Understanding ACT Score Total

Hey guys, just trying to wrap my head around this whole college testing thing. Can someone break down how the total scoring for ACT works? Are all sections scored equally, or do some carry more weight?

Sure, happy to help clarify how ACT scoring works. Each of the four main sections—English, Math, Reading, and Science - of the ACT is scored on a scale of 1 to 36, and these scores are averaged to give you a composite score, which is also on a scale of 1 to 36.

Let me walk you through an example:

Let's say you received these scores on the different sections:

English: 30

Math: 31

Reading: 33

Science: 29

You would add these up, getting a total of 123. You then divide that total by the number of sections (which is 4), yielding a composite score of 30.75. This average is then usually rounded to the nearest whole number; in this example, it would round up to 31.

Please also note that no single section carries more weight than another. They all have an equal influence on your composite score.

There's also an optional Writing section, but the score you receive on that doesn't affect your composite score. The Writing score is reported separately, on a scale of 2-12.

I hope this helps!