Is 1200 a Good SAT Score?
A 1200 SAT score is at the 75th percentile of SAT takers and the 81st of all US juniors and seniors: a good score, since the top quarter of SAT takers starts right at 1200.
- SAT takers
- 75th
- percentile, 75 in 100 at or below
- All US juniors and seniors
- 81st
- percentile, tested or not
- ACT match
- 25
- 1200 to 1220 on the concordance
- Points to 1250
- +50
- about 4 more right answers
What a 1200 SAT score means
A 1200 puts you in the top quarter of SAT takers, right on the 1200 line and 160 points short of the top 10 percent at 1360. About 25 in 100 SAT takers score higher.
Split evenly, a 1200 is about 600 in Reading and Writing and 600 in Math, which on the paper Practice Test 11 table leaves room to miss 17 of 66 and 14 of 54 questions. One step down, an 1190 is at the 74th percentile of SAT takers; one step up, a 1210 is at the 76th percentile.
| Reading and Writing | Math | Right answers | Misses |
|---|---|---|---|
| 600 | 600 | 49 + 40 = 89 | 31 |
| 700 | 500 | 57 + 31 = 88 | 32 |
| 500 | 700 | 40 + 48 = 88 | 32 |
How 1200 compares with other SAT scores
The College Board publishes two percentiles for every total. Against recent SAT takers a 1200 is at the 75th percentile; against a research sample of all US 11th and 12th graders it is at the 81st percentile. The middle of that wider group is 1010, 190 points under your 1200.
| Score | What it marks | SAT takers | All US students | Points from 1200 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1010 | Middle of all US juniors and seniors | 48% | 50% | -190 |
| 1020 | Middle SAT taker | 50% | 52% | -180 |
| 1200 (you) | Your score | 75% | 81% | |
| 1360 | Top 10 percent of SAT takers starts | 90% | 95% | +160 |
| 1500 | Top 3 percent of SAT takers | 97% | 99% | +300 |
| 1600 | Perfect score | 99+ | 99+ | +400 |
Percentiles: College Board Research, SAT Nationally Representative and User Percentiles, checked Oct 17, 2026.
On the official ACT and College Board concordance, 1200 falls in the 1200 to 1220 band, which matches an ACT composite of 25. See that row on the ACT to SAT conversion chart or see whether 25 is a good ACT score.
What it takes to go from 1200 to 1250
On the College Board's paper version of Practice Test 11, an even 600 and 600 takes 49 of 66 Reading and Writing answers and 40 of 54 Math answers, 89 of 120 in all. Moving to 1250 takes about 4 more right answers and passes roughly 5 in 100 SAT takers. Spread any way you like, the table allows at most 38 misses for 1200 and 32 for 1250.
| Target | Why it matters | Reading and Writing + Math | Right answers | More than 1200 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1200 (you) | Where you are | 49 + 40 | 89 | |
| 1250 | 50 points up | 51 + 42 | 93 | +4 |
| 1360 | the top 10 percent of SAT takers | 56 + 46 | 102 | +13 |
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 1200 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 1200 clears the 25th percentile wherever C9 starts at 1200 or lower, beats the middle student where the 50th is under 1200 and reaches the top quarter where the 75th is 1200 or lower. At a test optional college, send your 1200 where the 50th percentile is 1200 or lower and leave it off where the 25th is above 1200.
Some colleges post SAT minimums for merit scholarships on their own aid pages; check whether 1200 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 1200 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 1200 a good SAT score?
A 1200 SAT score is at the 75th percentile of SAT takers and the 81st of all US juniors and seniors: a good score, since the top quarter of SAT takers starts right at 1200. Whether it is good for you depends on the colleges on your list.
What percentile is a 1200 SAT score?
The 75th percentile of SAT takers and the 81st of all US juniors and seniors, on the College Board's current tables. An 1190 reads 74th and 80th. A 1210 reads 76th and 82nd.
What ACT score is a 1200 SAT?
About 25. The official 2018 ACT and College Board concordance puts SAT totals from 1200 to 1220 next to an ACT composite of 25. It compares the two scales; it does not predict what you would score on the ACT.
How many more questions does a 1200 need for 1250?
About 4 on the paper version of Practice Test 11, where an even split for 1200 takes 89 right answers of 120 and 1250 takes 93. 1360 (the top 10 percent of SAT takers) takes 102. Real test forms are adaptive, so the count on test day can differ by a few questions.
Is a 1200 good enough for college?
Nationally it is at the 75th percentile of SAT takers, 180 points above the middle; each college has its own range, though. Compare 1200 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 1200?
Only if 1200 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 1200, 1250 is about 4 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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