How to Score . . . the Writing Section
The best score you can get on the Writing section is a
scaled score of 800. As with the Math and Critical Reading sections,
this scaled score is derived by taking a raw score and placing it
into a scoring curve. But that’s where the similarities end.
In addition to the scaled 200–800 score, you’ll receive
two subscores: one for the multiple choice that is graded on a scale
of 20–80, and another for the essay that is graded on a scale of
2–12.
The Multiple-Choice Raw Score and Subscore
The multiple-choice raw score is calculated just as you
would expect. You get one point for each right answer,
zero points for each answer left blank, and there’s the –
1/4 point
“guessing penalty” for each wrong answer. The guessing penalty really
should be called a “wrong-answer penalty.” The SAT does not penalize
you for making educated guesses. An educated guess is a guess you
make after eliminating at least one wrong answer choice. The SAT does penalize
you for totally random guessing. Your multiple-choice raw score
in equation form looks like this:
This raw score is then used in two ways: (1) It’s combined
with your essay raw score to calculate your overall scaled score
for the Writing section; and (2) it’s used to calculate your scaled
subscore for the multiple-choice section.
The Essay Raw Score and Subscore
The raw score and subscore for the Essay are the same
thing. That makes it simple. Here’s how it works. Two human graders
grade your essay. Each one gives your essay a grade between 1–6
(with 1 being the worst). They then combine the two grades so your
essay as a whole receives a score anywhere between 2–12.
The Overall Scaled Writing Score
The overall Writing score, which ranges between 200 and
800, is determined by taking your raw scores for the multiple-choice
section and the essay, combining them into a total raw score, and
then putting them into the scaled score. Sounds simple enough, except
for one odd thing: Before your essay raw score is added to your
multiple-choice raw score, it’s multiplied by an undisclosed fixed
number, n:
It might sound odd to inject a mystery number
into the equation, but it’s no mystery to the SAT. They carefully
select that number to ensure that the essay has the precise weight in
your final raw score that the SAT wants: Just over 40 percent of
your total raw score.
Indisputable Fact: 40% Is Not 100%
Despite all the panic and pandemonium about it, the new
SAT essay only counts for 40 percent of your Writing score. That
means it’s worth a bit more than 10 percent of the entire
SAT. A lot of people (and test-prep courses) will probably
spend all their time fixated on the Essay section. But the cold,
hard, factual stats prove that spending a disproportionate amount
of time fixated on the essay is not the best way to structure your
SAT studying time. Since the multiple-choice questions count toward more
than half your writing score, and since they’re
easier to practice and predict, you should spend at least as much
time preparing for those as you do for the essay.
