PreACT scores percentiles: how do they work?

So I just got my PreACT results back and I see percentile rankings next to my scores. Can anyone help me understand what these percentiles mean? Is being in a higher percentile better? Any advice would be appreciated!

Of course! Percentiles on the PreACT help you understand how your scores compare to other students who took the test. Essentially, a percentile ranking tells you the percentage of students who scored lower than you. So, if your percentile ranking is 75, it means that you scored better than 75% of students who took the test, while 25% scored higher than you.

Being in a higher percentile is indeed better as it indicates that you outperformed a larger percentage of students. For example, a student with a percentile ranking of 90 would be considered to have performed better than a student with a ranking of 70, as they scored better than 90% of test-takers, compared to 70% for the other student.

Keep in mind that the PreACT is designed to provide practice and exposure to the ACT format, so the primary goal is to help you identify your strengths and weaknesses and guide your preparation for the actual ACT. Use your scores and percentiles to focus on specific areas where you might need to improve or want to excel further. This early insight can be a great asset while preparing for the ACT later on.

Remember to also consider your target colleges' ACT score ranges while preparing. The higher your percentile ranking on the PreACT and, ultimately, the ACT, the more competitive your application becomes. Best of luck in your preparation, and keep working towards your goals!