Hey guys, I'm planning to take the ACT soon but I'm struggling with understanding how the score works. Can somebody explain how it's scored? Maybe share how to interpret the scores once they're out? I want to know what I should aim for.
Absolutely, I'd be glad to explain ACT scoring!
The ACT has four sections: English, Math, Reading, and Science. Each section is scored on a scale of 1 to 36.
First, let's talk about raw scores. Your raw score is simply the total number of questions you answered correctly in a section. There's no penalty for incorrect answers, so it's worth guessing if you're not sure.
Raw scores then get converted to scale scores, using the ACT's scale for that specific test date. The scale isn't exactly the same for every test, but it's generally quite similar. Each scale score reflects a range of raw scores. So for example, a raw score of 50-54 could convert to a scale score of 30 on the ACT Reading section.
The composite score is simply the average of your four section scores, rounded to the nearest whole number. So if your section scores were English: 31, Math: 32, Reading: 33, and Science: 30, your composite score would be 32 [(31+32+33+30) ÷ 4 = 31.5, rounded up to 32].
What should you aim for? That depends on where you want to go to college. For highly selective colleges, you'd typically want a composite score of at least 30, and often closer to 33 or 34. For non-selective schools, a score around 20 is generally enough. You should check out the middle 50% ACT scores at the colleges you're interested in to get a better idea of what score you'll need.
There is also an optional writing section which is scored separately on a scale of 2 to 12. It does not affect your composite score.
I hope this information helps and all the best for your ACT preparations!
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