Kathakali make up Essay Example for Free

Kathakali make up Essay Like all performing arts, Kathakali require facial make up. Professional Kathakali make up artists usually classify the make up process for Kathakali characters into five basic sets. These are the Pacha which is reserved for the mythological characters that belong to the hero Dhirodatta; Nala, Yudhishtra, Rukmangada, Arjuna and Bhimsena are just some of the characters who are treated with the Pacha make up. The next one is the Kathi or Katti which means ‘Knife’ and is characterized by the marking on the nose and forehead. Following it is the Kari which is characterized by the make up style that involves the putting of black in the face and red colors on the cheek bone complimented by the elongated black eyes like those found in characters like Ravana, Kamsa and Duryodhana. The Thaadi or Tadi is the one that refers to the beard of characters like Rakshasas and Dussasana (red beard), Vali and Sugriva which are the monkey kings and Kali (black beard), and Minukku. Female characters in Kathakali which are generally good-natured, like the Sages, Sadhus, Brahmins and Rishies, rendered with the Minukku make up, which represents the characters’ traits of spirituality, piousness, restraint, simplicity and equipoise. Make up for Kathakali is difficult, taxing, tedious and elaborate. It is difficult to make and create as it is difficult to remove too. A webindia123. com article on the make up of Kathakali characters notes how ‘it takes about four hours to wear and two to take it off’. The make up artist should be very particular with the colors since it symbolizes the emotions and the ‘gunas’ or their attributes. The make up artist should know when to make the eye appear lotus like and when to apply a square patch of black collyrium to make the character look more frightening. Looking at the performance of the Dryodana-vadham play, a section taken from the Mahabharata and conducted in the classical Kathakali way, a prospective make up artist can see not just the need for the consistency in make-up between characters who needs to appear with similarly shaded faces. In the Dryodana-vadham, two characters are featured in the performance namely Arjuna and Krishna. Both characters are wearing green base make up with white beard and reddish lips. During the play, war has broken out involving members of the same clan and Arjuna, the third of the five Pandava brothers, was the chosen leader. Arjuna is depicted as riding towards battle atop his war chariot. He is accompanied by Krishna who serves as his driver. They stop to look out over the enemy and Arjuna was distressed to see many of his relatives in the enemy chariots. Because of this, he tries to stop the battle. Arjuna is the one wearing the gold and red adorned circular head dress while Krishna is the one wearing the silver-hued head gear. From the dancing of the characters, their elaborate bodily movements and the sometimes severe heat brought about by the spotlight when performing inside a poorly air-conditioned theater, it is clear that the make up should be done perfectly so that it will hold and not melt or disintegrate throughout the performance. A Chouttikkaran can guide a make up artist in putting make up. The Chouttikkaran is tasked with this along with his other tasks since he has an active role in both the training stage and the performing stage. There are several characters in a Kathakali plays and all of them deserves different make-up treatment. There are characters in Kathakali play that portray men who are endowed with positive attitudes like piousness, or Satvik, and majestic, kingly air or Rajasic. For this particular type of character in the play, a make up which is predominantly green is expected. Acting as adversaries to these kinds of men are equally kingly and majestic male characters but is endowed with what is called a ‘tamasic’ characteristic. This means that these characters are those who are possessing evil characteristics in the play, and to be able to distinguish them from the pious, kingly men, those who have evil inclinations in the play like Ravana who is the popular demon king in Kathakali plays are colored with a very dose of red applied over a green background. But the mark of the true evil is found in the Chuvanna Thaadi or the Red Beard, the characters in Kathakali which is adorned by a very heavy red make up along with a red beard. Kathakali plays also features other characters aside from those mentioned earlier. Some other Kathakali characters include the uncivilized hunters Kari/ Karutha Thaadi or the black beard. The required make-up for these characters is usually characterized by a heavy black base complimented by a black beard. Kathakali plays also feature women characters, and for these women characters, the typical predominantly yellow make up on the face is required. For characters like the Monkey God Hanuman and the Sun God Pazhuppe, make up artists decorate the faces of the individuals portraying these characters by using a white beard or Vella Thadi to indicate their roles and characteristics. Aside from the colors of the make up particularly in the face, a Kathakali play also requires its make up artists to be knowledgeable in the enhancements of several facial parts of the different characters which adds depth and personality in every character. Some of the common facial parts that require elaborate exaggeration and enhancement include the moustache and the nose. The teeth are also exaggerated as some characters require appearing bearing fangs protruding from the mouth. The chin is another important aspect of the facial make up and design since the beards of the characters are supremely important in the successful portrayal of innate characteristics of each Kathakali persona. Make up artists craft a chutti or a chine mask for the characters, and this is one aspect of Kathakali make up that requires a very thick application of make up as well as other facial attachments. The usual way for the making and application of the chutti requires the make up artist to create a series of white ridges starting and developing evenly from both parts of the chin until it reaches the cheek. The stress of applying the makeup on the actors takes its toll on both the actors and the make up artists as well. Because of this, the make up artist and the actor / actress are expected to be truly dedicated to the performance of the Kathakali for them to be able to endure such stress. Stress generally results from the fact that first, Kathakali make up is usually long, the quickest procedure finished after three hours. The long work usually strains the muscles involved in the delicate and precise application of the make up. Some artists experience strain in the muscles found in the eyes, the lower back and the arms. The eyes are strained because for hours, the eyes are generally focused on the detail of the make up on the face as it develops. Actors are usually lying on a sleeping position, making it impossible for make up artists to sit down while providing the make up. They instead spend the entire time putting the make up on the character standing up and moving around as they decorate the face from one side to the other, straining the back. Make up artists are usually expected to be ambidextrous, meaning they can use both hands with equal results. This is important in applying make up especially if the process takes a long period of time like in Kathakali since this allows for the other arm to rest. Using just one arm in applying the make up can tire the make up artist faster. Another reason for the build up of stress is the need to combat fatigue. Fighting off tiredness and fatigue especially during the long and tedious hours of putting make up for Kathakali characters so that the focus on detail and make up aesthetics is constant can build up stress since the body is not relaxed anymore. Five main colors are very noticeable in Kathakali character’s make up, and these colors are designated because they represent the characters’ ethos. Green is the representation of the character’s ‘Sattivika’ nature, or the characteristic of the character to be pious and god-fearing. Red is the representation of the character’s ‘Rajasic’ nature, which refers to the disposition of being violent and totally ambitious. The ‘Tamasic’ nature is represented with the use of the color black, which is commonly used to refer to persons with evil personalities, although this is not always the case since sometimes it is also the color used to represent characters in the Kathakali which are aborigines as well as off-beat characters. Example of which is the character Kirata, who is actually Siva disguised as hunter. Yellow is the representation of the passivity of the characters, which is why it is commonly found in women characters in Kathakali. Yellow is also the similar coloring of other characters in the story like Narasimha, the Lion-God, the yellow hue used for the make up of the character representing adbhuta or wonder. White is the representation of the spirituality of the character. White is the basic make up of Hanuman and other half-human gods in the Kathakali which are characterized as benign sometimes and ferocious in other times. The make up in Kathakali plays is characterized by the use of vibrant and wide range of colors, and this is because colors in the face of the characters are generally symbolic as these colors indicate who they are and what the characters’ particular characteristics are. These colors indicate whether they are male (the use of pacha or green color in the face) or female (for female, the face make-up is usually that of yellowish tone, but aside from the yellow hue, female characters also wear black and red make up colors on their face, including the character Surpanaka of the Ashuras), human or god (god characters are assigned with the white beard) and good or evil (like the use of the red color in the face of Ravana and the and the uncivilized hunters who are considered as evil in the play).

Civil War :: American America History

Civil War Writing about recorded history should be a relatively easy task to accomplish. Recorded history is based on facts. Regardless of what time period one may write about, one will find enough information about that time of period. The key is to put everything in a logical and understandable manner. This paper will be about the Civil War. I will try, to the best of my knowledge, to discuss the North's and South's positions and Arguments for going to war, their initial military strategies and their strength and weaknesses. The paper will actually be a summary from chapter 10 of the book Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era By: James McPherson, "Amateurs Go To War". Before discussing the war itself, one must understand the Union's and the Confederate's arguments and reasons for going to war. Let's start at the beginning, when the South was first showing animosity for the North, which eventually led to sessionist ideas by the South. The Compromise of 1850 was drafted in response to the threat of a Southern Convention, because of Zachary Taylors decision to carve out two huge territories in the Far West and to admit them in the union as free states. Henry Clay drafted the compromise, which includes eight parts. "The first pair would admit California as a State and organize the remainder of the Mexican cession without "any restriction or condition on the subject of slavery". The second pair of resolutions settled the boundary dispute between Texas and New Mexico in favor of the latter and compensated Texas by federal assumption of debts contracted during its existence as an Independent Republic. Clay's third pair of resolutions called for abolition of the slave trade in the District of Columbia but a guarantee of slavery itself in the District. As if these six proposals yielded more to the North then to the South, Clay's final pair of resolutions tipped the balance Southward by denying congressional power over the interstate slave trade and calling for a stronger law to enable slave holders to recover their property when they fled to free states" Battle Cry of freedom: The Civil War Era, McPherson James, (p.70-71). The Northerners hated the fugitive slave law, because in the past it was never enforced and it never gave a trial by jury to any runaway slaves. The only testimony heard was that of the slaveholder and he usually recovered his slave. Civil War :: American America History Civil War Writing about recorded history should be a relatively easy task to accomplish. Recorded history is based on facts. Regardless of what time period one may write about, one will find enough information about that time of period. The key is to put everything in a logical and understandable manner. This paper will be about the Civil War. I will try, to the best of my knowledge, to discuss the North's and South's positions and Arguments for going to war, their initial military strategies and their strength and weaknesses. The paper will actually be a summary from chapter 10 of the book Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era By: James McPherson, "Amateurs Go To War". Before discussing the war itself, one must understand the Union's and the Confederate's arguments and reasons for going to war. Let's start at the beginning, when the South was first showing animosity for the North, which eventually led to sessionist ideas by the South. The Compromise of 1850 was drafted in response to the threat of a Southern Convention, because of Zachary Taylors decision to carve out two huge territories in the Far West and to admit them in the union as free states. Henry Clay drafted the compromise, which includes eight parts. "The first pair would admit California as a State and organize the remainder of the Mexican cession without "any restriction or condition on the subject of slavery". The second pair of resolutions settled the boundary dispute between Texas and New Mexico in favor of the latter and compensated Texas by federal assumption of debts contracted during its existence as an Independent Republic. Clay's third pair of resolutions called for abolition of the slave trade in the District of Columbia but a guarantee of slavery itself in the District. As if these six proposals yielded more to the North then to the South, Clay's final pair of resolutions tipped the balance Southward by denying congressional power over the interstate slave trade and calling for a stronger law to enable slave holders to recover their property when they fled to free states" Battle Cry of freedom: The Civil War Era, McPherson James, (p.70-71). The Northerners hated the fugitive slave law, because in the past it was never enforced and it never gave a trial by jury to any runaway slaves. The only testimony heard was that of the slaveholder and he usually recovered his slave.

The Transitions of Women’s Role in the Society

From the beginning of time, females have been considered the inferior sex. They have been given titles such as, â€Å"fragile, delicate, weak†¦ † beings when in fact women have proved that they are certainly equal as men, if not stronger. Child labor is one physical aspect of their strengths that women endure while others constitute taking over the duties of their male counterparts while they fought in the major wars for the country. Yet history hardly gave women credit for their accomplishments in the 19th and early 20th century. When history did give the female sex a voice, it consisted of their participation in the traditional roles cast upon them as wives and then mothers. Outside of this realm, women†s activities were considered unusual or accidental. This was certainly the case with Latin America, a complex, diverse, stratified region composed of many different nations. It seems appropriate at this time to undertake a search of the history of Mexico in order to probe the little known mysteries of the women†s actual role in society. My search will revolve around the regime of Porfirio Diaz, commonly known as the Porfiriato. Women of every class and background were involved in many diverse undertakings during that period. Vivian Vallens in her book, Working Women in Mexico during the Porfiriato depicted this picture well. She discussed the upper and middle class women briefly so that a rounded view of women†s activities can be understood. Her book concentrated around the theme of Mexican women working in the textile and cigar-making factories from 1880 – 1910. She stressed how their traditional roles went through a great transition in response to the rise of industrialism and the labor policies of the Diaz regime. Prior the Industrial Revolution, women played a direct role in the economy and in the development of society. Most of the population lived on large estates or haciendas on which all production took place for each family. Women worked alongside men in the fields or in home enterprises; in addition to their economic contribution, women also undertook the task of bearing and raising a large family. With the Industrial Revolution came many changes in economics, politics, society, and in the role of women. The production of many necessities shifted out of the home and into the factories. Many families moved to urban areas to better their economic status and to become a part of the new society. The government practiced laissez faire (no regulation of the business sector) which allowed the factory owners to abuse their workers to reap great profits. The working class was most affected by the Industrial Revolution. Upper and middle class women found themselves with considerable time on their hands since the new economy assumed the production of many household items. While the upper-class women busied themselves with their looks and entertainment, the middle-class women developed the idea of motherhood as a full-time occupation. These women retreated from their previous roles and public life by totally centering their lives around their husband and children. This change set a pattern of the ideal activities for women being centered around the home and family. Gradually, however, some upper and middle class women found this rather narrow concept of their roles too rigid and restrictive, and they became involved in many activities in order to open educational and occupational opportunities for women. It was the Diaz government and the positivist view that allowed the women to educate themselves and grow both mentally and socially. As Vallens described it, The positivist concepts about education ‘had a profound effect on Mexican women†¦ of the middle sectors,†¦ Juarez and his associates offered women an education and a chance to work outside the home. † They looked to the women of the middle sectors as potential teachers. Yucatan, for example, became one of the first states to make secondary education available to women. As teachers, the Mexican women served not only as agents of literacy, but also as instigators of change and advocates of new ideas. The positivists had originally instituted education to bring conformity; nevertheless, educated women seemed to bring exactly the opposite. The number of women attending both primary and secondary schools steadily increased. Schools for women were established in the Federal District as well as in leading provincial cities. Women began to enter the teaching profession in ever increasing numbers. â€Å"By 1895, 51. 3% of all the teachers were women and by 1910 this figure had raised to 64. 4%. † A select number of women went on to get higher education and became professionals such as lawyers and doctors. Vallens indicated that such women included Maria Asuncion Sandoval de Zarco and Matilda Montoya. They not only tested their traditional role but also pioneered a path for others to follow. The lower-class women of Mexico faced an entirely different type of change in their pattern of living. The lower class women moved to the urban surroundings to better their economic status with their families. Forced to work in the factories to support their families, these women enlarged their circle of association and this helped them become aware of the communality of the problems faced by working women. This shift had a tremendous impact because the urban life had the effect of broadening their scope and developing their militancy. Working class women began to thrust aside their earlier attitudes of passive submission and became involved in group activities and organizations. Vallens portrays their struggle in the textile and cigar-making factories. Their docile attitude in the beginning allowed the factory owners to take advantage of them and abuse their condition terribly. The owners hired women so they can reap more profits by paying them less than men. For example, the Cocolapam textile factory in 1893 employed 90 men, 240 women, and 15 children. Wages varied by factory, by sex, and by age. Conditions under which they worked were horrible and unsanitary. Even more women worked in the cigar-making factories, thus subject to higher percentage of abuse. The Mexican women cigar-makers worked fourteen to fifteen hours per day with each woman searched for factory products before she went home. They too worked in unhygienic atmosphere with low roofs and no ventilation. Originally, upon first arriving from the rural areas, they accepted any salary or condition of work set by the factory owners of both industries without any protest. With time, however, Vallens indicates that their traditional outlook was slowly discarded after the women were exposed to economic self-dependence and the â€Å"spirit of growing militancy among their fellow factory workers. â€Å"(38) They realized that they could challenge and protest many of the owner†s actions. Their concept of their proper role changed and they responded to their pressures by organizing, protesting, and striking. A number of socialists and anarchists helped give leadership to these early organizations. Their political philosophy stressed, among other points, the need for inclusion of women in all levels of activity. For example, Santiago Villanueva – an anarchist – stressed the theme of women†s rights and responsibilities both in Mexican society and within the labor movement. This encouragement allowed women to actively participate in meetings of the labor movement. As a result, women like Carmen Huerta became prominent labor leaders and were elected president of the Congress of workers. Vallens† book was interesting and easy to follow. She clearly stated her point and used hard evidence from her sources to prove that point. Her use of statistics made her point all the more believable and very realistic. What was shocking to me was that she was able to retrieve such statistics and stories of women†s leadership when history gave them a silent voice. Women, of that era, in fact saw the need for organization and so they played a role in such a development as a result of their tragic experiences. Many leaders rose to the occasion and served as an inspiration; they laid the groundwork for working women†s acceptance into more active and public roles. They learned their lesson well – that only through collective action could change be made. Such leadership and action cannot be considered accidental or inconsequential as societies of the past have labeled women heroes. Vallens, through her clear-cut style of writing, showed the reader that women in Mexico did not have a quite voice as history has written. They possessed a loud voice and when they realized they did, they used it! Vallens† theme of the changing role of women and their growing level of consciousness can be best described by Josefina Reyes in La Mujer en el hogar y en la sociedad, Happily we belong to a generation that has the good fortune to conceive the sublime idea of the emancipation of woman, one of the greatest steps that humanity has taken along the broad path of progress. We are now no longer in the error of believing that woman was made only for the home†¦ and†¦ family.

Analysis of the French Ambassadors

Holbein’s piece of the French Ambassadors (23-11) depicts two people standing in what seems to be an office or study. One man, the one on the left seems to be a patron or some sort of a wealthy man. You can tell by the clothes he is wearing and how much more dignified he looks than from the man on his right. The landowner has a fancy coat lined with some sort of fur. He has on some jewelry, a necklace, hanging from his neck. In his right hand he seems to be holding some kind of instrument showing he is an educated man. His face is rendered with more realism than his peer on the right. He also seems to be bit more lively in spirit. The landowner is leaning upon a table that is loaded with many other instruments for collecting data. These tools are symbols that these two men aren’t your ordinary common folk, they are more like scholars and have curiosities about many different things in life as what was a main theme of the Renaissance. The globes on the tables indicate an interest in astronomy and geology. It could also be a reference to Nicholas Copernicus a Renaissance astronomer who was the first to theorize that the earth wasn’t the center of the universe. Other instruments on the table indicate interests in mathematics, as there seems to be some cube object with numbers and angles maybe referring to geometry. Also on the table there is a mandolin signifying that not only are these two just purely scholars, but lively entertaining people or culturally diverse people. Another object on the table has to be the open books, which seem to be journals or diaries of some sort because of how there is a feather pen marking a spot in one. On the table there is a mantle but to me it looks more than just a decorative pattern for protection of a table but a tapestry of some sort. Above and behind the men and the table is a green patterned curtain. The drapery on the curtain causes your eyes to flow downward upon to the men and the table. The man on the right is dressed in black robes, clothing of a clergyman with a pair of gloves in his hand. If the clothes aren’t enough, he also has the white collar that all Catholic members of the church wear. The lighting in this painting is coming from the left as you can tell from how the landowner’s face seems to be more brightly lit than the clergyman’s. also you can tell by how on the clergyman’s side the painting gets gradually darker. One important thing about this painting is also the face of the gentlemen. In a way it seems as if two different artists of different caliber painted the faces. The landowners face looks loquent and beautiful, while the clergyman’s face looks simple and without much enthusiasm. The biggest concept of this image has to be the grayish line of some sort running through the ground. This object is an anamorphic image and the most interesting part of this painting. An anamorphic image is a distorted image that is only viewable from a certain angle or through a mirror. When looking at the painting from a lower angle and tilting your head towards the left you see an image of a skull. This skull is a symbol that can mean two different things. One is the study of sciences of the human body as there is no evidence of studying the human body is shown on the table that is supposed to represent education. The skull shows that the ponderings of the science of the human body bring these two men together. Another explanation for the symbol of the skull is to remind the viewer that even with all these great advancements and breakthroughs that man is still mortal and eventually one will die. The theme at first that I got was that men of the renaissance were greatly interested in the fine arts and education. Once looking at the painting more in depth and various times I see that that is just scratching the surface. The theme for this painting is how even though the Church and Landowners/nobility and wealthy were of such different social classes and distinctions, and even though they had many differences, they were brought together by their thirst for knowledge about everything they could imagine of. This theme comes through how the two men are leaning on the table full of symbols of education and higher learning showing their interests in it.

Bill Become A Law Essays - Statutory Law, Law, Government, Bill

Bill Become A Law Essays - Statutory Law, Law, Government, Bill Bill Become A Law Rewrite #1 As a bill is on the highway to become law, there are two great obstacles that stand in the way of this process. The first hurdle being the power of many top committee chairs to delay voting and even pigeon hole bills. The second hurdle is for the president to sign the bill. These are the two main hurdles that stand in the way of a bill becoming a law. After a bill has reached a committee, the main obstacle that stands in the way is the committee chair. The chair has the power and authority to pigeon hole a bill or simply put it aside and delay the opportunities for debate on the bill. This allows for the opposition to not have to deal with the bill for a sustained amount of time. For instance since most bill die in committee, one of the focuses for a bill that is likely not to be passed is so the supporters can get publicity and can say they acted on or did something for the bill and its purpose(s). While in the committee, the chair is the figure with the most control and ability. If he/she opposes a bill, then the likelihood of its passing becomes less and less. This is a major obstacle because of its supreme role in the whole process, and as a result many of the bills introduced into committees, never make it out. The second major obstacle is the signing of the bill by the president. The president usually acts in the manner most favorable to his party, so it is that party that recieves the benefit of his holding office. However the president also acts in the manner most favorable to the nation, so he has the ability to control many bills. For instance many bills that that embody a clear, appealing idea (stop drugs, help old folks), usually make out quite well by the time it makes it to the presidency. But those bills that have been passed by a party that is opposite the president may often be vetoed. Thus causing a momentary stop in the entire process in becoming law. The presidency is an extremely unique and important step in the process, because he has the final say on the billuntil it may go back for the 2/3s override. These two obstacles are quite different, one is at the very forefront of the whole process while the other is at the possible endyet these two areas do share a common bond. That is they both are hurdles in the act of a bill becoming a law.

Supporting The Constitution Or Playing The Political Game Coursework

Supporting The Constitution Or Playing The Political Game Coursework Supporting The Constitution Or Playing The Political Game – Coursework Example Topic: Supporting the Constitution or Playing the Political Game Voter ID laws in Texas The Attorney General Erick Holder was justified to challenge the new voting laws in Taxes. This is due to the nature of the laws as they are considered as a violating of the federal Voting Rights Act which advocates for equality in the voting process in State and national elections (New Fox, 2013). The voter ID laws were aimed at suppressing the minority voters’ turnout thus going against the Voting Rights Act. A.G Erick Holder argues that the ID laws imposed by the State of taxes may raise racial discrimination issues in the voting process (New Fox, 2013). This is due to the fact that approximately 600,000 Hispanic and blacks in Taxes lack eligible Identification Cards to vote (Weissert & Richmond, 2014). The Voter ID laws came at a time which would hinder this minority population from casting out votes in the general and state election which is regarded as a violation of the federal Votin g Rights Act. The new laws would result to a lot of complication in the impending election as it would deprive approximately 13.6 million people from casting out their votes (Weissert & Richmond, 2014). It would also raise racial concerns as it creates impermissible as well as discriminatory effects on the minority population which is made up of the African-American and Hispanic communities. It would also constitute to an unconstitutional poll tax which raises the election budget. The Attorney General was right to challenge the Voter Identification laws in Taxes as it was enacted without consultations from the federal Supreme Court or the DOJ court. As a result, the federal court has the right to disallow the implementation of the laws if they violet federal laws. ReferencesNew Fox. (2013). Holder takes on Texas over voting laws after court ruling: Published July 25, 2013. Retrieved from foxnews.com/politics/2013/07/25/ag-opens-new-front-on-voting-rights-protection/Weissert W & Rich mond T. (2014). The State: Courts block voter ID laws in Texas, Wisconsin: Published: October 10, 2014. Retrieved from: thestate.com/2014/10/10/3735909/courts-block-voter-id-laws-in.html

SAT Historical Percentiles for 2006 and 2007

SAT Historical Percentiles for 2006 and 2007 SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips If you took the SAT in 2006 or 2007, you may be wondering what your percentile score is on the SAT. Is a 1700 on the SAT in 2006 the same percentile score as a 1700 in 2007? Do percentile scores change over time? 2006 was a big year in SAT history; it was the first full year of the Writing section and the maximum score changed from a 1600 to a 2400.Next year, the SAT will be going back to the 1600 maximum score. In this article, I will explain SAT percentile scores, how they change, and I'll provide the percentile scores for SAT composite scores from 2006 and 2007. What Are Percentile Scores? Percentile scores reveal how well you did in relation to other people. If you scored in the 99th percentile, you did better than 99% of test-takers. If you got a 40th percentile score, you did better than 40% of the people who took the test. The College Board determines SAT percentile scores annually from the scores of college-bound high school seniors who took the SAT. The higher your percentile score, the better you did relative to other college-bound high school seniors from that year. Do Percentile Scores Change? Typically, percentile scores for equivalent SAT scores stay roughly the same from year to year.For example, a 2100 was the 97th percentile in 2007 and 2006.However, percentile scores can change very slightly.In 2007, a 1940 was the 91st percentile, but in 2006, it was the 90th percentile. Even if you're comparing percentile scores over a longer period of time, percentile scores will stay the same or only change minimally. In 2006, an 1800 was the 80th percentile, and in 2014, it was the 81st. The College Boardtries to use its scoring systemto ensure that equivalent SAT scores are indicative of the same skill level and percentile scores regardless of when the test was taken.An 1800 in 2006 should be equivalent to an 1800 in 2015. How Should You Use This Data? Why Is It Important? Your percentile score is the most straightforward way to determine if you got a good or badscore.If you did better than the majority of test-takers, then you did well. However, when you apply to a college, you’re being compared with the other applicants to that school. Most schools publicize their 25th and 75th percentile SAT scores. If you want to be competitive for admission, your target score should be the school’s 75th percentile score. Keep in mind that if you took the SAT in 2006 or 2007, for colleges, you may not need your SAT score, or you may have to take the SAT again since SAT score are usually only valid for 5 years. For every college you apply to, check the college’s admission requirements. You can usually find this information on its website. Also, percentile scores help put your scores in context. A small composite score increase can have a huge impact on your percentile score if you received a middle score.A 1500 is roughly the 50th percentile, but a 1750 is the 77th or 78th. Raising your score by 250 points can raise your score from average to among the top quarter of test takers. With enough studying and practice, you can raise your score from average to excellent. Composite Score Percentiles From 2007 and 2006 Score 2007 Percentile 2006 Percentile 2400 99+ 99+ 2390 99+ 99+ 2380 99+ 99+ 2370 99+ 99+ 2360 99+ 99+ 2350 99+ 99+ 2340 99+ 99+ 2330 99+ 99+ 2320 99+ 99+ 2310 99+ 99+ 2300 99+ 99+ 2290 99 99+ 2280 99 99+ 2270 99 99 2260 99 99 2250 99 99 2240 99 99 2230 99 99 2220 99 99 2210 99 99 2200 99 99 2190 98 98 2180 98 98 2170 98 98 2160 98 98 2150 98 98 2140 98 98 2130 97 97 2120 97 97 2110 97 97 2100 97 97 2090 96 96 2080 96 96 2070 96 96 2060 95 95 2050 95 95 2040 95 95 2030 94 94 2020 94 94 2010 94 94 2000 93 93 1990 93 93 1980 92 92 1970 92 92 1960 92 91 1950 91 91 1940 91 90 1930 90 90 1920 89 89 1910 89 89 1900 88 88 1890 88 87 1880 87 87 1870 86 86 1860 86 85 1850 85 85 1840 84 84 1830 84 83 1820 83 82 1810 82 82 1800 81 81 1790 80 80 1780 80 79 1770 79 78 1760 78 77 1750 77 76 1740 76 75 1730 75 75 1720 74 74 1710 73 73 1700 72 72 1690 71 71 1680 70 70 1670 69 68 1660 68 67 1650 67 66 1640 66 65 1630 65 64 1620 64 63 1610 63 62 1600 61 61 1590 60 59 1580 59 58 1570 58 57 1560 57 56 1550 56 54 1540 54 53 1530 53 52 1520 52 51 1510 51 49 1500 49 48 1490 48 47 1480 47 46 1470 46 44 1460 44 43 1450 43 42 1440 42 41 1430 41 39 1420 39 38 1410 38 37 1400 37 36 1390 36 35 1380 34 33 1370 33 32 1360 32 31 1350 31 30 1340 30 29 1330 28 28 1320 27 26 1310 26 25 1300 25 24 1290 24 23 1280 23 22 1270 22 21 1260 21 20 1250 20 19 1240 19 18 1230 18 18 1220 17 17 1210 16 16 1200 15 15 1190 15 14 1180 14 13 1170 13 13 1160 12 12 1150 12 11 1140 11 11 1130 10 10 1120 10 9 1110 9 9 1100 9 8 1090 8 8 1080 7 7 1070 7 7 1060 7 6 1050 6 6 1040 6 5 1030 5 5 1020 5 5 1010 5 4 1000 4 4 990 4 4 980 4 3 970 3 3 960 3 3 950 3 3 940 3 3 930 2 2 920 2 2 910 2 2 900 2 2 890 2 2 880 2 1 870 1 1 860 1 1 850 1 1 840 1 1 830 1 1 820 1 1 810 1 1 800 1 1 790 1 1 780 1- 1- 770 1- 1- 760 1- 1- 750 1- 1- 740 1- 1- 730 1- 1- 720 1- 1- 710 1- 1- 700 1- 1- 690 1- 1- 680 1- 1- 670 1- 1- 660 1- 1- 650 1- 1- 640 1- 1- 630 1- 1- 620 1- 1- 610 1- 1- 600 Gamerscore Blog/flickr Section Score Percentiles Unfortunately, I was unable to obtain percentile scores for each individual section for 2006 and 2007. However, because there are only very minimal changes to percentile scores from year to year, here are the section score percentiles from 2009 for your reference. Score Critical Reading Math Writing 800 99 99 99+ 790 99 99 99+ 780 99 99 99 770 99 98 99 760 99 98 99 750 98 97 99 740 98 97 98 730 97 96 98 720 97 95 97 710 96 94 96 700 95 94 96 690 94 92 95 680 93 91 94 670 92 89 93 660 91 88 92 650 89 85 90 640 88 83 89 630 85 81 87 620 84 79 85 610 82 77 84 600 79 74 81 590 77 72 79 580 75 69 77 570 72 67 74 560 69 63 72 550 66 61 69 540 63 58 66 530 60 55 63 520 56 51 59 510 53 48 56 500 49 45 52 490 46 41 49 480 42 38 46 470 39 35 42 460 36 31 39 450 32 28 35 440 28 26 32 430 26 23 29 420 22 20 25 410 20 17 22 400 17 15 19 390 15 13 17 380 13 11 14 370 11 9 12 360 9 8 10 350 8 6 8 340 6 6 7 330 5 5 5 320 4 4 4 310 4 3 4 300 3 2 3 290 2 2 2 280 2 2 2 270 2 1 1 260 1 1 1 250 1 1 1 2401 1 1 1 230 1 1- 1 220 1 1- 1- 210 1 1- 1- 200 What's Next? If you're interested in comparing percentile scores from more recent years, check out the SAT historical percentiles from 2011-2014. Also, make sure you understand your SAT scores, and learn what SAT scores measure. Disappointed with your scores? Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points?We've written a guide about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now: