I'm preparing for ACT, particularly the science section but the score chart has me a bit confused. Could anyone help me understand how the Science ACT scores are charted? Thanks in advance!
Sure, I'd be happy to explain how the Science score on the ACT is calculated!
The ACT Science section consists of 40 questions. This section is scored on a 1-36 scale, like all the other sections of the ACT. Each right answer counts as one raw point. So, if you answered 30 questions correctly in the Science section, your raw score would be 30.
But you won't see this raw score on your score report. Instead, raw scores are translated into scaled scores, also ranging from 1-36, using a process called equating. This process ensures that these scores are consistent across different test dates, regardless of any variations in difficulty. For example, a raw score of 30 might convert to a 26 on the scaled score for one test date and a 27 for another test date, if the second test was slightly more difficult. This allows colleges to fairly compare scores from different dates.
The Science score is then averaged with your Math, Reading, and English scores (each section carries equal weight) to determine your composite ACT score, which is then rounded to the nearest whole number. This composite score is often what colleges consider most heavily.
Keep in mind that answering more questions correctly will always correlate with a higher score, so continue to focus on answering accurately. Familiarize yourself with the types of questions in this section and practice to improve your speed and accuracy. Best of luck on your test!
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