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ACT Score Calculator
Enter the number of questions you got right in each section to see your scale scores, your Composite and the SAT score it matches. Free, and nothing you enter leaves your browser.
How to use this ACT score calculator
- Score your practice test with its answer key. Count only the scored questions. Official keys mark the unscored field-test questions.
- Enter the number of correct answers for English, Math and Reading. Add Science if you took it.
- Read your scale score for each section, your Composite, and the SAT score it matches.
The calculator uses the official conversion tables from ACT's Preparing for the ACT 2025–2026 practice test, built for the enhanced ACT.
How the ACT is scored
Each section turns your raw score, the number of scored questions you answered correctly, into a scale score from 1 to 36. Your Composite is the average of your English, Math and Reading scale scores, rounded to the nearest whole number.
ACT Composite = (English + Math + Reading scale scores) ÷ 3, rounded
Science is optional on the enhanced ACT. It is reported as its own score and does not count toward your Composite. Wrong answers cost nothing, so answer every question.
| Section | Questions | Scored questions |
|---|---|---|
| English | 50 | 40 |
| Math | 45 | 41 |
| Reading | 36 | 27 |
| Science (optional) | 40 | 34 |
The extra questions are field-test items that ACT tries out for future tests. They are not labeled on test day, so give every question your best effort.
Your score shows colleges you are ready for hard coursework. An original research project shows them what you do with that readiness. You work one-on-one with a PhD mentor from a top-20 university, on a question you choose. See how the program works.
ACT raw score conversion chart
Correct answers needed to reach at least each scale score, from the official 2025–2026 practice test:
| Scale score | English | Math | Reading | Science |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36 | 40 | 40 | 27 | 34 |
| 34 | 38 | 37 | 25 | 32 |
| 32 | 37 | 35 | 24 | 30 |
| 30 | 36 | 33 | 23 | 28 |
| 28 | 34 | 30 | 22 | 26 |
| 26 | 32 | 27 | 21 | 24 |
| 24 | 30 | 25 | 19 | 21 |
| 22 | 27 | 23 | 17 | 18 |
| 20 | 24 | 21 | 15 | 16 |
| 18 | 22 | 18 | 14 | 13 |
Every ACT form has its own table, because some forms are slightly harder than others. In ACT's words, "a raw score of 35 on one form of the mathematics test section, for example, may be about as difficult to earn as a raw score of 37 on another form." Treat your result as a close estimate of your real score.
What is an ACT superscore?
If you take the ACT more than once, ACT calculates and reports a superscore. It combines your best section scores from all your test dates, so colleges can use your best work from every sitting. Not every college superscores, so check each college's testing policy.
Not sure which test to focus on, or how scores fit your college plans? Tell us your goals and we will help you plan the next step. Contact us.
ACT to SAT conversion
ACT and College Board published an official concordance in 2018 that matches ACT Composite scores to SAT total scores.
| ACT Composite | SAT total | SAT range |
|---|---|---|
| 36 | 1590 | 1570–1600 |
| 34 | 1500 | 1490–1520 |
| 32 | 1430 | 1420–1440 |
| 30 | 1370 | 1360–1380 |
| 28 | 1310 | 1300–1320 |
| 26 | 1240 | 1230–1250 |
| 24 | 1180 | 1160–1190 |
| 22 | 1110 | 1100–1120 |
| 20 | 1040 | 1030–1050 |
Took the SAT too? Check your total, percentile and superscore with the SAT score calculator. Colleges read your scores next to your grades, so check those with the high school GPA calculator.
Top scores are common among applicants to selective colleges. A research paper you wrote yourself is not. learnSTEM students choose their topic, meet weekly with a PhD mentor, and finish with a paper they can share with colleges. See how the program works.
Frequently asked questions
How is the ACT Composite score calculated?
Add your English, Math and Reading scale scores, divide by 3, and round to the nearest whole number. Science is optional and does not count toward the Composite.
Is Science part of the ACT Composite?
No. On the enhanced ACT, Science is an optional section with its own 1 to 36 score. Some colleges require or accept a Science score, so check before you decide.
How many questions can you miss and still get a 36?
On the official 2025–2026 practice test, you can miss one scored Math question and still earn a 36 in Math. English, Reading and Science need every scored question right for a 36. A 36 Composite needs an average of at least 35.5, so a 36, 36 and 35 still rounds to 36.
What is a raw score on the ACT?
Your raw score is the number of scored questions you answered correctly in a section. There is no penalty for wrong answers. Each test form converts raw scores to scale scores with its own table.
Why is my practice score different from my real ACT score?
Each test form has its own conversion table, so the same number of correct answers can give a slightly different scale score. Your test-day focus and timing also make a difference.
What SAT score is equal to a 30 ACT?
A 30 ACT Composite matches a 1370 SAT, within a range of 1360 to 1380, according to the official 2018 ACT/SAT concordance tables.
Your scores show what you know. Your research shows how you think. Start an original research project with a PhD mentor, on your own schedule. Apply now.
Admission deadlines
Early Admission – November 15, 2026
Regular Admission – December 13, 2026
Late Admission – January 31, 2027
The Program runs four times per year: Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter.
