Enhanced ACT: Science is reported separately and does not change the three-section composite. Raw-to-scale scores here are approximate.
How the ACT is scored
ACT converts the number of correct answers on scored questions into a 1 to 36 section score using the test form's conversion table. The current composite uses English, Math, and Reading. Science does not affect it. According to ACT's scoring guide, the mean is rounded to the nearest whole number, with .5 rounded up.
current composite = round((English + Math + Reading) / 3) historical four-section composite = round((English + Math + Reading + Science) / 4) use section scale scores from 1 to 36; .5 rounds up
Enhanced ACT vs classic ACT
The three-section composite began with national online testing in April 2025 and applied to all ACT administrations from September 2025. The classic option on this page is for reproducing the older four-section calculation, not current scoring. ACT's enhancement FAQs explain the transition and the separate Science and STEM scores.
| Section | Enhanced question count | Classic question count | In composite |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | 50 questions | 75 questions | Always |
| Math | 45 questions | 60 questions | Always |
| Reading | 36 questions | 40 questions | Always |
| Science | 40 questions, if taken | 40 questions | Excluded (current); included (historical) |
For enhanced-format estimates, this calculator scales the count proportionally onto a representative classic table (50 of 50 in English maps to 75 of 75) before lookup. It does not model question difficulty or identify unscored field-test items. The full question counts above therefore do not equal the number of scored questions. Use the scoring guide supplied with your practice test for a form-specific result.
Worked example: the form defaults
With the enhanced-format defaults, proportional lookup estimates English at 25, Math at 26, and Reading at 27. Their average is (25 + 26 + 27) / 3 = 26, so the estimated composite is 26. The estimated Science score of 26 is separate. Changing or omitting Science leaves this composite unchanged.
Composite rounding
For the current three-section composite, scores of 28, 28, and 26 sum to 82: 82 / 3 = 27.33, which rounds to 27. Raising the 26 to 27 gives 83 / 3 = 27.67, which rounds to 28. A Science improvement does not change either result. Historical four-section scores can land exactly on .5; for example, 110 / 4 = 27.5 rounds to 28.
ACT raw score to scale score conversion (classic form)
Representative classic table used by this estimator; actual conversions vary by form. A dash means no raw score maps to that scale score in this table. Enhanced-format counts are scaled in proportion before lookup.
| Scale score | English (of 75) | Math (of 60) | Reading (of 40) | Science (of 40) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36 | 75 | 59 to 60 | 40 | 40 |
| 35 | 73 to 74 | 57 to 58 | 39 | 39 |
| 34 | 71 to 72 | 55 to 56 | 38 | 38 |
| 33 | 70 | 54 | 37 | 37 |
| 32 | 69 | 53 | 35 to 36 | - |
| 31 | 68 | 51 to 52 | 34 | 36 |
| 30 | 67 | 49 to 50 | 33 | 35 |
| 29 | 66 | 47 to 48 | 32 | 34 |
| 28 | 65 | 45 to 46 | 31 | 33 |
| 27 | 63 to 64 | 42 to 44 | 30 | 32 |
| 26 | 61 to 62 | 39 to 41 | 29 | 30 to 31 |
| 25 | 59 to 60 | 37 to 38 | 28 | 29 |
| 24 | 56 to 58 | 35 to 36 | 27 | 27 to 28 |
| 23 | 54 to 55 | 33 to 34 | 25 to 26 | 25 to 26 |
| 22 | 51 to 53 | 31 to 32 | 24 | 24 |
| 21 | 48 to 50 | 30 | 22 to 23 | 22 to 23 |
| 20 | 45 to 47 | 28 to 29 | 21 | 20 to 21 |
| 19 | 43 to 44 | 26 to 27 | 19 to 20 | 18 to 19 |
| 18 | 41 to 42 | 24 to 25 | 18 | 16 to 17 |
| 17 | 39 to 40 | 21 to 23 | 16 to 17 | 15 |
| 16 | 36 to 38 | 17 to 20 | 15 | 13 to 14 |
| 15 | 32 to 35 | 14 to 16 | 14 | 12 |
| 14 | 29 to 31 | 11 to 13 | 12 to 13 | 11 |
| 13 | 27 to 28 | 9 to 10 | 11 | 10 |
| 12 | 25 to 26 | 7 to 8 | 9 to 10 | 9 |
| 11 | 23 to 24 | 6 | 8 | 8 |
| 10 | 20 to 22 | 5 | 7 | 7 |
| 9 | 18 to 19 | 4 | 6 | 6 |
| 8 | 15 to 17 | 3 | 5 | 5 |
| 7 | 13 to 14 | - | - | 4 |
| 6 | 11 to 12 | 2 | 4 | 3 |
| 5 | 8 to 10 | - | 3 | - |
| 4 | 6 to 7 | 1 | - | 2 |
| 3 | 5 | - | 2 | - |
| 2 | 3 to 4 | - | - | 1 |
| 1 | 0 to 2 | 0 | 0 to 1 | 0 |
Superscoring and section scores
A current superscore averages your highest official English, Math, and Reading scale scores across test dates, rounded to a whole number. Those best scores can come from either legacy or enhanced tests. Science is excluded from the superscore composite. This is different from combining raw answers: the inputs above are approximate raw-score conversions, not fields for official scale scores. Use ACT's superscore guide and calculator with your score reports.
Scoring rules checked against ACT on September 27, 2026. Section conversions here remain estimates; they do not generate an official ACT score. Also see the SAT score calculator and the AP score calculator.