▁is ▁no ▁failing ▁score ▁on ▁the ▁S AT ▁test . ▁Each ▁college ▁or ▁institution ▁sets ▁their ▁own ▁score ▁standards ▁for ▁ad mission ▁or ▁awards . ▁ ▁D ifferent ▁levels ▁of ▁performance ▁are ▁set . ▁Typ ically ▁these ▁are ▁A bove ▁Standard , ▁Me ets ▁Standard , ▁Below ▁Standard . ▁These ▁levels ▁a ▁typically ▁set ▁in ▁a ▁benchmark ing ▁process , ▁even ▁though ▁such ▁a ▁process ▁does ▁not ▁take ▁into ▁an ▁account ▁whether ▁the ▁test ▁items ▁are ▁even ▁appropriate ▁for ▁the ▁grade ▁level . ▁ ▁Test s ▁are ▁hol ist ically ▁grad ed ▁against ▁a ▁free - written ▁response , ▁often ▁with ▁pictures , ▁rather ▁than ▁grad ed ▁correct ▁or ▁incorrect ▁among ▁multiple ▁choices . ▁ ▁Test s ▁are ▁more ▁expensive ▁to ▁grade ▁because ▁of ▁this , ▁typically ▁$ 2 5 – 3 0 ▁per ▁test ▁compared ▁to ▁$ 2 – $ 5 , ▁not ▁including ▁the ▁cost ▁of ▁developing ▁the ▁test , ▁typically ▁different ▁every ▁year ▁for ▁every ▁state . ▁ ▁Test s ▁are ▁more ▁difficult ▁to ▁grade ▁because ▁they ▁are ▁typically ▁grad ed ▁against ▁a ▁hand ful ▁with ▁no ▁more ▁than ▁one ▁or ▁two ▁example ▁papers ▁at ▁each ▁scoring ▁level . ▁They ▁cannot ▁be ▁grad ed ▁by ▁computer ▁ ▁Test s ▁are ▁less ▁reliable . ▁Ag re ement ▁may ▁fall ▁between ▁ 6 0 ▁and ▁ 8 0 ▁percent ▁on ▁a ▁ 4 - point ▁scale ▁and ▁be ▁considered ▁to ▁be ▁accurate . ▁ ▁Grad ers ▁do ▁not ▁need ▁teaching ▁credentials , ▁only ▁a ▁b ach elor ' s ▁degree ▁in ▁any