David M. Josselyn wrote:
 
> Perhaps so. That would, however, be a sobering thought in itself. A
> combined score of 1000 (if one speculated an even split between the
> verbal and quantitative test sections) translate to a score of 500 each.
> The scale of each section is from 400 to 800. You receive 400 points,
> basically, for filling your name in correctly. The minimum combined
> score, then, is 800-- for which one needs only to show up and take the
> test. A student who scores 1000, then, has scored in the bottom 25% of
> all possible scores (note this is not a comparison to other students,
> just an indication of the possible combined score range, from 800-1600.
>
 
 
Actually, the lowest score for one part of the SAT is 200.  So the lowest
combined score possible is a 400.  I took that particular test the last
two years; I know.  Think this changes the figures a bit?  For the
record, the national average for all students (athletes and non-athletes)
is around 950 each year.  Also for the record, I personally know of cases
when people came pretty close to that 400 mark.
 
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Brian Sprague
USNA     1997
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