How Does ACT Grading Work?

Hello everyone, I was wondering if anyone could explain the ACT grading chart to me? Points per question, how the composite score is calculated, all that jazz. Can't seem to wrap my head around it.

Sure, I would be happy to explain this!

The ACT comprises four sections - English, Mathematics, Reading, and Science, each of which is scored on a scale of 1 to 36. Your composite ACT score is simply an average of your scores on these four sections. For example, if you scored 28 English, 30 Math, 32 Reading, and 26 Science, your composite score would be the average, which is (28+30+32+26)/4 = 29.

Each section's score is computed based on how many questions you answered correctly in that section, without any penalty for wrong answers. So, just to clarify, the 'points per question' concept doesn't quite apply to the ACT. Instead, the ACT uses equating to adjust your raw score (the amount of questions you answered correctly) to a scaled score that ranges from 1 to 36. The exact conversion of raw to scale scores can vary between different test administrations.

Equating is crucial because it ensures the consistency of scores across different test dates. As a result, a 30 on an ACT in April means the same as a 30 on an ACT in June, despite the slight differences in difficulty between tests.

As an example: in Math, you're typically required to get around 50-51 correct out of 60 to secure a score of 30. In English, you'd need a raw score of approximately 70-71 out of 75 for a similar score.

Moreover, there's an optional writing section, often called the ACT essay. It doesn't affect your composite ACT score — that remains solely dependent on your four core section scores. If you choose to take the essay, you will receive a score ranging from 2-12, but this score isn't integrated into your core.

Hope that helps clarify ACT grading! If there's anything else you're curious about, feel free to ask.