ACT Score Calculator

Four Sections, One Rounded Average

Unlike the SAT's linear scaling, the ACT composite is refreshingly literal: it's simply the average of the four section scores — English, Math, Reading, and Science — each already scored on the same 1–36 scale, rounded to the nearest whole number. There's no additional weighting or equating layer to approximate; the composite calculation itself is exact, which makes this one of the few standardized-test scores that can be computed with complete precision from section scores alone.

The Formula

Standard rounding applies: an average ending in .5 or higher rounds up to the next whole number.

Worked Example

Section scores of English 28, Math 31, Reading 25, and Science 29.

Where This Matters

• Superscoring decisions — many colleges accept a student's best section scores across multiple test dates; recomputing the composite from the best-of-each-section combination shows the highest achievable superscore.
• Score comparison against SAT — concordance tables published by ACT and the College Board let a composite here be compared against an equivalent SAT range for scholarship eligibility that accepts either test.
• Identifying the weakest section — because the composite is a flat average, a single low section (say, a 21 in Science against three scores in the high 20s) pulls the whole composite down more than intuition might suggest, which is useful for deciding where retake prep should focus.

How to Use This Calculator

1. Enter the English section score (1–36).
2. Enter the Math section score (1–36).
3. Enter the Reading section score (1–36).
4. Enter the Science section score (1–36).
5. Select Calculate to get the rounded composite score.

Related Calculations

For the equivalent SAT estimate, see the SAT Score Calculator, and check class standing with the Class Rank Calculator.