Is 1040 a Good SAT Score?
A 1040 SAT score is at the 53rd percentile of SAT takers and the 56th of all US juniors and seniors: above the middle, 20 points past the middle SAT taker at 1020, and 160 points short of the top quarter at 1200.
- SAT takers
- 53rd
- percentile, 53 in 100 at or below
- All US juniors and seniors
- 56th
- percentile, tested or not
- ACT match
- 20
- 1030 to 1050 on the concordance
- Points to 1090
- +50
- about 5 more right answers
What a 1040 SAT score means
A 1040 beats the median SAT taker (1020) by 20 points and lands 160 points under the 1200 line where the top quarter begins. Among all US juniors and seniors it reads higher still, at the 56th percentile.
Split evenly, a 1040 is about 520 in Reading and Writing and 520 in Math, which on the paper Practice Test 11 table leaves room to miss 24 of 66 and 21 of 54 questions. One step down, a 1030 is at the 52nd percentile of SAT takers; one step up, a 1050 is at the 55th percentile.
| Reading and Writing | Math | Right answers | Misses |
|---|---|---|---|
| 520 | 520 | 42 + 33 = 75 | 45 |
| 620 | 420 | 51 + 22 = 73 | 47 |
| 420 | 620 | 31 + 41 = 72 | 48 |
How 1040 compares with other SAT scores
The College Board publishes two percentiles for every total. Against recent SAT takers a 1040 is at the 53rd percentile; against a research sample of all US 11th and 12th graders it is at the 56th percentile. The middle of that wider group is 1010, 30 points under your 1040.
| Score | What it marks | SAT takers | All US students | Points from 1040 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1010 | Middle of all US juniors and seniors | 48% | 50% | -30 |
| 1020 | Middle SAT taker | 50% | 52% | -20 |
| 1040 (you) | Your score | 53% | 56% | |
| 1200 | Top quarter of SAT takers starts | 75% | 81% | +160 |
| 1360 | Top 10 percent of SAT takers starts | 90% | 95% | +320 |
| 1500 | Top 3 percent of SAT takers | 97% | 99% | +460 |
| 1600 | Perfect score | 99+ | 99+ | +560 |
Percentiles: College Board Research, SAT Nationally Representative and User Percentiles, checked Oct 17, 2026.
On the official ACT and College Board concordance, 1040 falls in the 1030 to 1050 band, which matches an ACT composite of 20. See that row on the ACT to SAT conversion chart or see whether 20 is a good ACT score.
What it takes to go from 1040 to 1090
On the College Board's paper version of Practice Test 11, an even 520 and 520 takes 42 of 66 Reading and Writing answers and 33 of 54 Math answers, 75 of 120 in all. Moving to 1090 takes about 5 more right answers and passes roughly 7 in 100 SAT takers. Spread any way you like, the table allows at most 58 misses for 1040 and 52 for 1090.
| Target | Why it matters | Reading and Writing + Math | Right answers | More than 1040 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1040 (you) | Where you are | 42 + 33 | 75 | |
| 1090 | 50 points up | 44 + 36 | 80 | +5 |
| 1200 | the top quarter of SAT takers | 49 + 40 | 89 | +14 |
Table: College Board, Scoring Your SAT Practice Test 11 (paper version of the digital test), 2026, checked Oct 17, 2026. The real SAT is adaptive and has no published raw to scaled table, so read these counts as a practice guide, not a promise.
Score a full Bluebook practice test with the SAT score calculator to see which section gives you more points per extra right answer, then aim your next test date at that section; many colleges superscore.
Is 1040 enough for your colleges?
That depends on the college, so we list no admission ranges. To check one, search its name plus "Common Data Set" and open section C9: the 25th, 50th and 75th percentile SAT scores of enrolled first-year students. A 1040 clears the 25th percentile wherever C9 starts at 1040 or lower, beats the middle student where the 50th is under 1040 and reaches the top quarter where the 75th is 1040 or lower. At a test optional college, send your 1040 where the 50th percentile is 1040 or lower and leave it off where the 25th is above 1040.
Some colleges post SAT minimums for merit scholarships on their own aid pages; check whether 1040 clears them, because a retake that does can pay off even where scores are optional. National Merit uses the PSAT/NMSQT, not the SAT: see what a good PSAT score is.
Where the 1040 numbers come from
Percentiles: College Board Research, SAT Nationally Representative and User Percentiles (2026), checked Oct 17, 2026. ACT match: ACT and College Board, 2018 ACT/SAT Concordance Tables, checked Oct 17, 2026. Right answer counts: College Board, Scoring Your SAT Practice Test 11 (paper version of the digital test), 2026, checked Oct 17, 2026.
The guide to a good SAT score reads the same files. Official scores come only from the College Board.
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Is 1040 a good SAT score?
A 1040 SAT score is at the 53rd percentile of SAT takers and the 56th of all US juniors and seniors: above the middle, 20 points past the middle SAT taker at 1020, and 160 points short of the top quarter at 1200. Whether it is good for you depends on the colleges on your list.
What percentile is a 1040 SAT score?
The 53rd percentile of SAT takers and the 56th of all US juniors and seniors, on the College Board's current tables. A 1030 reads 52nd and 54th. A 1050 reads 55th and 58th.
What ACT score is a 1040 SAT?
About 20. The official 2018 ACT and College Board concordance puts SAT totals from 1030 to 1050 next to an ACT composite of 20. It compares the two scales; it does not predict what you would score on the ACT.
How many more questions does a 1040 need for 1090?
About 5 on the paper version of Practice Test 11, where an even split for 1040 takes 75 right answers of 120 and 1090 takes 80. 1200 (the top quarter of SAT takers) takes 89. Real test forms are adaptive, so the count on test day can differ by a few questions.
Is a 1040 good enough for college?
Nationally it is at the 53rd percentile of SAT takers, 20 points above the middle; each college has its own range, though. Compare 1040 with the 25th and 75th percentile SAT scores in section C9 of each college's Common Data Set.
Should I retake the SAT with a 1040?
Only if 1040 sits under the middle (50th percentile) SAT score in section C9 of the Common Data Set at colleges you want, or under a merit scholarship line you can see on their aid pages. From 1040, 1090 is about 5 more right answers on Practice Test 11; many colleges superscore, so a second date aimed at your weaker section is the cheapest gain.
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