ACT Score Calculator
2025 composite = avg of English + Math + Reading. Science is optional (STEM only).
Scaled score 1–36 from your score report or practice test.
Scaled score 1–36 from your score report or practice test.
Scaled score 1–36 from your score report or practice test.
In 2025 format, Science does not count toward composite — only STEM score.
Essay score 2–12. Not included in composite. Used for reference only.
Enter Your Section Scores
Enter your English, Math, and Reading scores (scaled 1–36 or raw correct answers) to calculate your ACT composite, percentile rank, SAT equivalent, and college tier benchmarks.
How to Use This Calculator
Select ACT Format and Input Mode
Choose whether you are calculating under the 2025 ACT format (composite = English + Math + Reading average) or the pre-2025 format (all 4 sections). Then select whether to enter scaled scores (1–36, from your official score report) or raw scores (number of correct answers from a practice test).
Enter Your Section Scores
Enter your English, Math, and Reading scores. Science is optional in the 2025 format — it contributes to the STEM score but not the composite. In the pre-2025 format, all four sections contribute to the composite. You may also enter your optional Writing score (2–12) for reference.
Review Your Composite and Percentile
The calculator instantly shows your composite score (1–36) with a visual progress ring, your national percentile rank from official ACT 2025–2026 data, your equivalent SAT score from the ACT-SAT concordance tables, and your STEM and ELA sub-scores.
Use the Benchmarks and Tier Analysis
Review the College Readiness Benchmarks to see which sections you have met (English 18, Math 22, Reading 22, Science 23). Then check your College Tier placement to understand which tier of schools your composite is competitive for. Use the improvement insight to decide which section to prioritize for your next practice session.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is the ACT composite score calculated in 2025?
Starting with tests administered in Spring 2025, the ACT composite score is calculated as the arithmetic average of three section scores — English, Math, and Reading — rounded to the nearest whole number (0.5 rounds up). Science is still part of the test but no longer contributes to the composite; instead, it is used in the STEM score (average of Math and Science). This change was part of a broader redesign that also reduced total question counts. The composite still ranges from 1 to 36. If you are scoring a pre-2025 practice test or official test, the composite is the average of all four sections (English, Math, Reading, and Science).
What is a good ACT score?
The national average ACT composite score is approximately 19.5. A score of 21 or above places you in the top third of all test-takers (above the 68th percentile). For competitive college admissions, context matters: a score of 24–27 is competitive at most state universities, 28–31 is competitive at top-50 institutions, and 32+ is expected at highly selective schools. Ivy League and Top 10 universities typically look for scores of 34 or above, with median admitted student scores often around 34–36. Rather than aiming for a single 'good' score, research the middle 50% of admitted ACT scores at your target schools and aim for the upper end of that range.
What do ACT College Readiness Benchmarks mean?
ACT College Readiness Benchmarks are official cutoff scores published by ACT Inc. that represent a 50% probability of earning a B or higher in a first-year college course in the corresponding subject. The benchmarks are: English 18 (English Composition), Math 22 (College Algebra or Statistics), Reading 22 (Social Sciences or Humanities), and Science 23 (Biology). Meeting these benchmarks means you are considered college-ready in that subject by ACT's research. Missing a benchmark does not automatically mean you will struggle — it is a statistical threshold, not a guarantee — but it can signal which areas need more preparation or support before beginning college-level coursework.
How does ACT superscoring work?
Superscoring is a policy used by many colleges in which the admissions office takes your highest section score from each ACT sitting and combines them into a new composite, regardless of the test date. For example, if you scored English 28, Math 24, Reading 22 on one sitting and English 25, Math 27, Reading 26 on another, a superscored composite would use English 28, Math 27, and Reading 26, yielding a higher composite than either individual sitting. Most four-year colleges and universities that accept the ACT now superscore it. Always check each school's specific policy, as a small number of schools require a single-sitting composite. Superscoring rewards students who retest with a targeted focus on specific sections.
How does the ACT to SAT conversion work?
The ACT-to-SAT concordance table was developed through a research study comparing how students perform on both tests. The concordance values used in this calculator come from the officially published concordance tables and represent the SAT score that corresponds to the same performance level as a given ACT composite. For example, an ACT 30 corresponds to approximately an SAT 1400. These concordances are approximate — the same student may not always score at the concordance level on both tests, because each test has a different emphasis and format. The concordance is most useful for comparing score requirements across colleges that report their admitted student ranges in only one test's format.
What is the difference between a raw score and a scaled score?
A raw score is simply the number of questions you answered correctly on the test — there is no penalty for wrong answers on the ACT, so your raw score equals the count of correct responses. A scaled score converts your raw score to the 1–36 scale, accounting for the difficulty of the specific test form. Because different administrations have slightly different question difficulties, the raw-to-scaled conversion (called the 'curve' or 'equating') adjusts scores so that a 25 on one test form represents the same performance level as a 25 on another. The raw-to-scaled conversion used in this calculator is a median approximation — actual curves vary per administration, so always use the official answer key and conversion chart included with any specific practice test.