Understanding the ACT Score: A Comprehensive Guide

The ACT (originally an abbreviation of American College Testing) is a standardized test widely used for college admissions in the United States. Understanding how the ACT is scored is crucial for effective test preparation and interpreting your results. This article provides a detailed explanation of the ACT scoring system, score interpretation, and strategies to maximize your performance.

Introduction to ACT Scoring

The ACT has four multiple-choice sections: English, Math, Reading, and Science (optional as of 2025). Each of these sections is scored on a scale of 1 to 36. The composite score, which is the average of your scores in the four sections, also ranges from 1 to 36. Additionally, there is an optional Writing section, scored separately on a scale of 2 to 12.

Raw Scores vs. Scaled Scores

The first thing to understand about ACT scores is that the score you get for each subject area, between 1 and 36, is a scaled score. That scaled score is converted from your raw score. Your raw score is the number of questions you answer correctly in each section. The ACT uses scaled scores to ensure consistency across different test dates. This scaling process means that on different editions of the ACT, raw scores can translate to scaled scores differently.

Calculating Your ACT Score

Simply put, your score for each section is calculated by a computer that scans the number of answers you got correct and produces your raw score. Your raw score for each section is then converted into a scaled score, ranging between 1-36, which takes into account very slight differences in difficulty on different forms of the ACT. Next, your scaled scores from 1-36 for each of the four required sections (English, Math, Reading, and Science) are averaged together to create a composite score indicating your overall performance. Your composite score is rounded to the nearest whole number, with decimals less than .5 being rounded down and decimals equal to or greater than .5 being rounded up. If you take the optional Writing test, your overall score is reported on a range from 2-12. This score is the average of four domain scores also ranging from 2-12. Two trained readers will give you a score from 1-6 in each of the domains. If their scores vary by more than one point, another reader will resolve the discrepancy. Your score for each domain is the total of both readers’ points.

Section-by-Section Breakdown

Let's take a closer look at each section of the ACT and how it's scored.

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English

The English section is 45 minutes long and consists of 75 multiple-choice questions. The highest raw score you can earn is 75, as each correct answer contributes one point to your raw score. The English section tests your knowledge of usage/mechanics, sentence structure, and rhetorical skills.

Scoring Example: If you answer 65 questions correctly, your raw score will be 65, which is then converted to a scaled score between 1 and 36.

Math

The Math section is 60 minutes long and contains 60 questions. The questions cover pre-algebra, elementary algebra, intermediate algebra, plane geometry, coordinate geometry, and elementary trigonometry. Calculators are permitted, but computer algebra systems are not allowed. As of April 2025 for online tests, and September 2025 for paper-and-pencil tests, each math question has four answer choices instead of five.

Scoring Example: If you correctly answer 45 questions, your raw score will be 45, which is then converted to a scaled score between 1 and 36.

Reading

The Reading section is a 35-minute test with 40 questions. It includes four sections, three with one long prose passage and one with two shorter prose passages. The passages are representative of the levels and kinds of text commonly encountered in first-year college curriculum. This reading test assesses skills in three general categories: key ideas and details, craft and structure, and integration of knowledge and ideas. Test questions will usually ask students to derive meaning from texts referring to what is explicitly stated or by reasoning to determine implicit meanings.

Scoring Example: If you answer 30 questions correctly, your raw score will be 30, which is then converted to a scaled score between 1 and 36.

Science

The Science section is a 35-minute test with 40 questions. It includes several passages, each followed by five to seven questions. The passages have three different formats: Data Representation, Research Summary, and Conflicting Viewpoints. The science section evaluates the skills required to grasp, examine, weigh, reason, and address issues in the natural sciences. You'll be required to interpret graphs, figures, tables, and charts.

Scoring Example: If you answer 32 questions correctly, your raw score will be 32, which is then converted to a scaled score between 1 and 36.

Writing

The optional Writing section is 40 minutes long. The essay must be in response to a given prompt; the prompts are about broad social issues, and students must analyze three different perspectives given and show how their opinion relates to these perspectives. Two trained readers assign each essay subscores between 1 and 6 in four different categories: Ideas and Analysis, Development and Support, Organization, Language Use and Conventions. Scores of 0 are reserved for essays that are blank, off-topic, non-English, not written with a no. 2 pencil, or considered illegible after several attempts at reading. The subscores from the two different readers are summed to produce final domain scores from 2 to 12 (or 0) in each of the four categories. If the two readers' subscores differ by more than one point, then a senior third reader makes the final decision on the score. The four domain scores are combined through a process that has not been described to create a writing section score between 1 and 36.

Read also: SAT Requirements for LSU

Scoring Example: Your essay will be evaluated by two graders, who score your essay from 1-6 on each of four domains, leading to scores out of 12 for each domain.

Understanding Your ACT Score Report

The ACT Assessment Student Report provides the typical ACT Composite averages for college and universities admission policies. The ACT score reports, most recently modified in September 2016, contain many valuable insights into your performance. Here’s a breakdown:

Composite Score: The average of your scaled scores from the four sections (English, Math, Reading, and Science), ranging from 1 to 36.
Section Scores: Your scaled scores for each of the four sections, ranging from 1 to 36.
Subscores: Subscores for each section, providing more detailed information on your performance in specific skill and content areas.
Percentiles: National and state rankings that show how your scores compare to those of other test-takers.
College Readiness Benchmarks: Scores on the ACT subject-area tests that represent the level of achievement required for students to have a 50% chance of obtaining a B or higher or about a 75% chance of obtaining a C or higher in corresponding credit-bearing first-year college courses.
STEM Benchmark: The STEM Benchmark, at 26, is the highest of all ACT Readiness Benchmarks. This is indicative of the difficulty of the first math and science courses taken by students enrolled as STEM majors as compared to those taken by most other college students.
ELA (English Language Arts) Score: Refers to your performance on the English and Reading Sections combined. It is also scored out of a possible 36, and its college readiness benchmark is 20.
ACT Writing Score: Unlike the other section, the ACT Writing Score is given on a scale of 2-12 points. Two graders read your essay and give it a grade of 1-6, with 6 being the highest score. The two scores are then added together to give the cumulative ACT Writing Score.
Reporting Categories: Each reporting category includes the total number of questions in that category, the total number of questions in that category you answered correctly, and the percentage of questions correct.

Accessing Your Scores

The exact timeframe for returning score reports varies. Generally, scores will become available sometime between ten days and six weeks after the test. If you took the exam with Writing, your ACT Writing Score is usually available about two weeks after the rest of your scores. You can access your Student Report through your online ACT web account. This is the same account that you can use to register for tests online and to access the practice ACT Question of the Day. Your High School Report will be delivered to your high school about two to eight weeks after the test date.

Interpreting Your ACT Score

Understanding what your ACT score means in the context of college admissions is essential. Here are some guidelines:

Average ACT Score: The average ACT score is around 20.
Good ACT Score: A score of 24 or higher is generally considered a good ACT score, as it places you above the national average.
Excellent ACT Score: A score of 30 or higher is considered an excellent ACT score, putting you in the top 10% of test-takers.
Target Schools: For a good ACT score goal, you should look up the middle 50% ACT score range for schools you hope to attend. If it’s a dream school, aim to fall anywhere in the range. For target schools, shoot for the upper bound of the range. For safety schools, try to earn a score beyond the middle 50% score range.

College-Specific Considerations

Every school has a different approach to weighting standardized test scores. As a general rule, though, it’s good to fall somewhere in the middle 50% of last year’s accepted students’ score range. The middle 50% is a range almost every college posts somewhere on their admissions page. They plot the scores of all accepted students who took the ACT results for a given class year. If they published all scores, the range would include all kinds of exceptional candidates and not be very useful.

What's a Good ACT Score for College?

The standard for what is considered a "good" ACT score will differ based on the selectivity and academic rigor of the colleges you have in mind. Different colleges have varying average ACT score ranges. While some universities may look for students with scores in the 30s, others may consider scores in the mid-20s as competitive. To get a clear understanding of what score you should aim for, research the average ACT scores of the schools you're interested in.

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National Ranks

Your national ranks tell you how your scores compare to those earned by recent high school graduates who took the ACT. Colleges consider a range of ACT scores when making admissions decisions, giving students some flexibility. Commonly, students with scores in the range of 20-23 are still considered competitive at many mid-tier colleges. For more selective schools, a score in the 24-28 range will increase your chances of admission. However, for highly selective institutions, aiming for an ACT score above 30 can significantly enhance your application.

Test-Optional Policies

Many schools have adopted a test-optional policy, meaning they no longer require standardized test scores, such as the ACT or SAT. In these cases, academic performance, extracurriculars, essays, and recommendations become even more critical in admissions decisions.

Strategies to Improve Your ACT Score

Now that you know how the ACT is scored, how can you use that info to get the biggest advantage on the test? Here are some strategies:

Focus on Your Strengths: Since the ACT is averaged, not totaled, and there are four sections, you can "hide" a weak section more easily than on the SAT, which has three sections and totals your score. Since the composite is averaged, you should work to maximize your subject area scores that you are strong in as well as working to minimize weaknesses.
Targeted Studying: For example, say you have always excelled in English and history classes but struggle with math. You might think you should spend all of your ACT studying time drilling math problems.
Guessing Strategy: Since there is no guessing penalty on the ACT, the best way to maximize your score is to eliminate wrong answer choices and guess. We aren't saying to rush through each section in order to attempt every single question - unless you're shooting for a top score you don't need to worry about getting every question right. Furthermore, when you have one minute remaining, go ahead and answer every question you have left. Even if you don't have to time to actually look at the question, you aren't losing anything by guessing.
Prioritize Sections: If you take either optional ACT section, you'll receive a composite plus those scores. However, this doesn’t mean the Writing and Science should become the biggest priorities on your study plan. For most colleges, your essay score especially is the least important part of your ACT score. This means that a low essay score may not have much of a negative impact on your applications if your composite ACT score is high.
Practice Tests: Opt for ACT practice tests to build a strong foundation and confidence for exam day. To track your performance, you can even take the PreACT test, which is the official practice version of the ACT. The PreACT scores will help you understand which areas you need to improve.
Utilize Test Prep Resources: Trusted providers such as PrepScholar, Achievable and Prep Expert.
Simulate Test Day: Take full-length practice tests under timed conditions.
Analyze Your Mistakes: Review incorrect answers to identify patterns.

Recent Changes to the ACT

The ACT has undergone several changes in recent years, including:

Optional Writing Test: In February 2005, an optional Writing Test was added to the ACT.
September 2015: The optional writing section, which is always administered at the end of the test, is 40 minutes (increasing from the original 30-minute time limit on the September 2015 test).
April 2025: As of April 2025 for online tests, and September 2025 for paper-and-pencil tests, each math question has four answer choices instead of five.
2025 Updates: The newest version of the ACT is shorter with fewer questions and optional sections. More time per question, so you can slow down and think clearly. Science and writing are now optional, allowing for more flexibility. Both paper and online formats are still available. Superscoring is still supported, and the 1 to 36 score range remains the same.

ACT vs. SAT

Both the ACT and SAT are widely accepted by colleges, so you won’t be at a disadvantage choosing one over the other. The key is picking the test that plays to your academic strengths:

Choose the ACT if you’re strong in math and science, work well under time pressure, and prefer straightforward questions. It includes a dedicated science section and gives you less time per question, so quick pacing is important.
Choose the SAT if you’re stronger in reading comprehension, grammar, and data analysis. The SAT gives you more time per question and leans heavily on evidence-based reading and writing.

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