<p>So both times I've taken my SAT, the writing section seems to have been given a lower grade than I would expect when I compare it to the conversion table in the SAT study guide. I'll start with my first one.</p>
<p>I got a total of 41 questions correct and 6 questions incorrect. This translates to a raw score of 39.5, which rounds up to 40. In the guide, the conversion for the scaled score would place this in the range of 64-74, yet I got the very low end: 64. Also, my essay score was an 8, which, with a raw score of 40, would correspond to a 620 - 750, per the guide. I ended up with a 630 (590-670), which is way on the low end of that range.</p>
<p>Next test.</p>
<p>I got a total of 43 questions correct and 5 questions incorrect. This translates to a raw score of 41.75, which rounds up to 42. In the guide, the conversion for the scaled score would place this in the range of 66-76, and yet again, I get the very low end of 66. Also, this time my essay was a 9. Because the conversion table only does 0-6, I'll use the lower 4. This would translate to a 630 - 770. Yet I only got a 670 (630-710), which is well below the 50% mark. And even then, this is for a score of 4 as opposed to 4.5 (average), which puts it even lower in the range.</p>
<p>This scoring just doesn't seem to make sense to me at all in how they calculated those values. Does anyone know why I would have these similar low scores when SAT itself seems to indicate that I should have gotten higher scores?</p>
<p>well you still got in the range so i dont think there was anything wrong with the scoring</p>
<p>i suppose you just got unlucky as both times you took it, the writing section must have been easier than normal in order for it to be curved harder than normal</p>
<p>Cider, I know the answer to your problem. For the first test, you said you got 41 right but 6 wrong. You calculated the penalty correctly, but on all tests there are 49 multiple choice writing questions, so you must have left 2 blank to add up to 49. So, you really scored a 37.5, which rounds to 38.</p>
<p>Same thing on your second test. You must have skipped one question, so 43 + 5 + 1 = 49, so you really got a 40.75, which rounds to 41. So, you actually got slightly lower scores than you thought, which accounts for your low-end scores.</p>
<p>Leaving answers blank doesn't hurt your score. It's just right - wrong/4. So I calculated them correctly. It makes no sense to subtract two points for not answering when you only lose 1/2 for answering incorrectly. I calculated the raw scores correctly.</p>
<p>Oh, I'm sorry. I'm just confused, because if you got 41 right and 6 wrong, that only adds up to 47. Every test I've seen has a raw score out of 49. So two of your answers mysteriously disappeared...</p>
<p>You're right, you don't lose points for leaving questions blank. You don't lose points from your # of correct answers, it simply lowers your #. So I'm confused why your test questions didn't add up to 49.</p>
<p>Oh, wait, forget what I said. I'm sooo stupid. You're right. I just wasn't thinking clearly. Leaving questions blank doesn't affect the number you got right.</p>
<p>I'm sorry. I'm dumb. I guess the curve is just really harsh. I think sometimes the writing curve is harder than the math curve, because it should be easy. (at least I think so, anyway. I got an 800 writing, but a disappointing 680 in math and critical reading)</p>
<p>I'm just stupid. Forgive me for pretending to know what i'm talking about. And anyway, writing scores aren't that important to most universities, except maybe Ivies, so I've heard. Most schools ignore the writing section, which for me is sad, because I got an 800 =( I'm taking it again in Dec. to improve my scores.</p>
<p>Cheer up. Your scores aren't that bad. At least you're not dumb like me (about my HUGE mistake)</p>