Also, what is the average sat score without preparation?
How many hours of extensive studying do you reach your peak score?
I don’t know that anyone would have an exact answer to that. There is no magic number, because every student is different.
I have heard on these boards of students who study extensively only to improve as little as 10-30 points. I have heard of students, without any preparation, retake the SAT after an additional year of schooling and improve by 100 points. Between additional schooling and some prep, a few might improve 200-300 points, but not everyone will do that, nor should they expect it.
If you want a guarantee, look into taking Princeton Review class.
I think it’s going to be hard for you to find a definitive answer to this question because those variables are too hard to define/measure and everyone is different. The average SAT score is around a 1050 in the US, but you added for an “average person with extensive studying.” There’s no way to determine who was studying extensively, and there is no way to define the term “extensively.” Some people may study a lot and still only receive the average score. Others may not study at all and receive a much higher score. There’s really no way to answer this question.
The best thing for you to do would be to take the SAT to find your base score. Oftentimes, it’s pretty manageable to go up at least 100-120 points if you study a ton for the test. You might also be the type of person that is naturally good at the test. I didn’t really study for my test, but I love standardized tests, so I did well. It really is all subjective, and remember that your score is not a true measurement of your academic capabilities.
The SAT, and other standardized tests, do not have a universal direct correlation of preparation to results. It’s like asking how high can you jump if you exercise a lot. Results, and impacts of preparation, are completely dependent on the person.
I think that a certain notorious blog that says “x hours of study = y points improvement” are doing a disservice to students. Not surprisingly, they sell preparation services and would be glad to have you continue to pay thinking your score will keep going up.
My suggestion is to start several months ahead with one or two practice tests. One to get familiar with the format and one to take it when comfortable with the format. Evaluate the results and identify areas to focus. Then invest time working on trouble areas, re-taking a test every few weeks to assess progress.
I doubt there are any “average score without preparing” metrics, and they wouldn’t be very useful outside of test design/population evaluation. It wouldn’t mean much to an individual test taker.
If you need a number, the SAT average was 1051 last year, and Kahn/CB says 6 hours = 90 points and 20 hours = 115 points. They stated that 115 hours is “nearly double” the improvement of those who don’t prepare in that way. One could infer from that statement that mere familiarity with the test process, comfort level, and additional learning between test sessions results in a 60 point improvement.
Your starting point also impact potential. My younger D scored 1550+ in 8th grade, so she wasn’t going to gain 60 points no matter how hard she studied. My older D scored lower and improved about 50 points with some prep, starting around 1300. Lower scores have more range for improvement. Don’t trust anyone who says “increase your score 300 points!”.