How to Include SAT Scores on Your Resume — Like a Pro!

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Every student knows and dreads the day they must take their SATs. These tests take a lot of time, knowledge, and ability to perform under pressure.

Luckily for the job-seeking person, these are all desirable traits which an employer will be looking for in an employee. How can we include this in a resume to best communicate these traits? Let’s take a look:

 

How do you include SAT scores on your resume?

When including SAT scores in a resume, they should be put in the skills or the accomplishments section. It is not necessary to list every score individually. Include your total score, the date that is listed on the result certificate, and the percentile (your score compared to the national average). Keep in mind that SAT scores are typically only relevant for students who do not have much working experience, or for people seeking jobs in the education industry. 

 

How to obtain your SAT scores 

There are two ways to obtain proof of your SAT scores. If you believe an employer may be interested in your scores, then it is best to have proof when walking into your interview.

The easiest way is having the original score documents on-hand. These will be sent within a few weeks of taking the exam to the home address you listed on your application form. 

The second way is to get your scores online here at The College Board. While they cannot send your score to an employer, you could take a screenshot to have on-hand if asked about the specifics of your score. 

 

How to format SAT scores in the skills section

When listing scores in the skills section, it is best to keep it brief and to the point. You do not need to list your reading, writing, and math scores separately.

Include your total score, and the date of your exam. You may also list a bit of context, such as the percentiles of your score, to help them understand the impressiveness of your accomplishment. You could format this as follows:

Skills

• Proficient in Microsoft Excel and Spreadsheets
• Achieved an SAT score of 1300 – 91st percentile – (Jan 20xx)

 

How to format SAT scores in the accomplishments section

Especially in the case of students or new graduates, there is often an accomplishments section on the resume.

This is the section that would contain school awards, club activity achievements, and other school-related feats. If you are a student, this is the most fitting place to put your score. 

You could also re-word the percentile text to be more straightforward to the average person. Know who your potential employer is and decide for yourself whether they need this additional information.

This could be formatted as follows:

Accomplishments

• Was granted a Silver medal at the Connecticut All-State Math competition (20xx)

• Achieved an SAT score of 1300 – (Jan 20xx)

• Scored higher than 91% of other test takers (91st percentile)

 

How to find out what percentile your score is in

If you know what your score is but want to know more about your percentile, simply look at your score paperwork you received in the mail after taking the exam.

It explains your percentile for the year you took the SATs and breaks down each section in detail.

Make sure when writing your percentile on a resume, you are writing your percentile for your total score, and not an individual section!

If you no longer have your score paperwork, you can look up your percentile information alongside your score report on The College Board website.

Adding this information alongside your score helps it to stand out, as companies in fields outside of education may not understand how to interpret your achievement by score alone. 

 

In what cases is it best to put your SAT scores on a resume?

Including SAT scores in a resume is fitting for students with relatively little practical experience.

Because students are rarely able to hold jobs while obtaining an education, they need educational achievements listed on their resume as proof of character and will.

This is especially true if the score is exceptional! It shows that an employer that this person is hard-working, dedicated, and intelligent. 

SAT scores could also be listed for a person applying for a job in the education industry.

For an instructor themselves to hold a good score in the field they will be teaching to students is an impressive feat. 

This would be the only instance in which you should split up your scores when listing them.

If you are applying to be a math instructor, and have a particularly impressive math SAT score, this would be worth highlighting. For example:

Skills:

• Math standardized test teaching/tutoring

• Achieved an SAT score of 780 (98th percentile) – (20xx)

If applying to the education industry, you should not over-explain what your percentile means.

An employer will see your score and be delighted to know that you can help future students study for the exam that you did well on. 

 

Should you always include your SAT scores on a resume?

The short answer is no. SAT scores are good “resume padding” for those who do not have a lot of job experience.

SAT scores are also relevant for people applying to the education industry, as many of those people will work with SAT preparation materials in their everyday jobs. 

Once you have enough accomplishments in a professional workplace, however, you should remove your SAT scores from your resume unless applying to a relevant field.

Beyond your school years, listing your test scores can make you come off as stuffy, or as someone who is clinging to irrelevant past achievements. 

Employers want to see what you have done, and what you can do in the workplace.

It can be difficult to let go of that pride in your 95th percentile SAT score… but the truth is that most employers will not care unless you are a fresh graduate. 

SAT scores are great stepping stones for resumes, but make sure you treat them as such.

Move beyond listing your scores once you are able to, and prove to employers that you can use that intellect to achieve great things in your professional work as well!