The SAT includes an optional 50-minute essay as part of the exam. While the essay scores do not directly factor into a student’s Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (EBRW) section score, completing the essay can provide additional context about a student’s writing abilities. Some colleges also take the SAT essay score into consideration for admissions. This has led many students to wonder how exactly the SAT essay affects overall writing scores. Here is a comprehensive look at how the SAT essay is evaluated and the impact it can have.
The SAT essay is scored separately from the rest of the exam on a scale of 2-8 points by two independent readers. The scores from each reader are averaged to determine the final essay score. Readers consider three main aspects when scoring – reading, analysis, and writing. For the reading component, readers evaluate how well a student comprehends the source text and uses evidence to support their analysis. The analysis portion examines the critical thinking demonstrated and the complexity of the argument made. For writing, readers gauge the coherence of the essay, organization of ideas, and command of standard written English conventions.
Scoring is criterion-based rather than compared to other students. This means readers judge whether an essay meets certain benchmarks for each score level rather than curving. An essay that scores an 8 demonstrates all of the following:
Effectively addresses all parts of the prompt
Demonstrates a sophisticated understanding and analysis of the source text
Logic and ideas are insightful, carefully considered, and flow smoothly
Displays purposeful organizational structure and a formal style
Uses precise language and demonstrates excellence in grammar, usage, and mechanics
Meanwhile, a 2 score essay shows little understanding of the text or prompt and is disjointed or lacks focus. Grasping these scoring criteria allows students to better understand what is required to achieve a top score.
While the essay score alone carries direct weight only for the optional 50-minute section, it can still influence a student’s overall writing performance evidence. The EBRW score is based on scores from the Reading, Writing and Language, and Mathematics sections. The Writing and Language test evaluates editing and revising skills but does not provide a sample of a student’s extended writing abilities as the essay does. Admissions officers have said that a strong essay score, such as a 6 or above, gives valuable extra insight into a student’s writing talent, even if it does not numerically impact the EBRW score.
Conversely, a low essay score could raise questions about writing skills despite a higher EBRW mark. For example, let’s say a student earned a 700 on the combined Evidence-Based Reading and Writing sections but only scored a 4 on the essay. An admissions officer may wonder if the Reading/Writing exams did not fully demonstrate that student’s writing capabilities. The essay serves as supplemental evaluation. At the same time, one poor essay is usually not definitive on its own as long as the other submitted materials showcase your skills.
Research from the College Board also shows some correlation between essay scores and EBRW sections. In general, students who perform better on the multiple-choice Reading and Writing exams also tend to score higher on the essay as the assessments measure similar aptitudes. Analysis of score data found:
The average essay score was 5 for students scoring 600-649 on EBRW
Students scoring 650-699 on EBRW averaged a 6 on the essay
EBRW scores of 700-800 coincided with average essay marks of 7 or higher
So while the essay does not numerically impact the EBRW, there is empirical evidence that strong performance across assessments is interconnected. A solid essay score, especially 6 or above, provides further reassurance of writing competency to augment the rest of the SAT results – which admissions committees do take into full consideration.
The SAT essay matters because it rounds out the evaluation of writing ability begun on the multiple-choice Reading/Writing sections. Alone it only counts for the separate essay score, but in context with the full profile it gives added depth to understanding a student’s communication talents. The essay helps distinguish more completely high-scoring students who may only test well from those with true strengths in critical analysis, composition, and written expression. With practice and preparation, students can feel confident the essay will complement rather than compromise their total SAT performance narrative.