Great Grades, Average SAT Scores: What’s Going On?

Many families are surprised when a straight A student scores around the national average (or below) on their first SAT practice test. It feels shocking at first, but it’s actually very common. In school, students are usually tested on what they learned recently. For example, if they have spent the last two weeks studying Chapter 9 in Algebra 2, then a chapter test will feel familiar and the student is more likely to score well on that test versus a college entrance exam.

The SAT pulls from a wide range of concepts learned over many years, not just the current chapter or even the current grade level. So when students sit down for their first practice test, they are suddenly asked to recall skills they learned long ago and haven’t reviewed since. That’s why many high achieving students initially land near the national average for the SAT, which is currently 1029 out of 1600.

Another potential factor is grade inflation. Today’s students earn more As than ever, but those grades do not always reflect long term mastery of foundational skills. Classroom grades can be influenced by participation, homework completion, extra credit, and generous grading policies. When you combine that with a test that evaluates years of accumulated knowledge, the gap becomes clear.

The good news is that an average baseline score says nothing about a student’s potential. With intentional preparation, targeted practice, and a review of older material, students routinely make significant score increases. Once they learn the format and refresh the skills they haven’t used in years, their scores begin to reflect their true strengths and it’s very common for students to boost their scores by hundreds upon hundreds of points.