Scoring systems are a means to quantify clinical states that are difficult to summarize by other subjective or objective means. The present study was done to assess the efficiency of SNAP score as a simple neonatal illness severity and mortality risk score. This prospective study included 112 full-term and preterm newborns who were admitted in the lst 24 hours of life to the NICU of Cairo University Hospital. A statistically significant positive correlation was found between the total SNAP score and the outcome (P value < 0.001).