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ACT Score Calculator (Enhanced ACT, 2026)

Updated By the ProAcademy Tools editorial team4 min read

Turn the number of questions you got right into ACT scale scores, work out your composite the way ACT does, superscore several test dates, or find the section score you need for a target composite.

Quick answer

On the enhanced ACT, your composite score is the average of English, Math and Reading (each 1–36), rounded to the nearest whole number — Science is optional and no longer counts toward the composite. For example, 27 + 28 + 28 = 83, and 83 ÷ 3 = 27.67, which rounds to a 28. A superscore uses your best English, Math and Reading scores from different test dates.

How to use the ACT score calculator

  1. Raw score tab: after a practice test, enter how many scored questions you got right in English (of 40), Math (of 41) and Reading (of 27). Add Science (of 34) if you took it to see your STEM score.
  2. Section scores tab: already have your 1–36 scores? Enter them to get the composite, then add a target composite to see exactly how many points you need in one section.
  3. Superscore tab: enter English, Math and Reading for two or three test dates to see your superscore next to your best single sitting.

How the enhanced ACT is scored

ACT shortened the test and made Science optional — from April 2025 for online testing and September 2025 for paper testing. Here is how the sections now work:

Section Questions Time Scored questions* In the composite?
English 50 35 min 40 Yes
Math 45 50 min 41 Yes
Reading 36 40 min 27 Yes
Science (optional) 40 40 min 34 No — counts toward STEM
Writing (optional) 1 essay 40 min — No — counts toward ELA

Each section includes unscored field-test questions. The scored counts above come from ACT’s official enhanced-ACT practice test 2 scoring key; you cannot tell which questions are unscored on test day, so answer every one. There is no penalty for wrong answers*.

Composite = (English + Math + Reading) ÷ 3, rounded to the nearest whole number (halves round up). STEM = the average of Math and Science. ELA = the average of English, Reading and Writing.

ACT raw score conversion chart

These conversions come from ACT’s official scoring key for its enhanced-ACT online practice test. Each real test form has its own table, so treat them as a close guide (usually within one point).

Scale score English (of 40) Math (of 41) Reading (of 27) Science (of 34)
36 40 40–41 27 34
34 37 38 25 32
32 36 — 24 31
30 35 35 23 30
28 34 33 22 29
26 32 30 — 26–27
25 31 28–29 20 25
24 30 27 19 23–24
22 27 25 17 20
20 23–24 23 15 17
18 21 20–21 14 14–15
16 19 14–16 12 12

A dash means no raw score converts to exactly that scale score on this form.

ACT superscore: how it works

ACT calculates a superscore automatically if you have taken the test more than once since September 2016. It averages your highest English, Math and Reading scores from any test dates and rounds to the nearest whole number. For example:

English Math Reading Composite
June test 30 25 28 28
September test 27 29 27 28
Superscore 30 29 28 29

Not every college superscores the ACT. Check each college’s testing policy — many publish it on their admissions page or in their Common Data Set.

What is a good ACT score?

Composite How it is usually viewed
33–36 Competitive for the most selective universities
29–32 Strong — qualifies for many merit scholarships
24–28 Above average; solid for most four-year colleges
19–23 Around the national average
Below 19 Below average — a retake with focused practice usually helps

Scholarship programs often use ACT cut-offs. Florida’s Bright Futures Academic Scholars award requires a 29 for the class of 2027, and Georgia’s Zell Miller Scholarship requires a 26 from a single test date.

ACT or SAT?

Both are accepted by US colleges, and neither is preferred. The ACT now has more questions per minute than the digital SAT, while the SAT is adaptive and slightly shorter. Take a full practice test of each and compare your results — estimate your SAT on the SAT score calculator. Your test score sits alongside your grades, so also check your weighted and unweighted GPA.

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. On the enhanced ACT, Science is not part of the composite.

Does ACT Science count anymore?

Science is optional on the enhanced ACT. If you take it, it is reported on its own and combined with Math into a STEM score, but it does not change your composite.

How many questions can I miss for a 30 on the ACT?

On ACT’s official enhanced practice test 2, a 30 in English needed 35 of 40 scored questions, in Math 35 of 41, and in Reading 23 of 27. Each test form differs slightly.

What is an ACT superscore?

It is the average of your best English, Math and Reading scores across all your ACT attempts, rounded to the nearest whole number. ACT reports it automatically if you have tested more than once.

Is a 24 a good ACT score?

Yes — a 24 is above the national average and meets admission requirements at many four-year colleges, though selective universities usually expect 29 or higher.

Are wrong answers penalized on the ACT?

No. Your raw score is simply the number of scored questions you answer correctly, so you should answer every question.

Sources and methodology

Raw-to-scale conversions use the complete table in ACT’s official Online Practice Test 2 Scoring Key, counting scored questions only. Composite, superscore and STEM calculations follow ACT’s published rounding rules.

Reviewed by the ProAcademy Tools editorial team. Found an error? Tell us — we correct mistakes quickly.