Meet ACT Scaled Scoring

Scaled scoring is the method the ACT uses to convert your raw scores (the number of questions you answered correctly) into a standardized form, which should allow for a more consistent comparison of scores across different test versions.

Here's a brief overview of how scaled scoring works on the ACT:

1. Raw Scores: Your raw score is the number of questions you answered correctly on each section of the ACT. There is no penalty for incorrect answers, so it's beneficial to guess if you're unsure.

2. Scale Scores: Each section of the ACT (English, Math, Reading, and Science) is scored on a scale from 1 to 36. The scaled score is not a direct reflection of the number of questions you answered correctly. Instead, it's based on the difficulty of the questions and how your performance compares to other test-takers.

3. Composite Score: Your overall ACT Composite Score is the average of your four section scores rounded to the nearest whole number. The Composite Score is also on a scale from 1 to 36.

4. Writing (Optional): If you choose to take the optional Writing Test, your essay will be scored separately on a scale from 2 to 12. This score does not contribute to your Composite Score but is reported alongside it.

The point of the scaling process is to try to ensure that scores from different test dates are comparable, using statistical techniques to adjust for variations in difficulty between different versions of the test. The goal is to make it fair for all students, regardless of the specific test form they take.

But the test doesn't typically vary much in terms of scaling (the makers have gotten good at recreating a standardized test, in other words!).

So the tables below can give you a good idea of how many points you'll need to get within each section in order to earn a particular score (that number varies slightly from test to test).

On average, our students get about 80% of the questions they answer correct. Some get 100% correct, others get as few as 70-ish% correct. But the column on the right takes that average and suggests a goal number of questions to answer for each scaled score.

ACT English

Scaling and targets for the English section.

*The English section is unique among the four sections of the test. There is no increasing level of difficulty (as there is in Math). And while there are multiple English passages (as in Reading and Science), there's virtually no logical connection between the questions and their associated passages. Successful test-takers simply move through the section at their best rate, racking up points as they go.

So we recommend always trying to do half the questions, and only attempting more as your proficiency and speed allow.

ACT Math

Scaling and targets for the Math section.

ACT Reading

Scaling and targets for the Reading section.

ACT Science

Scaling and targets for the Science section.