How the ACT composite is calculated
The ACT composite is the average of three scale scores, English, Mathematics and Reading, rounded to a whole number. ACT’s instructions: add the three scores, divide by 3, round down any fraction under one-half and round up any fraction of one-half or more.[1] Science is now optional. ACT began dropping it from the composite for online national testing in April 2025, and since September 2025 every ACT uses the new calculation.[2]
Worked example
English 27 + Math 25 + Reading 30 = 82. 82 ÷ 3 = 27.33, which rounds down to a composite of 27. With English 27, Math 26 and Reading 30 the average is 27.67, which rounds up to 28.
If you take Science, you also get a STEM score, the average of Math and Science, and with the optional Writing test an ELA score, the average of English, Reading and Writing.[2]
Enhanced ACT structure and scoring
The enhanced ACT is shorter than the old test, and each multiple-choice section includes unlabeled field-test questions that are not scored.[1] Your section score depends only on the number of scored questions you answer correctly; there is no penalty for guessing.
| Section | Questions (scored) | Minutes | In composite? |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | 50 (40) | 35 | Yes |
| Mathematics | 45 (41) | 50 | Yes |
| Reading | 36 (27) | 40 | Yes |
| Science (optional) | 40 (34) | 40 | No (STEM score) |
| Writing (optional) | 1 essay | 40 | No (2–12 score) |
ACT score calculator with raw scores
Choose “Correct answers from a practice test” and enter how many scored questions you got right in each section. The calculator converts them with the tables from the practice test in Preparing for the ACT Test 2026|2027.[1] The table below shows how many correct answers that form needed for some common scale scores.
| Scale score | English (of 40) | Math (of 41) | Reading (of 27) | Science (of 34) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36 | 40 | 40 | 27 | 34 |
| 33 | 37 | 36 | 25 | 31 |
| 30 | 36 | 33 | 23 | 28 |
| 27 | 33 | 28 | 22 | 25 |
| 24 | 30 | 25 | 19 | 21 |
| 21 | 26 | 22 | 16 | 17 |
| 18 | 22 | 18 | 14 | 13 |
Every test form is equated separately, so the same raw score can convert to a slightly different scale score on another form. Treat the result as an estimate.
ACT test dates 2026–27
The next national ACT is on December 12, 2026 (register by November 9), followed by February 27, April 10, June 12 and July 10, 2027.[6] Registration, late deadlines and score-release dates are on the ACT test dates 2026–2027 page.
What is a good ACT score?
ACT’s national ranks show the percentage of recent graduates who scored at or below each composite. The average composite for 2024–2026 graduates in the rank table is 19.1.[3]
| Composite | At or below |
|---|---|
| 36 | 100% |
| 34 | 99% |
| 32 | 97% |
| 30 | 94% |
| 28 | 91% |
| 26 | 86% |
| 24 | 80% |
| 22 | 72% |
| 20 | 63% |
| 18 | 52% |
| 16 | 41% |
ACT vs SATThe calculator shows the SAT score that the official 2018 concordance pairs with your composite.[4] ACT notes that the tables “are not updated annually”,[5] and they were built before Science left the composite. See the ACT to SAT conversion for the full table, or estimate an SAT score with the SAT score calculator.
Planning a semester around test dates? The GPA calculator covers the other half of most applications.
Frequently asked questions
How is the ACT composite score calculated?
Add your English, Math and Reading scale scores, divide by 3 and round to the nearest whole number (halves round up). Science does not count.
Does ACT science count toward the composite?
No. Since September 2025 the composite uses only English, Math and Reading. Science is optional and reported with a separate STEM score.
What is a good ACT score?
Anything above the average of 19.1 is above the middle. A 24 is at the 80th percentile, a 28 at the 91st and a 30 at the 94th.
Is there a penalty for guessing on the ACT?
No. Scores are based only on the number of questions answered correctly.