Short answer: each ACT section is scored from 1 to 36. Your Composite score is the average of your English, math and reading scores, rounded to the nearest whole number. ACT does not take points off for wrong answers, so your raw score is the number you got right.
Step 1: raw score to scale score
ACT counts your correct answers in each section. That count is your raw score. ACT then converts it to a scale score from 1 to 36. The conversion keeps scores fair across test forms, because some forms run a little easier or harder than others. So the same raw score can map to a different scale score on another form, and you need the score table for your exact form when you grade a practice test.
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Step 2: calculating your ACT Composite score
Add your English, math and reading scale scores. Divide by 3. Round to the nearest whole number. A fraction below one-half rounds down, and one-half or more rounds up.
| English | Math | Reading | Average | Composite |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 | 25 | 26 | 26.00 | 26 |
| 24 | 24 | 25 | 24.33 | 24 |
| 30 | 29 | 30 | 29.67 | 30 |
In the second row, 24.33 rounds down to 24. In the third, 29.67 rounds up to 30. One extra point in a single section can move your Composite, so it pays to know which section is closest to the next step.
Science no longer counts toward the Composite
Before September 2025, the Composite averaged four sections, including science. ACT dropped science from the Composite starting with national online tests in April 2025, and every ACT used the new three-section formula from September 2025. Scores from tests taken before September 2025 stay as they were. ACT's research says that, except at very low scores, an old Composite and a new Composite mean about the same thing.
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The other ACT scores on your report
- Science (optional): scored 1 to 36, reported on its own.
- STEM score: the average of your math and science scores, if you took science.
- Writing (optional): scored 2 to 12. It is the rounded average of four domain scores, and it does not change your Composite.
- ELA score: the average of English, reading and writing, if you took writing.
- Superscore: the average of your best English, math and reading scores across all your test dates.
What does your Composite mean?
ACT reports that graduating high school students averaged a 19.4 Composite in 2024. See where your score sits against college ranges in What Is a Good ACT Score? To compare it with the SAT, use our ACT to SAT conversion chart or the SAT to ACT conversion tool.
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Related ACT guides
- ACT Exam Strategy: Resource Hub
- The New ACT Format: Key Changes You Need to Know
- ACT vs SAT: Key Differences and Which Test to Take
- ACT Registration: How to Sign Up, Fees and Deadlines
Sources
- ACT, Understanding Your ACT Scores (accessed October 31, 2026).
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. ACT rounds a fraction below one-half down and a fraction of one-half or more up. For example, scores of 24, 24 and 25 average 24.33, which gives a Composite of 24. Scores of 30, 29 and 30 average 29.67, which rounds up to 30.
Does science count in the ACT Composite score?
No. ACT removed science from the Composite starting with national online tests in April 2025, and all ACT tests used the three-section formula from September 2025. Science is now optional. If you take it, you get a separate science score and a STEM score.
Is there a penalty for wrong answers on the ACT?
No. ACT bases your scores only on the number of questions you answer correctly, and it takes nothing away for a wrong answer. A wrong answer and a blank answer both count as zero. So a guess can only help you. Before time runs out in any section, fill in an answer for every question you have not reached yet.
What is the highest ACT score?
The highest ACT Composite score is 36, and 36 is also the top score for each section: English, math, reading and the optional science section. The optional writing test uses its own 2 to 12 scale and does not change your Composite. For comparison, ACT reports that the national average Composite for 2024 high school graduates was 19.4.
What is an ACT superscore?
An ACT superscore is the average of your highest English, math and reading scores across all of your ACT test dates. For example, you could pair your best English score from one test date with your best math score from another. ACT says many colleges accept superscores, so each retest gives you a chance to raise one section without losing your best marks.