There are two types of scores that fall in this range: your section scores and your composite score. The ACT exam comprises four sections:. The score on each section is calculated by converting the raw score —the number of questions you answered correctly in a given section—to a scaled score in that range. There are no penalties for questions with an incorrect answer. We actually have this handy dandy score calculator where you can plug in your raw scores to figure out your section scores.
You can also check out our ACT Raw Score Conversation Chart for a sense of how many questions you need to answer correctly to get a certain scaled score. To make your composite , or overall, score, the test maker then averages your four scores on all sections.
This is also scored using the ACT scale. So what is a good ACT composite score? Many factors will help you determine what a good ACT composite score is for you. But before we get into that, know that the composite score is not the only score that matters!
The ACT score report will provide you even more information about your test-taking experience in the form of subscores. The Reading , Writing, and Math sections also have categories with their own score ranges, as noted in the table below:.
Or, rather, percentile s. Your ACT percentiles compare your scores to the scores of other test-takers. If you scored in the 50th percentile, you scored better than half of your peers. Seeing as the ACT score range is between 1 and 36, naturally, the highest score that one can receive on the ACT is a Here are some facts to know about the max ACT score:. Getting the highest ACT score, while an amazing feat, is nothing worth breaking your back over.
And a 36 will definitely get your application moved to the top of the pile at less competitive institutions. Still, a 36 was worth a lot more ten or fifteen years ago.
My advice? This advice is particularly relevant to admissions at Ivy Leagues and other competitive schools; some of these schools have a whopping quarter of their entering class scoring perfectly on the ACT or SAT. The ACT, like its cousin the SAT, is a standardized test meant to measure both knowledge gained in high school and potential to succeed in a college setting. The higher the score, the more likely you will get into the colleges of your choice. A passing score on the ACT for someone else might not be a passing score for you and vice versa.
Furthermore, while most schools care about the composite score, some will look specifically for your subject area scores. Objectively speaking, a score of 32 or higher would put you in a competitive position for any school that you choose apply to. But unless you want to go to super-elite schools, you might find it more useful to focus on your GPA and extracurriculars than aiming for the max score.
Please note that the numbers on the ACT scoring chart are loose projections— a lot of factors affect how high of a score you need to achieve. ACT students with lower scores may still get into their dream schools and students with top scores may not you can skip to the section on ACT scores for the top U.
Unless you pulled a perfect 36, you can always improve. Your ACT score could even help you qualify for college merit scholarships. Even if your dream school is test optional, you may want to consider taking the test for that reason. Not sure what your target ACT score should be?
Our college counselors can help you with testing plans and matching your scores to schools. Want to talk about your ACT scores in more detail and figure out what comes next? We can help. Our ACT experts will go over your personal score report and help you determine what the next step should be.
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Teach or Tutor for Us. College Readiness. All Rights Reserved. Scoring for the English, Reading, Math, and Science sections is pegged on multiple-choice questions. The test-taker will earn a point for every correct answer they get, and there is no penalty for a wrong answer or omitted questions. ACT raw score for every section is determined through the number of questions the student will correctly answer in the section.
For instance, in the English section, where there are 60 questions, the raw score is Your raw score will then be translated to a scaled score ranging between 1 and The highest possible scaled score is 36, and the test-taker will receive a scaled score for every section. For those students taking the writing section, two readers will grade your essay based on four domains of development and support, ideas and analysis, language uses and conventions, and organization.
The readers will give the essay scores between 1 and 6 in the four domains, and 6 is the highest score. You may be wondering whether the ACT is graded on a curve. Interestingly, in contrast to common belief, the ACT is not curved, and as a result, the performance of other test-takers will not impact your ACT score.
Most importantly, even if the test takers at a particular time get low scores, there will be no redistribution or raising of the score to get a balanced ACT bell curve. Not all colleges require standardized test scores for admission. All test-takers should spend some time figuring out what score to aim for.
What's a good ACT score? More importantly, what score will you need to get into your dream college? A good ACT score ranks you higher than the majority of test-takers.
As such, any composite score above the 50th percentile, or , can be considered a solid score. That said, a 20 won't cut it at many competitive colleges. Each subject is scored on a scale of Your total ACT score is the average of your four section scores.
To get a good ACT score, then, you'll need to aim for around 24 on each section. Students can use percentiles to get a sense of how their ACT scores compare with those of other test-takers.
The following table presents a common range of good ACT scores based on percentiles. Note that percentiles may change slightly each year. Source: ACT Inc. Colleges and universities have different score expectations, making the notion of a good ACT score relative. Ultimately, whether a score can be considered good depends on what your schools are looking for and how competitive their applicant pools are.
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