ACT Score Calculator: Composite, Percentile, Superscore

How This ACT Score Calculator Works

The ACT score calculator predicts your composite from your raw section counts. Enter the number of correct answers in English (out of 75), Math (out of 60), Reading (out of 40), and optionally Science (out of 40), and the calculator instantly returns up to nine readouts: composite (1 to 36), per-section scaled scores, national percentile, STEM score (Math + Science), ELA score (English + Reading + Writing when Writing is provided), SAT-equivalent from the official concordance table, and a tier label that maps your composite to a university selectivity band. The score-band chart above the fact card plots your composite against the score ranges of major US university tiers, with a dashed line marking the national average of 19.5.

Switch to Superscore mode if you have taken the ACT more than once. Enter your section scaled scores from each attempt in the table, and the calculator picks the best score from any attempt for each section, then averages the best three (English, Math, Reading) into a superscore composite. The improvement readout shows how many composite points your superscore gains over your best single sitting. The Save attempt button below the calculator stores the current single-test score in the practice-test tracker so you can compare results across multiple practice tests; the stat row shows attempt count, group average, best total, and most-recent total side by side.

ACT Scoring Explained: From Raw to Scaled to Composite

The current ACT consists of three required sections (English, Math, Reading) plus an optional Science section and an optional Writing essay. English contains 75 questions, Math contains 60, Reading contains 40, and Science contains 40. The full test runs about 2 hours 5 minutes for the required sections, plus 35 minutes if Science is added and 40 minutes if Writing is added. The ACT is delivered in both paper and digital formats; scoring rules are identical across formats.

Your raw score in each section is the number of questions you answered correctly. Wrong answers cost zero points (there is no guessing penalty), so always fill in an answer for every question. Raw scores convert to scaled section scores in the 1 to 36 range using a published equating table that ACT calibrates separately for each test administration. The composite is the average of the three required sections (English, Math, Reading) rounded to the nearest whole number. Half-points round up: a 30.5 average becomes a 31 composite. ACT exams before the 2025 redesign averaged all four sections including Science; if you are converting an older test result from that earlier era, switch the Science checkbox off in the calculator above to match the current composite formula.

The conversion is non-linear at the edges of the scale. A perfect raw score of 75 in English yields exactly 36; missing two questions still produces a 35 in most years. Math behaves similarly near the top despite having fewer total questions: a perfect 60 yields 36, while a 58 typically converts to 35. Around the midpoint of the question count, scaled scores cluster near the middle of the 1 to 36 range: a raw 38 of 75 in English converts to roughly 19, and a raw 30 of 60 in Math converts to roughly 19. Below that, the curve flattens; a low raw count produces a section score that resists falling much below 12 even with significant missed questions, since the equating table preserves a meaningful floor for every test taker.

ACT Score Range Explained: Understanding the 1 to 36 Scale

The ACT composite uses a scale from 1 to 36 (whole numbers only), with 1 representing the lowest possible composite and 36 the highest. Each section (English, Math, Reading, Science) is reported on the same 1 to 36 scale, which makes section comparison straightforward; a 28 in Math and a 28 in Reading represent the same percentile rank within each section. The composite is the average of the three required sections rounded to the nearest whole number, so the composite scale is also 1 to 36 but with no fractional values reported.

The full distribution of the 1 to 36 scale is heavily weighted toward the middle. Roughly half of all test-takers earn a composite between 17 and 23, which corresponds to the 30th through 65th percentiles. Scores below 12 are rare (under 5% of test-takers) and scores at or above 30 represent only the top 7%. The 1 to 36 scale offers fine resolution at the top of the distribution, where a single composite point can shift you across major university selectivity tiers; a 32 versus a 33 is the difference between top 3% and top 2% nationally.

Single-section retake support, introduced in the 2025 ACT redesign, lets you retake just one section instead of the full test. Use the Superscore mode in the calculator above to model the result: enter your full attempt scores in row #1, then enter only the retaken section in row #2 (leave the unchanged sections blank), and the superscore engine picks the best of each section across the rows. This mirrors ACT\'s own superscore reporting, which has been included alongside official score reports since 2020.

What Is a Good ACT Score? Percentiles and University Bands

"Good" depends on the colleges you are applying to. The national average is approximately 19.5, which sits at the 48th percentile. Anything above 24 places you in the top 29% of test-takers and is competitive at the majority of public flagship universities. A 30 reaches the 93rd percentile and is the typical 25th-percentile floor at highly selective universities like Boston University and Northeastern. A 33 reaches the 98th percentile, the territory where Ivy League and similar top-1% universities cluster their middle-50% admitted ranges.

The percentile reference inside the calculator widget shows the full mapping. Use it to quickly check what a target composite means in national rank terms before deciding whether your goal is realistic for your prep timeline. A jump from 24 to 26 moves you from the 71st percentile to the 80th, a meaningful rank shift even though the raw composite delta is only 2 points. For the standard US course grading reference (separate from ACT scoring), see the letter grade scale.

Two worked examples make the bands concrete. Maya, applying to USC (mid-50% range roughly 31 to 34, test-optional), needs around a 33 (98th percentile, SAT-equivalent 1480) to land in the upper half of admitted students. With section scores of English 34, Math 32, and Reading 33, her composite averages to 33.0 and stays at 33 after rounding (Science 31 reported separately, no impact on the current composite). Daniel, applying to Ohio State (mid-50% 27 to 32, test-optional), can sit comfortably with a 29 (90th percentile, SAT-equivalent 1340). His section scores of English 29, Math 28, and Reading 30 average to 29.0 for the composite. If Daniel uses the single-section retake to push Math to 31, his superscore composite jumps to 30 (English 29 + Math 31 + Reading 30 = 30.0).

ACT Scoring Chart: Raw to Scaled Conversion

The score chart below summarizes typical raw-to-scaled conversions used in recent ACT administrations. Exact conversion tables vary by test date because ACT applies test-specific equating to keep scores comparable across administrations. The values shown represent the typical curve; your actual scaled score may differ by 1 to 2 points depending on which test form you took.

Note that the conversion tightens at the top of the scale. Missing 1 question in any section typically still earns a 35 or 36, but missing 5 questions in the same section can drop you 4 to 6 scaled points depending on the test form. The largest scaled-point swings happen between scaled 18 and 30, where each 4 to 5 raw-score points typically equals one scaled point. Use the calculator above instead of the static chart for the most accurate prediction; the calculator interpolates between published anchor points to estimate the in-between raw counts.

ACT to SAT Score Conversion

The College Board and ACT publish a joint concordance table that maps any ACT composite to its SAT total equivalent and back. The fact card in the calculator above shows the SAT-equivalent for your current ACT composite live as you type. The most useful reference points: 36 ACT equals roughly 1590 to 1600 SAT, 34 ACT equals about 1500 to 1530 SAT, 32 ACT equals about 1430 to 1450 SAT, 30 ACT equals about 1370 to 1390 SAT, 28 ACT equals about 1310 to 1330 SAT, 24 ACT equals about 1180 to 1200 SAT, and 20 ACT equals about 1040 to 1070 SAT. The 19.5 ACT national average concords to about a 1010 SAT total.

The SAT-equivalent readout in the calculator above updates live with every section score change, so you do not need a separate SAT tool to see the conversion. For an SAT-specific score breakdown by Reading and Writing module plus Math module with adaptive routing modeled, use the SAT score calculator. Most students score within 1 to 2 ACT composite points of their SAT concordance equivalent on a first attempt, so the conversion above is a reliable first check on which test format suits your strengths. Students who excel at speed (the ACT moves faster than the SAT) and who tolerate Science-style data interpretation often score relatively higher on the ACT than on the SAT.

ACT Superscore: How Multiple Test Dates Combine

An ACT superscore takes the highest scaled score from each section across multiple test attempts and averages the best three (English, Math, Reading) into a new composite under the current ACT format. ACT itself has reported a superscore alongside your individual test scores since 2020, which means your target colleges can see your best per-section performance across all attempts without you having to do the math manually. Suppose you take the ACT twice with these results:

• Test 1: E29, M31, R28, S30 = 29.3 (rounds to 29) composite
• Test 2: E33, M30, R32, S29 = 31.7 (rounds to 32) composite

Your superscore uses the best of each section: E33, M31, R32, which averages to 32.0 and rounds to a 32 composite, even though you never earned that combination on a single sitting. Science is reported separately under the current format and does not factor into the composite, but the best Science (30 from Test 1 in this example) feeds into your STEM score (Math + Science). About two-thirds of US colleges accept ACT superscoring; the rest use either single-best (your highest single-sitting composite) or most-recent. Some institutions only superscore within the same test (combining ACT scores with other ACT scores) and ignore your SAT scores entirely. Verify each target school\'s exact policy on its admissions website before deciding whether to retake.

The Superscore panel in the calculator above logs each attempt\'s section scores in a single table and shows the best per-section row plus the resulting superscore composite. The improvement readout shows how many composite points your superscore gains over your best single sitting; a 1-point gain is typical, a 2-point gain is excellent, and a 3+ point gain usually only happens when one attempt had an unusually weak section that another attempt corrected.

The 2025 ACT Redesign: Optional Science and Single-Section Retakes

The 2025 ACT redesign introduced two structural changes that still define how the score calculator above behaves today. First, Science became optional. The composite is now the average of English, Math, and Reading rounded to the nearest whole number, instead of the four-section average used in earlier years. Science is still reported on the same 1 to 36 scale when taken, and selective STEM programs (engineering, pre-med pathways) often expect to see it. The Science checkbox in the calculator above defaults to on; turn it off to model a no-Science attempt, in which case the STEM readout disappears.

Second, single-section retakes became available. You no longer need to retake the full ACT to push one section higher. If your English was 33 and your Math was 27 on your first sitting, you can retake Math alone, and the new Math score replaces (or supplements, depending on your colleges\' policy) the old one for superscore purposes. The Superscore mode in the calculator above models this: enter your full attempt as row #1, then enter only the retaken section in row #2 (leave the other sections blank). The best-of engine picks the best per-section score across all populated rows.

The redesign also reduced the number of questions per section slightly to give test-takers more time per item. English dropped from 75 to roughly 50 questions in some pilot administrations, and Math timing increased on a per-item basis. The calculator above continues to use the full 75-question English and 60-question Math counts, since those remain the primary published reference points; if your test form used the reduced count, scale your raw entry proportionally before entering it (e.g., 40 of 50 English questions correct equals roughly 60 of 75 on the published scale).

This calculator estimates ACT scores using the published ACT scoring methodology and recent national percentile data. ACT uses test-specific equating curves that vary slightly by test administration; your official score may differ by 1 to 2 scaled points per section. For the most current scoring documentation, consult ACT.org Score Information and the official ACT-SAT concordance tables.