louis University
• New Jersey City University
• Nichols College
• North Park University
• Occidental College
• Ohio University
• Oregon State University
• Purdue University Northwest
• Randall University
• Randolph-Macon College
• Reading Area Community College
• Rowan University
• Rutgers University—Camden Campus
• Rutgers University—Newark Campus
• Saint Michael’s College
• Seton Hill University
• Shiloh University
• Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania
• Silver Lake College of the Holy Family
• Southern Illinois University of Carbondale
• Southern Oregon University
• Spring Hill College
• Sul Ross State University
• SUNY Farmingdale State College
• SUNY University at Stony Brook
• Tarleton State University
• Texas A&M International University
• Texas A&M University
• Texas State University
• The King’s College
• United States Air Force Academy
• University of Evansville
• University of La Verne
• University of Mary Hardin—Baylor
• University of Massachusetts Amherst
• University of Minnesota: Twin Cities
• University of New England
• University of Northwestern—St. Paul
• University of the Virgin Islands
• University of Toledo
• University of Washington Bothell
• VanderCook College of Music
• Virginia Union University
• Wabash College
• Webb Institute
• Webber International University
• Wesleyan College
• William Jewell College

Should You Take the SAT Essay Section?

We recommend taking the Essay section just in case you want to apply to one of the schools that requires or recommends it. If you’re absolutely sure you won’t apply to any of these schools, you can skip it. Just know that you can’t retake the SAT essay alone, so if you change your mind and want to apply to a school that requires the Essay section, you’ll have to retake the whole test.

How Is the SAT Essay Scored?

Your essay will be evaluated on three criteria—Reading, Analysis, and Writing.

The Reading grade is meant to gauge how well you understand the passage content. Did you absorb the information you just read? Especially when the details are not intuitive, your readers will be checking to see that you read closely and caught the nuance of the piece.

The Analysis score relates to how well you represented the argument that the writer made. Your goal in the Essay section should be to determine what the writer’s main argument is and describe how they present it. 

Finally, your score in Writing reflects your own command over the English language. Your capacity to write clear, well-structured sentences that use a wide range of vocabulary will determine this grade.

Two readers each give the essay a score between 1 and 4, depending on how well each reader thinks you did in the three categories. Their grades are then summed to give you a three-part grade. The highest grade you can receive is 8, 8, 8, while the lowest possible score is 2, 2, 2. To give an example, one student may score a 5, 4, 4, which would mean that their readers submitted the following feedback:

What’s a Good, Average, and Bad SAT Essay Score?

In 2019, the mean score on the Reading and Writing for the SAT Essay was a 5. For the Analysis section, the mean score was a little lower at 3, simply because Analysis is a skill that high school students spend less time honing than Reading or Writing.

For a detailed breakdown of how 2019’s test takers performed, here are a few score distributions:

Here’s a rough breakdown of the percentile scores based on the most recent College Board data. Here’s how this chart works: say you scored a 6 on the Reading section. According to the data, that means that you performed better than 70% of other essay writers.

SAT Essay Score Percentile Rankings

Source: College Board and CollegeVine data analysis

How Should You Understand and Improve Your SAT Essay Score?

Unless your SAT Essay score is rock-bottom, you should not feel the need to retest just to improve your Essay score. If you received a low score that you feel isn’t representative of your writing abilities, focus on crafting stellar college essays instead of retaking the SAT just for the Essay section.

If you were unhappy with your SAT Essay score AND your overall SAT score, however, then you should consider retaking the test with the Essay section. 

Here are a few tips on how to improve your SAT Essay score:

1. Annotate the passage. Read carefully. Start by boxing the main argument of the passage, then put a star next to three or four places where the author employs a strategy to win the readers over. These may include:

• Refuting a counter argument
• Raising a question
• Providing anecdotal evidence
• Using statistics to support a claim
• Citing historical examples
• Employing rhetorical devices, such as metaphor

2. State the main point of the passage author. Make it clear that you understand what the author is trying to say by stating their thesis clearly in your essay response. No one reading your essay should have any doubt as to what you think the main point of the passage is.

Make the author’s thesis clear at the beginning of your response as well as in your concluding paragraph. Tie back to it often within your body paragraphs too.

3. Outline before you write. Spend 3-5 minutes organizing your thoughts. Build up 2-4 points about the argument’s structure. Think of yourself as a debate coach. Give feedback on the persuasion tactics the author used. Which ones were most effective? What could they have done to sway their audience even more?

Remembered the strategies you starred when you were annotating? These are the building blocks of the author’s argument, and your essay should provide analysis of how effectively these building blocks were used.

4. DO NOT include your personal opinion. The essay exists to assess whether you can analyze an argument. It has nothing to do with your personal views. If you find yourself defending or disagreeing with the passage, that is a good sign that you are missing a chance to analyze the argument’s structure.

5. Proofread your essay. Give yourself 2 minutes towards the end of the section to improve the language you used. Search for spelling and grammar mistakes, as well as weak word choice. Replace monosyllabic words like “good” and “is” with more dynamic vocabulary, such as “striking” or “constitutes.” This is a quick and easy way to boost your Writing score.

For more advice on how to study for the Essay section, check out our How to Get a Perfect Score on the SAT Essay and The Ultimate Guide to the New SAT Essay .

Want to know how your SAT score impacts your chances of acceptance to your dream schools? Our free Chancing Engine will not only help you predict your odds, but also let you know how you stack up against other applicants, and which aspects of your profile to improve. Sign up for your free CollegeVine account today to gain access to our Chancing Engine and get a jumpstart on your college strategy!

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What's the Average SAT Essay Score?

But what about your essay? How does your essay score compare to everyone else? There's no percentile information for that in the score report.

Find out what an average SAT essay score looks like (and how you stack up) in this article!

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UPDATE: SAT Essay No Longer Offered

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In January 2021, the College Board announced that after June 2021, it would no longer offer the Essay portion of the SAT (except at schools who opt in during School Day Testing). It is now no longer possible to take the SAT Essay, unless your school is one of the small number who choose to offer it during SAT School Day Testing.

While most colleges had already made SAT Essay scores optional, this move by the College Board means no colleges now require the SAT Essay. It will also likely lead to additional college application changes such not looking at essay scores at all for the SAT or ACT, as well as potentially requiring additional writing samples for placement.

What does the end of the SAT Essay mean for your college applications? Check out our article on the College Board's SAT Essay decision for everything you need to know.

What’s an Average SAT Essay Score?

First, a quick reminder about how SAT essays are scored: two graders score each SAT essay on a scale of 1-4 across three different dimensions:

Summed together, this means your score can range between 2 and 8 for each area. There is no longer one single "total" SAT essay score, just Reading, Analysis, and Writing essay scores.

Logically, it would seem that the average SAT essay score in each domain should be a 5 (since that's halfway between 2 and 8). The most recent SAT essay score data bears this out except when it comes to the Analysis dimension.

The average SAT essay score for students graduating high school in 2020 was 5 out of 8 for Reading, 3 out of 8 for Analysis, and 5 out of 8 for Writing (source: CollegeBoard 2020 Total Group Report) .

To get a better idea of how frequently different essay scores were assigned, I created several different SAT essay score distribution charts that show how many students got each essay score for Reading, Analysis, and Writing .

The data in this first chart shows the distribution of scores across all three dimensions for students who graduated high school in 2019.

Distribution of SAT Essay Scores for the 2019 Graduating Class

(data source for all graphs: CollegeBoard)

From this chart, we can see that there's the same general trend for the numbers of students who got various Reading and Writing scores, while there's something quite different going on with Analysis scores. Let's separate these scores out into separate graphs, starting with Reading and Writing essay scores.

Distribution of SAT Essay Reading Scores for the 2020 Graduating Class

Distribution of SAT Essay Writing Scores for the 2020 Graduating Class

If you compare the graphs for the distribution of Reading and Writing scores, you'll see a striking similarity between them when it comes to how many students got each score on Reading and Writing. There's a huge drop-off from the middle range of scores (4-6) to the upper and lower ends of the scale.

Because so many people score towards the middle on SAT Essay Reading and Writing scores, it's safe to say that if you score a 3 or below, your essay score is definitely lower than average; if you score a 4-6, your score is pretty average; and if you score a 7 or above, your score is significantly higher than average.

Things are a little murkier when it comes to the Analysis essay scores. Let's take a look.

Distribution of SAT Essay Analysis Scores for the 2020 Graduating Class

In contrast to the trend for Reading and Writing scores, Analysis scores are heavily skewed toward the bottom of the scale. Even though the average Analysis score for 2020 was a 3 out of 8, the Analysis score the most students received was 2 out of 8.

Why did so many students score lower on Analysis, while still managing to do okay on Reading and Writing? The most likely answer is that 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.

Instead of giving their opinion on the passage in the SAT essay prompt, students are asked to analyze the author's opinion. While this analysis is pretty straightforward once you manage to wrap your mind around it, it is very different from what students had to do on the old SAT essay (and what students are still asked to do on the ACT essay) and other standardized essays like DBQs .

Because of the different trends for Analysis scores on the SAT essay, an Analysis score of a 6 or above puts you well above average; a score of 3-5 is solidly middle of the pack; and a score of 2 is low. If you did get a 2/8 Analysis score, the good news is that you can most likely boost it to at least a 4 (if not a 6 or higher) by reviewing these 15 SAT essay tips .

When colleges look at your SAT scores, however, they usually won't look at your essay scores all by themselves. Most schools look at your overall SAT score first, your Evidence-Based Reading and Writing and Math scores next, and your essay scores last (if they care about your SAT essay scores at all). This leads into my next point...

How Much Does My Essay Score Matter?

Because your essay score no longer affects your Writing section score on the SAT, the importance of the SAT Essay has decreased significantly. More and more schools are dropping the requirement for students to submit SAT with Essay scores entirely, and schools that do require the SAT Essay often place much less importance on your essay score than on your other SAT scores.

Still, there are highly competitive programs and schools that use SAT scores to place students in the appropriate level classes that require students to submit SAT Essay scores. For these kinds of schools, while your SAT essay score still won't matter as much as almost any other part of your application, you'll still want to aim for a high enough score that you're not immediately disqualified (or so that you don't get bumped down into remedial writing).

So what's the average SAT essay score you should target for more competitive schools? Our advice is to aim for at least a 6 out of 8 on Reading, Analysis, and Writing.

Higher essay scores (particularly on the Analysis dimension) are even better, but a 6 out of 8 shows that you have above-average writing skills on a standardized essay written at the end of a multi-hour test.

In cases where admissions offices might wonder if your application's personal statement was a fluke, your SAT essay scores can confirm that you do have a certain level of writing ability. And the SAT essay rubric requirements to get a 6 out of 8 on each section are a pretty reasonable minimum standard for colleges to expect students to meet.

What If My SAT Essay Scores Are Below Average?

If you're struggling to get a 4 or above on each SAT essay section, don't despair—you're not alone, and there is hope.

Start by reading our collection of SAT essay blog articles . I recommend starting with our introduction to the new SAT essay prompts , our SAT essay tips article , and our explanation of the SAT essay rubric . Next, follow along as I write an SAT essay, step-by-step . With these four articles, you'll learn just what is required to excel in each dimension of the SAT essay and how to approach reading the prompt, analyzing the passage, and writing the essay.

For further help, you can take a look at how to create your own SAT essay templates and how to get a perfect 8/8/8 score on the SAT essay . If you're struggling with identifying how the authors of SAT essay prompts build their argument, we also go into the six most common argumentative essay devices .

Finally, if you think you'd benefit from more personalized feedback on your essay writing, you might want to try out PrepScholar SAT . You'll get to write essays on official SAT essay prompts and receive feedback from graders on what you're doing well and how you can improve and boost your score to the next level.

What’s Next?

Now that you know what an average SAT essay score is, what should be your target ? Learn more with our article on what a good SAT essay score is for you .

Discover what the relationship is between SAT essay length and essay score here !

Do you need to submit an SAT essay score for the schools you're applying to? Find out if your schools are on the list of schools requiring the SAT with essay here .

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Laura graduated magna cum laude from Wellesley College with a BA in Music and Psychology, and earned a Master's degree in Composition from the Longy School of Music of Bard College. She scored 99 percentile scores on the SAT and GRE and loves advising students on how to excel in high school.

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SAT Essay Scores: Score Calculation and SAT Essay Score Range

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Content Writer - Study Abroad | Updated On - Jun 29, 2024

Highlights:

• SAT essay score is measured by 3 sections: reading, analysis, and writing .
• Each section of SAT essay is calculated on a 2 to 8 level .
• From 2021, SAT essay was discontinued .
• Achieving 20 out of 24 SAT exam essay scores was accepted by most of the top universities. 

SAT essay score is measured on a scale of 2 to 8 for each section . Your SAT essay scores were measured on 3 dimensions: reading, analysis, and writing. Certain universities consider SAT exam essay scores vital for admission, despite it being optional. Until 2021, SAT essay score was also an optional section, but this year the essay section was discontinued. SAT essay score is not required anymore, but if you want to showcase your writing skills, you can consider taking an AP English course. Achieving 20 out of 24 SAT writing scores was accepted by most of the top universities . 

SAT Essay Score Range

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.

SAT Essay Score Calculation

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:

• 2 distinct raters will examine your essay;
• 4 for Advanced level
• 3 for Proficient level
• 2 for Partial level
• 1 for Inadequate level
• After both of them completes the evaluation, the 2 scores for each of the dimensions are added.
• Candidates will receive 3 scores for the SAT Essay: One for each dimension which ranges from 2 to 8 points.

What is a Good SAT Essay Score?

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 .

Average SAT Essay 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.

SAT Essay Score Percentile

The rough breakdown of the SAT essay score percentile based on the most recent College Board data is given in the table below:

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.

ACT Essay Vs SAT Essay

ACT Vs SAT score conversion helps to determine the better performance of the candidate in these exams.

SAT Essay Sample

Here are SAT example essays for you:

Each section of SAT essay ranges on a scale of 2 to 8, and achieving a score of 6 in every section is considered a good score. Your SAT essay score will be based on your reading, analysis, and writing levels. From 2021 SAT essay scores are not a part of the exam. 

Ques: What is a good essay score on the SAT?

Ans: Each section of SAT essay ranges on a scale of 2 to 8, and achieving a score of 6 in every section is considered a good score. A score of 20+ on SAT essay was acceptable for the top-ranked universities worldwide.

Ques: Is the SAT essay hard?

Ans: Candidates doing regular practice with SAT sample papers and with a good knowledge of English reading and writing can easily achieve a good score on SAT essays.

Ques: Is 14 a good SAT essay score?

Ans: Achieving a SAT essay score of 14 out of 24 is an average score. On average, achieving a score of 20+ is considered a good SAT essay score.

Ques: Is 20 a good SAT essay score?

Ans: Achieving a score of 20 on SAT was considered a good score and was accepted by most of the top universities. The total sum of the three-part SAT essay score was 24.

Ques: Does SAT essay score matter?

Ans: SAT essay score does not matter on your score report. SAT essay was discontinued in 2021. There are other ways to show your writing skills by taking another English essay exam.

Ques: Is a 90% on an essay good?

Ans: Achieving a 90% score on SAT essay was comparatively hard, and you need to write your essay with a perfect intro and conclusion for a higher score.

Ques: Who grades SAT essays?

Ans: SAT essay scores are graded on a scale of 2 to 8 for each section. Your SAT essay score will be based on your reading, analysis, and writing levels.

Ques: Can I send my SAT score without the essay?

Ans: From 2021 SAT essay scores are not a part of the exam. You can send your total SAT score to the universities by visiting the College Board’s official website.

Ques: Is it easy to get 40% on an essay?

Ans: Getting 40% on SAT is relatively easy. You need to write a perfect essay with a good introduction and conclusion to achieve a good score. 

Ques: How to start a SAT essay?

Ans: A perfect introduction to SAT essay describes and paraphrases the argument, and you need to introduce the specific passage and argument that you will discuss in the essay. One thing you need to remember is that your conclusion should sum up all the points you made.

* The article might have information for the previous academic years, which will be updated soon subject to the notification issued by the University/College.

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CollegeBoard

Sat essay view for colleges and other institutions help, how do i access students' essays, how do i log in, how do i sign out, what is my user id and/or password, what if i forgot my user id and/or password, whose contact information from my institution should i provide, how can i update my institution's contact information, can i be notified by email when students' essays can be viewed, where do i find a student's essay locator id, how do i look up another student's essay, how do i view the essay score along with the essay, how are essays scored, how do students provide my institution access to their essays, can my institution receive students' essays in batches, how do i sign up to receive batch essay files, will i be alerted when new batch essay files are available, in what format are the batch files, how do i access batch delivery files, is there any kind of index with batch files, what is contained in the error log.

Images of student essays will be available from the College Board to supplement a student's score report. An individual essay locator ID will appear on each student's score report. Admissions staff can use the essay locator ID to view and/or print an applicant's essay image. Colleges will have access to images of essays from every regular administration taken by the student.

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All institutions were sent a user ID and password in April 2005. Enter your user ID and password when prompted to gain access to the website. If you forgot your user ID and/or password, please contact Code Control at 609 771-7091 .

To end your session, click on "Log Out." This link appears in the top right corner of the screen under the name of your institution.

A mailing containing a user ID and password, along with detailed instructions, was sent to colleges in April 2005. A user ID and password will allow access to the individual student essays.

If you forgot your user ID and/or password, please contact Code Control at 609 771-7091.

The contact name and email address you provide will be used for essay inquiries and essay lookup communications only. You should enter the information of a person who will be responsible for communications about receiving essays, including information about passwords.

If you wish to update your institution's contact information, please contact Code Control at 609 771-7091.

When you sign in for the first time, you will be prompted to enter contact information including an email address. You will also be able to choose to have notification emailed when a student's essay is available for viewing. Email notifications will be sent weekly, and you may also receive daily emails with rush score delivery. You may already receive email notification with Internet Score Delivery, but these notification emails are separate.

The essay locator ID can be found on the top right corner of a paper score report, or in position 500-509 in an electronic data layout.

If you are already viewing a student's essay, you can go to another student's essay by entering the essay locator ID for that student in the Essay Locator ID box, which can be found on the right side of the screen on the Essay Viewer page.

You can choose to view or hide the essay score when you view a student's essay. Select either the "Show Scores" button, which will show the score, or the "Hide Scores" button, which will hide the score, on the Essay Viewer page.

Each essay is scored independently by two qualified readers, on a scale of 1 to 6 by each reader, with the combined score for both readers ranging from 2 to 12. (Essays not written on the essay assignment will receive a score of zero.) If the two readers' scores differ by more than one point, a third reader scores the essay. View the SAT Essay Scoring Guide .

When a student sends your institution an official score report, they also provide you with permission to view a copy of their essay. Just as all previous SAT scores are reported when students send you their scores, all previously written essays are also reported. Please encourage all students to send official score reports to your institution or you will not have online access to their essay .

Colleges can choose to receive batches of essays in addition to the individual lookup option. Batch essay files from the March, May, and June administrations were made available for batch download in August 2005. Batch essays are available on the Web after each SAT administration on an ongoing basis.

Institutions can sign up to receive batch delivery of essays with the annual score report options mailing that is sent to institutions in June. Institutions can also sign up for batch delivery of essays by calling Code Control at 609 771-7091.

Yes. When you sign up to receive batch essays, you are required to provide an email address. You will receive an email when a batch of essays is available for download.

Batch files are in PDF format. When you sign up to receive batch files, you can also choose to receive large or small batch essay files. Each small file contains up to 100 essays, and each large file contains up to 500 essays.

You access batch essay files in much the same way you access individual essays. After you log in, click the link to the batch essay files. On screen, you will see a list of your batches by test administration or by the week in which they were sent. Each contains the batch essay files from that SAT administration or from that week. You will receive an email when a batch of essays is available for download.

Yes. Along with your batch(es) of essays, a complete index file is included that can be used to determine which students' essays can be found in each PDF file. In addition, each PDF file comes with its own index.

The error log contains all the essay locator ids in which the essay image could not be provided by the College Board.

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Is the SAT Hard? Overcoming the Test’s Challenges

Is the SAT Hard?

Is SAT or ACT Harder?

Is PSAT Easier?

Preparing To Make It Easier

With so many colleges reinstating the SAT as a requirement, taking the test is becoming just as crucial as it used to be.

For high schoolers eyeing college admissions in the US, the SAT might seem intimidating. But how hard is the SAT? And is the SAT harder than other standardized tests like the PSAT or ACT?

The SAT is a challenging test; that’s what helps it distinguish between different students.

With that said, difficulty is subjective. The best way to gauge its difficulty is by taking practice exams. These simulated tests not only help you get acquainted with the format and types of questions but also reveal your strengths and areas needing improvement for a good SAT score .

What’s interesting about the SAT is that it adjusts its difficulty based on your performance. Every section is split into two back-to-back modules, and how well you do on the first module determines the difficulty of the second one.

Now, let’s take a look at some of the most difficult aspects of the SATs, and the best ways to overcome them, especially when studying for the SAT .

Length and Time Constraints

One of the biggest challenges of the SAT is the strict time limits for each section. Managing time effectively is crucial to completing all questions within the allotted time.

This pressure can sometimes make the test feel more difficult than it actually is, especially if time management skills are not well-honed.

What is on the SAT?

How to overcome it:

• Work on your time management ! Practice with timed tests; take full-length practice tests to get used to the pacing of the actual exam. This will help you become more comfortable working under time constraints.
• During practice sessions, use a timer to mimic the real test environment. This will help you gauge how long you spend on each question and improve your pacing.
• A critical time management tip: learn to quickly identify and tackle easier questions first, leaving more time for the difficult ones. Don’t linger on questions you can’t solve! This strategy ensures you secure the points you can get most easily.

Wide Range of Math Concepts

The SAT covers a broad but specific range of math topics, from algebra to advanced math. Some questions are straightforward, but others can be quite tricky, requiring a deep understanding of concepts and problem-solving skills.

The SAT also has a strong focus on algebra questions, which many students struggle with if not adequately prepared.

• Since the SAT covers a specific range of topics in its math section , determine the range of topics when taking practice tests, then study them until you’re an expert.
• Since algebra is a frequent topic on the SAT, refine your algebra skills until you master them.
• If you’re particularly weak in algebra, it might be worth switching to the ACT instead.

Complex Reading Passages 

The reading section of the SAT includes passages from a variety of genres, each with its own style and level of complexity.

Understanding these passages and answering the related questions accurately can be daunting, especially under time pressure.

How to overcome it:  

• Practice active reading techniques, such as underlining key points, summarizing paragraphs, and noting the main ideas. This helps in retaining information and quickly referring back to the passage.
• A strong vocabulary can make it easier to understand complex texts and answer vocabulary-in-context questions. Read widely and use vocabulary-building tools to enhance your word knowledge.
• Regularly read articles from diverse sources like science journals, historical documents, and literature to improve your reading comprehension skills. Practice summarizing what you read to ensure understanding.

Is the SAT or ACT Harder?

Neither the SAT nor the ACT is inherently more difficult than the other, and each exam has its pros and cons. For example, the SAT is shorter and gives you more time per question, but it has a higher reading level than the ACT .

It's tempting to just point at one of the tests and say “this is the easy one.” There's a lot riding on a good score! But the truth is, "easy" depends on your individual strengths and weaknesses, not some universal definition. While both tests are the same in terms of difficulty, it’s your own skill set that determines which test you’re better suited for.

Read our blog comparing the SAT vs ACT for a full breakdown of the two tests.

Is the PSAT Easier Than the SAT?

The PSAT has a similar level of difficulty to the SAT, but adapted to students in 10th grade. Because of this, the PSAT is slightly easier than the SAT. In fact, the PSAT could be used as a practice test for the SAT.

The PSAT is also 15 minutes shorter than the SAT, and has about 15 questions less. Read our full comparison of the SAT vs PSAT for a full explanation of all the differences between the two tests.

How Preparing for the SAT Can Make It Easier

If you prepare and study for the SAT the right way, you’re likely to find the SAT much easier. Taking the necessary steps before the exam is critical to overcome the exam’s most difficult aspects.

Here’s how studying for the SAT helps you prepare for the test:

1. Familiarizing Yourself with the Format & Scoring

By knowing the format and scoring system of the SAT , you can allocate your time and energy more efficiently during the test, reducing stress and increasing your chances of answering questions correctly.

2. Understanding the Content of Each Section

Knowing the specific content areas allows you to focus your study efforts where they are most needed, building confidence and competence in those areas, which leads to better performance on test day.

3. Taking Practice Tests

Practice tests reduce surprises on test day by familiarizing you with the test format and timing. They help you build test-taking stamina and refine strategies, making the actual exam feel more like a familiar routine.

4. Taking Multiple Tests

Each time you attempt the SAT provides additional experience and familiarity with the SAT, reducing anxiety and improving performance. The superscoring policy of many colleges, which combines your highest section scores across multiple test dates, can significantly boost your overall score.

5. Working With Expert Tutors

Tutors provide personalized guidance and insights, helping you understand difficult concepts, develop effective test-taking strategies, and stay motivated. Their expertise can make your study process more efficient and targeted.

Final Thoughts

Whether the SAT is a hard or easy exam depends on you and how you study for it. Preparing for the SAT can be daunting, but it doesn't have to be overwhelming. With strategic preparation, understanding the test format, and focusing on specific content areas, you can make the SAT significantly easier. 

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Your chance of acceptance, your chancing factors, extracurriculars, is there a way to officially verify my sat answers.

Just being a bit paranoid maybe. I've heard of something known as SAT answer service. Does anyone have more info on this? Like, could it help me identify where I screwed up on my SAT? Is it even worth it?

Yes, you're referring to The College Board's "Question-and-Answer Service" or QAS. This service is not available for all test dates, however; only specific ones throughout the year, so you'll need to check if it was offered for your specific test date.

For a fee, the QAS provides you with a copy of the test you took, your answers, the correct answers, and information about the type and difficulty of each question. It's meant to be a study tool, allowing you to see where you made mistakes, and learn from them for future tests. For example, if you find that you're missing a lot of geometry questions, you might want to focus on improving in that area.

However, do keep in mind that the QAS doesn't show how the test was scored or explain why certain answers are correct, and it doesn't change or verify official scores. It's just a tool for students to identify potential problem areas in their test-taking strategy. So, if you're looking for a way to confirm that your test was scored correctly, this might not serve your purpose. Also remember that the SAT is now fully digital and you get your scores more quickly than in the past, so often there's not a lot of time to use this feedback before you take your next test.

Deciding if it's worth it pretty much depends on how you plan to use it. If you plan on re-taking the SAT and want a detailed break down of where you can improve, it can be pretty useful. If you're just curious about which questions you missed, it might not be worth the cost.

About CollegeVine’s Expert FAQ

CollegeVine’s Q&A seeks to offer informed perspectives on commonly asked admissions questions. Every answer is refined and validated by our team of admissions experts to ensure it resonates with trusted knowledge in the field.

Everything You Need to Know About the Digital SAT

College Board

• January 4, 2024

You’ve probably already heard that College Board has made the SAT digital. Here’s what you need to know.

Is the SAT still important to take?

It sure is! The SAT puts your achievements into context. That means it shows off your qualifications to colleges and helps you stand out.

Most colleges—including those that are test optional —still accept SAT scores. Together with high school grades, the SAT can show your potential to succeed in college or career.

Learn more about why you should take the SAT .

When is the SAT going digital?

Students testing outside the U.S. first started taking the digital SAT in spring 2023. If you’re in the U.S., whether you’re planning to take the SAT in a test center on a weekend or in school on a school day, the test will be digital starting in spring 2024.

If you took the PSAT/NMSQT this fall, you already know what to expect with the digital SAT.

If you're planning to take the digital SAT on a weekend, watch this video to find out more. 

If you're planning to take the digital SAT in school on a school day, watch this video to find out more.

Isn’t this just the same test but online?

No, College Board didn't just take the paper and pencil test and put it on the computer. We took the opportunity to make the SAT a far better test experience for you.

What’s staying the same?

• Still measuring the knowledge and skills that matter most for college and career.
• Still scoring the test on a 1600-point scale.
• Still administering the test in schools or test centers with a proctor present (not at home). Test centers will continue to be open to all students, not just those enrolled in that school.
• Still offering access to free, world-class practice resources.
• Still supporting all students, including those who need accommodations on test day.

What’s changing?

• You’ll take the SAT on a laptop or tablet.
• You’ll take a shorter test, about 2 hours instead of 3. Find out how adaptive testing makes this possible .
• You’ll have shorter reading passages instead of a few long texts.
• You’ll be allowed to use your calculator on the entire Math section and there’s a calculator built right into Bluebook™, the digital testing application .

How do I register?

Registration is open for the spring 2024 digital SAT. You can check dates and deadlines here and find a test center close to you here .

Register Now

How do I practice?

Find everything you need to start practicing and preparing for the digital SAT here .

Have more questions? We’ve got answers!

Learn more about the digital SAT here .

Related Posts

What is digital sat adaptive testing, using a managed device for the digital sat.

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If you took your last AP Exam before 2018, your AP scores are no longer viewable in our online score reporting system. They have been archived and can only be sent to a college, university or scholarship program through a  request made via mail or fax.  

Some of my exams are missing from my score report. What do I do?

If you don’t see all the exams you took this year listed in your score report, please note that some scores may take longer to process because of later testing dates or other circumstances. We’ll email you when your score is added to your score report. If you don’t receive your scores by August 15, contact AP Services for Students.

If you notice that exams that you took last year or earlier are missing, it might be because you have multiple accounts. To resolve a multiple account issue, contact AP Services for Students. Please note that during score release in July, AP Services for Students will have longer than usual response times.

If you took your last AP Exam before 2018, your scores are archived. Archived scores are not viewable in our score reporting system and can only be sent to a college, university, or scholarship program through a request made via mail or fax.

Some of my scores are not yet available. What do I do?

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We’ll email you when your score is added to your score report. If you don’t receive your scores by August 15, contact AP Services for Students. 

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If you requested additional score reports for other institutions and delayed scores come in, your delayed scores will automatically be sent to these other institutions as well. This only applies to colleges or universities that you designated to receive scores from the current exam year. 

How do I save a copy of my AP score report?

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Only booklets from the most recent exam administration are available, and only if the free-response content is released on the College Board website. No comments, corrections, or scores are included with the booklets. Free-response booklets are not rescored, and a score may not be appealed.

Free-response booklets can be requested for paper and pencil exams and AP Chinese and AP Japanese Language and Culture Exams only.

How do I request a rescore of the multiple-choice section of my exam?

For a fee of $30 per exam, you may request to have your multiple-choice answer sheet rescored by hand. Fill out the Multiple-Choice Rescore Service Form and return it by October 31 of the year you took the AP Exam(s).

Rescores may result in higher or lower scores than first reported, or no change at all. Results are final and will automatically be re-reported to all designated score recipients if there was a change. You will receive a letter confirming the results of the rescore 6–8 weeks after your request is received. You can't appeal or reorder a multiple-choice rescore. The free-response section is not rescored.

The multiple-choice rescore service can be requested for paper and pencil exams and AP Chinese and AP Japanese Language and Culture Exams only.

I submitted a request to send my archived scores. When can I expect scores to be sent?

Your archived AP score report will be sent by first-class mail to the institution(s) you designated on the AP Archived Score Request form within 15 business days of receipt of your request (overnight/express mailing service is not available). A confirmation copy of your AP score report will also be sent to your mailing address within the same timeframe.

College Board can’t confirm if and when your archived score report is received by your designated institution. Contact your college or university directly to confirm their receipt of your archived scores. Note: Archived score request orders are not reflected on the AP Scores website.

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How long is the SAT test?

The SAT exam lasts 3 hours, or 3 hours and 15 minutes with breaks . If you opt to include the optional Essay section, the test extends to 3 hours and 50 minutes, or 4 hours and 5 minutes with breaks.

Here’s how the SAT test time is allocated by section:

Understanding this schedule helps you manage your time effectively during the test, ensuring you have a clear strategy for each section.

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What We Know About Kamala Harris’ K-12 Record, and Other Potential Biden Replacements

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President Joe Biden announced on Sunday that he’s dropping out of the 2024 presidential race and endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris as his replacement on the Democratic ticket.

As a result, the future of the Democrats’ K-12 policy agenda will lie in the hands of his replacement.

The decision followed weeks of Democratic hand-wringing over Biden’s viability and his potential to drag down the prospects of other Democrats across the nation.

While Biden has endorsed Harris, his replacement will be chosen officially at the Democratic National Convention, which starts on Aug. 19 in Chicago. Some top Democrats have started calling for the party to unite around Harris. Randi Weingarten, the president of the American Federation of Teachers, tweeted Sunday that the union’s executive council has voted to endorse Harris .

But in addition to Harris, a number of other Democrats—mainly governors—have been floated as potential replacements for the president.

The official nominee will help determine the party’s education policy priorities. They aren’t likely to stray far from Biden’s education agenda, which has been dominated by efforts that have been held up in courts to forgive student loan debt and expand protections for LGBTQ+ students and school staff through a rewrite of rules for Title IX, the nation’s landmark sex discrimination law.

Unlike some of his predecessors, Biden hasn’t pursued an aggressive education policy agenda before Congress or emphasized a particular set of school improvements. But he has secured funding increases for key federal programs including Title I and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

On the Republican side, the party has proposed a platform that calls for eliminating the U.S. Department of Education, defunding schools that teach “critical race theory” or “gender ideology,” and universal private school choice.

Here’s what we know about Vice President Harris’ stance on education, along with other potential replacements, some of whom quickly endorsed her, potentially positioning themselves as running mates.

Vice President Kamala Harris

Before becoming vice president, Harris was a senator representing California and ran against Biden in the 2020 Democratic primary election. In her 2020 campaign, she advocated for universal preschool and free college and called for a $13,500 raise for every teacher by the end of her first term. She also used speeches during her campaign to criticize conservative politicians for “attacking” public schools and teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

During a 2020 primary debate, Harris sparred with Biden over school segregation , criticizing the now-president for his opposition in the 1970s to busing as a strategy to desegregate schools.

“There was a little girl in California who was part of the second class to integrate her public schools and she was bused to schools every day,” Harris said. “And that little girl was me.”

As senator, Harris cosponsored the Strength in Diversity Act, which would promote school diversity initiatives, including busing. The bill stalled in the Senate.

During her time as senator, from 2017 to 2021, Harris sponsored four bills related to education, none of which passed. (Republicans controlled the Senate during her tenure, and Donald Trump was president.)

Two were directly related to K-12 schools. The Family Friendly Schools Act would have directed the Education Department to provide grants to local school districts to support aligning the school day with family work schedules and building stronger relationships between families and school districts.

The 21 st Century STEM for Girls and Underrepresented Minorities Act would have directed the Education Department to provide funding for school districts to cover the costs of STEM education activities for girls and children from racial minorities.

Before her time in the Senate, Harris pushed for harsher consequences for parents whose children weren’t attending school. As the San Francisco district attorney, she threatened parents with court action if their children missed too much school. Later, as California’s attorney general, Harris pushed for a 2011 state law that allowed district attorneys to charge parents with a misdemeanor if their child missed 10 percent of the school year.

She has since said she regrets championing that law and said she wouldn’t support such a law on the federal level.

“My regret is that I have now heard stories where in some jurisdictions DAs have criminalized the parents,” Harris said in a 2019 Pod Save America interview. “I regret that that has happened and the thought that anything I did could have led to that. That certainly wasn’t the intention.”

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro

Shapiro, a first-term governor in a key swing state, recently negotiated a 2024-25 budget with a K-12 funding increase of over $1 billion. The package also includes money universal free breakfast for the state’s 1.7 million students, according to the governor’s website.

Within a few hours of Biden’s announcement, Shapiro endorsed Harris, saying on X that “the best path forward for the Democratic Party is to quickly unite” around the vice president. Shapiro, as governor of a crucial battleground state, is seen as a contender to be Harris’ running mate should she secure the nomination.

Hanging over Shapiro’s time as governor has been a judge’s landmark February 2023 ruling that the state’s school funding system was unconstitutional , failing to adequately fund the state’s schools. Education advocates have said the funding increases so far fall short of what the legal ruling requires.

Shapiro stands out among Democrats in his support for school choice, traditionally a Republican policy priority.

Last summer, the Pennsylvania governor initially supported a $100 million voucher program that would help parents pay for private school. He backed down amid pressure from Democrats in the state’s House of Representatives, but maintains his support for a voucher program .

The new budget Shapiro signed increases funding for the state’s limited tax-credit scholarship programs, through which businesses can receive tax credits for funding private school scholarships.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer

The second-term governor of a key swing state pushed back on calls for Biden to drop out, and said Sunday that her “job in this will remain the same: doing everything I can to elect Democrats and stop Donald Trump.” Still, many in Democratic circles have suggested she would be a strong replacement nominee.

As governor, Whitmer signed a $24.3 billion education budget in 2023 that increased per-pupil funding by 5 percent and allocated extra funding for economically disadvantaged students, English learners, and students with disabilities, according to Bridge Michigan , a local nonprofit news organization.

In December 2023, Whitmer also launched a new state Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential, known as MiLEAP, which is tasked with improving outcomes for students in preschool through college. The department has goals of ensuring every child is ready for kindergarten, every student has the chance to earn a skill certificate or degree after high school, and that school districts can partner with outside organizations so students have more opportunities for learning outside the classroom, according to the governor’s website.

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker

Pritzker, another second-term governor, signed a 2023 state budget that increased K-12 funding by more than $1 billion. He’s also signed laws to raise minimum teacher salaries and require that school districts implement career exploration and development programs for students in grades 6-12.

In 2021, Pritzker signed a sweeping education law that requires schools to better prepare students in computer literacy, laboratory science, and foreign languages, and expands required Black history curriculum to include lessons on the conditions leading to slavery and the Civil Rights Movement. The law also establishes and Inclusive American History Commission, a Professional Review Panel, and a Whole Child Task Force to examine ways to make schools more equitable and improve students’ overall well-being.

In another move pushing back against conservative education politics, Pritzker signed a bill last year that penalizes libraries that ban books .

California Gov. Gavin Newsom

Newsom, in his second term leading the nation’s largest state, has made a name for himself on the national stage as the Democrats’ answer to high-profile conservative politicians like Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, whom he faced in a televised debate last November . During the debate, Newsom criticized DeSantis for passing policies that he says harm LGBTQ+ students and students of color.

Like Gov. Shapiro of Pennsylvania, Newsom didn’t wait long to endorse Vice President Harris , saying on X that “no one is better to prosecute the case against Donald Trump’s dark vision and guide our country in a healthier direction than America’s Vice President.” As a fellow Californian, Newsom is seen as less likely to be a running mate for Harris.

As governor, Newsom aggressively pushed back against conservative school board politics. He’s gone after school districts for passing policies to reject curriculum about LGBTQ+ history , signed an executive order to expand career and technical education, and negotiated K-12 budget increases with teachers’ unions.

Just this month, Newsom signed a first-of-its-kind law that prohibits schools from requiring educators to tell parents if a student requests to go by a different name or pronouns at school—a direct rebuke to laws passed in a number of Republican-led states that require such disclosure. Already, a southern California school board that passed a policy requiring such notifications has sued Newsom over the new law .

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Sending SAT Scores

Send your scores to colleges and scholarship programs..

When you registered for the SAT or took it in school, you might have selected colleges or scholarship programs to send your scores to. When your score is available, you can send it along with information about yourself to additional institutions.

Instructions

Sign in to your college board account, then go to the send sat scores page., select institutions to send your scores and information to..

• Search for institutions by name or code.
• Click one or more institutions to add them to the score recipients list, then click Continue .

For each recipient, send all scores or only some of your scores.

Review your order. check out., do i have to send scores through college board.

Yes. Institutions generally require you to send your scores directly from the College Board and will not accept printouts or copies of your score reports or school transcripts that include your scores.

What data about me is shared when I send my score?

When you request that we send your scores to institutions or other organizations as directed by you during school day testing, we send your scores along with demographic information sufficient for identity matching to those institutions and organizations, who may then use it to support your applications to those organizations.

When you request that we send your scores to institutions or other organizations as directed by you through your College Board account, we send your scores, certain demographic information, and other information you provide to College Board to those institutions and organizations. These organizations may use this data to send you information about admissions, educational, financial aid, and scholarship opportunities. Being contacted by these organizations does not mean you have been admitted or are eligible for a scholarship or financial aid program. You must submit an application to be considered for admission at an institution, and complete any steps required by any scholarship programs to be considered for their opportunities.

Can I choose to send only part of my SAT score?

No, you can't choose to send your Math score from one test day and your Reading and Writing score from another test day. You can choose which scores to send by test date. Scores from an entire SAT are sent.

Note: Some institutions use superscoring , which means they consider your highest section scores across multiple test dates.

Can I use a fee waiver for sending my score?

Yes. If you have a fee waiver, you can send as many scores as you want—for free. Even if you didn't register for the test using a fee waiver, if you are eligible for a fee waiver and get one afterward, you can use it to send scores for free.

Is there a fee for sending scores?

Each time you register to take the SAT on a weekend, you can send your score to up to four organizations for free. You can designate your score recipients at the time you register or any time until you take the test. You also have until nine days after the test to use or change your free score sends. After that, there's a fee.

If you take the SAT during the week at your school, you must choose your free score sends during exam setup or within three days after testing, as instructed by your school. To make or change your selections within those three days, use your sign-in ticket from this test to sign in to Bluebook™. Then go to My Tests Past where this test will be listed and click SAT Score Sends .

Updates and Information About Verifying AP Score Standards

College Board Communications

• July 22, 2024

Recent advances in data collection and technology have enabled a more comprehensive approach to setting standards for AP Exams. Over the last three years, the Advanced Placement Program has applied this new approach, known as evidence-based standard setting (EBSS), to a range of AP subjects to determine appropriate score standards for students in a range of AP courses.

EBSS collects input from hundreds of experts and assembles fine-grained student performance data for analysis, enabling us to verify and set AP score standards with more robust data than ever before.

Conducting the EBSS process for a wide range of AP subjects has had two results:  

• Among AP subjects that have typically long had a ~60%–80% AP Exam “success rate” (a score of 3 or higher) the EBSS process confirmed and maintained those success rates, which did not change as a result of the EBSS process. Table 1 contains the list of AP subjects with typical AP success rates of ~60%–80%.  
• Among AP subjects that have had atypical success rates lower than 60%, the EBSS process justified increasing those success rates to align to the 60%–80% success rate historically achieved in most other AP subjects. These 9 subjects where success rates increased as a result of EBSS are listed in Table 2. After these increases in success rates, AP standards remain more stringent than college grades.

It is important to note that AP sets standards that are significantly higher than the standards represented by colleges’ own grade distributions: colleges’ grades in Humanities courses are typically 85% Cs or better, and colleges’ grades in STEM courses are typically 75% Cs or better, whereas for most AP subjects, the evidence shows that 60-75% of AP exams should receive scores of 3 or higher in order to maintain the historical standards associated with AP scores.

More details on how the score-setting process has changed  

Prior to 2022, the AP Program utilized standard-setting panels to confirm or change AP scores every 5–10 years. These panels of 10–18 educators followed established and well-documented protocols and remain viable for many assessment programs today.

In 2022, the AP Program began using evidence-based standard setting to verify scoring standards. EBSS is especially well-suited for exams designed to measure academic content knowledge and skills, like AP Exams. Moreover, because the EBSS process is so heavily anchored in student performance data, AP scores are not tied to college grades, which have shifted over time .

Over the past decade, two key developments have enabled AP to use EBSS rather than smaller panels:

• Digital data collection technologies have emerged that have made this type of quick, efficient, large-scale data collection and analysis possible. EBSS uses this new technology to collect, organize, and analyze inputs from hundreds of teachers and faculty, rather than just the experience and perspectives of 10– 18 panelists.  
• Beginning in fall 2019, the AP Program provided all AP teachers with a new digital library of AP course materials—titled AP Classroom—and an accompanying course and exam description binder. This material, for the first time in the AP Program’s history, established coherent units, topics, learning objectives, and skills for each AP course that explicitly defined the parameters for assessment. This enabled a more comprehensive collection of metadata to be applied to each exam question by linking each question (and, if applicable, question part) to the skills, content, and difficulty level it was designed to measure. As a result, more granular and targeted student performance data is available for analysts to utilize in determining student abilities at basic, moderate, and exceptional levels.

External review and validation

We rely on external experts like the American Council on Education (ACE) to independently review and verify AP processes. In their most recent report, ACE stated that the validity evidence for AP scores with success rates in the typical 60-80% range was “exceptionally strong.”

Briefing the AP community  

As we do each time we conduct a score verification process, we have shared the findings with thousands of college faculty and teachers through presentations, briefings, and memos at the AP Readings and via the AP teacher community. We have also shared information and gathered feedback from our governance committees and advisory groups that include college faculty, enrollment, and admissions leaders.

More details on the score verification process, including an in-depth example of how this methodology was applied to AP U.S. History Exam scores, can be found in this AP Program Brief .