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What is a Good Score on the SAT Subject Test?

Students Taking SAT Test

That depends on a number of factors.

The maximum score on each test is 800 points. In the table below, you can see the mean scores (arithmetic average) for each of the available SAT Subject Tests in 2017. You can also see the standard deviation for each, which gives you an idea how wide the range of scores was for that particular Subject Test in 2017.

This will help you understand what a good score might look like in a given subject, but keep in mind that you’re not competing against others who took the same test as you so much as you are competing against others who are applying to the same colleges you are.

If you’re applying to Caltech, for instance, your score on the Math Level 2 would have to be considerably higher than the mean score below (their “middle 50% range” is a perfect 800).

One final point. Remember that college admissions officers will view these scores, as they try to view everything about your application, in context. If you’re a native Chinese speaker, a 780 on the Chinese subject test won’t dazzle them. If you started taking Chinese in high school and scored 700 on the same test, however, they will be more impressed.

 

Subject Test

Mean Score

Standard Deviation

Literature

612

111

U.S. History

647

106

World History

626

111

Math Level I

605

109

Math Level II

694

98

Ecological Biology

617

110

Molecular Biology

648

112

Chemistry

665

105

Physics

664

110

Chinese (Listening)

759

66

French (Listening)

667

116

German (Listening)

614

116

Japanese (Listening)

702

103

Korean (Listening)

761

69

Spanish (Listening)

669

105

French (Reading)

629

126

German (Reading)

618

138

Modern Hebrew (Reading)

614

152

Italian (Reading)

662

137

Latin (Reading)

616

109

Spanish (Reading)

649

114

So what is a good SAT Subject Test score for Ivy League Schools?

I get this question occasionally, especially from students who are aiming high. Before I address it, however, I want to reiterate that SAT Subject Tests are much less important than your regular SAT scores and the other major components of your application.

Now to answer the question. Most schools post the range of regular SAT scores achieved by the applicants they have already admitted (the middle 50%), and with highly selective schools those scores are very high. It's safe to assume that the range of SAT Subject Test scores will be equally strong.

While no one can tell you exactly how high your score must be to get into an Ivy League school (or other selective non-Ivies), I can safely say that with certain exceptions the people you're competing with tend to score in the upper half of the 700s.