How the Digital SAT Is Scored
By the Cheetah Prep team
The digital SAT is scored from 400 to 1600, the same as the paper test. What is new is how the adaptive modules feed into that number. Here is what actually determines your score.
Section Scores and the Total
You get two section scores, one for Reading and Writing and one for Math, each from 200 to 800. Add them and you have your total, from 400 to 1600. There are no separate essay or subscore penalties, and there is no deduction for wrong answers, so you should answer every question.
Because the scale is unchanged, your digital score compares directly to older scores and to a school's reported ranges. A 1350 is a 1350 whether it came from paper or from Bluebook.
How the Adaptive Modules Count
Your raw number of correct answers is converted to a section score using Item Response Theory, which weighs the difficulty of the questions you saw, not just how many you got right. The path you take matters. Reaching the harder second module raises your ceiling, because those questions are worth more.
That does not mean the easier second module locks you out of a good score. A range of section scores is possible on either path, and you are not punished simply for seeing an easier set. But the top scores are only reachable through the harder module, so performing well on the first module is what opens the door to them.
See how the adaptive routing works
Each section has two modules. Everyone gets the same mixed-difficulty first module. Choose how it went to see which second module you would be routed to.
Module 1 (same for everyone)
A fixed mix of easy, medium, and hard questions.
Module 2 appears here once you choose above.
Put this into practice
How the Digital SAT Is Scored: Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the digital SAT scored out of?
- 1600 total, made of two section scores from 200 to 800 each.
- Does the second module affect your score?
- Yes. The harder second module carries higher-value questions, so it raises your possible ceiling. Doing well on the first module is what routes you there.
- Is there a penalty for wrong answers on the digital SAT?
- No. Nothing is deducted for a wrong answer, so you should answer every single question, even if you have to guess.
More on the digital SAT