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ACT Point Scale Explanation

Hey everyone! I'm trying to understand the ACT point scale system. Can someone explain how the composite score is calculated, and is there a different scaling system per section? Any insights would be much appreciated!

9 months ago

Hello! The ACT scoring system consists of four individual sections: English, Math, Reading, and Science. Each section is scored on a scale of 1-36, and the composite score is the average of all four section scores rounded to the nearest whole number. I'll provide a brief explanation for each section.

1. English: This section contains 75 questions, and the raw score is calculated as the number of correct answers out of 75. The raw score is then converted to a scaled score ranging from 1 to 36 based on the specific ACT test's scaling chart.

2. Math: This section has 60 questions, and the raw score is determined by the number of correct answers out of 60. Like the English section, your raw score is converted to a scaled score ranging from 1 to 36 based on the scaling chart for that specific ACT test.

3. Reading: This section consists of 40 questions, with the raw score being the number of correct answers out of 40. The raw score is then converted to a scaled score of 1 to 36 based on the test's scaling chart.

4. Science: Similar to the Reading section, the Science section has 40 questions. Your raw score is the number of correct answers out of 40, which is then converted to a scaled score ranging from 1 to 36 based on the test's scaling chart.

To calculate your composite score, simply add the scaled scores of all four sections together and divide the sum by 4. Round the result to the nearest whole number to get your composite score, which will also range from 1 to 36.

It's important to note that the conversion from raw scores to scaled scores varies for each test administration, as the ACT uses a process called equating to ensure that scores are consistent across different test dates. This accounts for slight differences in difficulty levels between tests and adjusts the scaling accordingly.

I hope this helps clarify the ACT point scale system! Good luck with your testing!

9 months ago

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