Section scores or raw correct answers to composite, with percentiles
Raw-to-scaled conversion uses a representative scale from recent released forms; your form's conversion will differ by a few raw points because of equating.
| Section | Classic | Enhanced (from 2025) | Counts toward composite? |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | 75 questions / 45 min | 50 questions / 35 min | Yes, both formats |
| Math | 60 questions / 60 min | 45 questions / 50 min | Yes, both formats |
| Reading | 40 questions / 35 min | 36 questions / 40 min | Yes, both formats |
| Science | 40 questions / 35 min | 40 questions / 40 min, optional | Classic: yes. Enhanced: no |
| Composite | Average of 4 sections | Average of 3 core sections | 1–36, rounded average |
The enhanced format rolled out through 2025, online national dates first, then all testers in fall 2025. Science didn't get easier or vanish: it's reported separately and pairs with Math into a STEM score. The 1-36 scale and the round-the-average composite rule carried over unchanged.
| Scaled Score | English (of 75) | Math (of 60) | Reading (of 40) | Science (of 40) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36 | 75 | 60 | 40 | 40 |
| 32 | 70 | 56 | 35–36 | 36 |
| 28 | 66 | 50–51 | 30–31 | 31 |
| 24 | 59–60 | 41–43 | 24 | 25 |
| 20 | 51–52 | 29–31 | 17–18 | 19 |
| 16 | 41–43 | 18–20 | 11 | 13 |
| 12 | 29–31 | 8–9 | 6 | 7 |
Anchors from a representative recent released form, shown as the raw correct answers that map to each scaled score. Because the ACT is equated, not curved, every test date's conversion shifts by a few raw points; treat these allowances as a band, not a promise. Reading a row as "questions you can miss" is just the section total minus the range shown.
| Composite | Approx. Percentile | Composite | Approx. Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| 36 | 99+ | 22 | ~63 |
| 34 | ~99 | 21 | ~56 |
| 32 | ~97 | 20 | ~49 |
| 30 | ~93 | 19 | ~42 |
| 28 | ~89 | 18 | ~35 |
| 26 | ~82 | 17 | ~29 |
| 25 | ~78 | 16 | ~23 |
| 24 | ~74 | 14 | ~13 |
Approximate national ranks from ACT's published profile reports for recent graduating classes. Percentiles drift a point or two year to year. The middle of the distribution sits at a composite of about 20, which matches the national average of roughly 19.5–20.
| Section | Benchmark Score | Linked First-Year Course |
|---|---|---|
| English | 18 | English composition |
| Math | 22 | College algebra |
| Reading | 22 | Social science reading |
| Science | 23 | Biology |
ACT's published benchmarks mark the section score associated with about a 50 percent chance of earning a B or better, or a 75 percent chance of a C or better, in the matching credit-bearing course. The calculator flags each section against its benchmark.
The ACT reports every section on a 1-36 scale, and your composite is nothing more exotic than their average, rounded to the nearest whole number. The rounding detail matters at the margin: a 27.5 average becomes a 28, because ACT rounds halves up. Sub-scores and the optional Writing test never touch the composite.
Composite = round((English + Math + Reading + Science) ÷ 4) on the classic test, with halves rounding up. On the enhanced format the average runs over English, Math, and Reading only, since Science moved out of the composite in 2025. Section scores themselves come from equating: your raw count of correct answers converts to the 1-36 scale through a table calibrated for your specific test form.
Pick your format and enter either scaled section scores or raw correct counts. In raw mode the calculator converts through a representative recent scale; in enhanced-format raw mode it maps your percentages onto that scale, which makes those section scores estimates rather than conversions. The benchmark flags under each section update live.
Scores of 29, 25, 27, and 24 sum to 105, and 105 ÷ 4 = 26.25, which rounds to a composite of 26. That lands around the 82nd percentile nationally. Now watch the rounding rule earn you a point: 30, 28, 27, and 25 average exactly 27.5, and ACT rounds that up to 28, near the 89th percentile.
Raw mode works the same way one step earlier. Say you count 60 of 75 right in English, 41 of 60 in Math, 30 of 40 in Reading, and 26 of 40 in Science. On the representative scale that's 24, 24, 28, and 25, averaging 25.25 for a composite of 25. On your actual form those raw counts might scale a point differently in either direction, which is the honest uncertainty in any pre-official estimate.
The composite is the average of your section scores rounded to the nearest whole number, with .5 rounding up. A student scoring 29, 25, 27, and 24 averages 26.25 for a composite of 26. Each section is scored 1-36 through equating, which converts your raw correct answers to a scaled score calibrated for that test form.
The national average composite has run about 19.5-20 in recent graduating classes. A 20 clears the average, a 24 lands near the 75th percentile, a 28 puts you around the top 10 percent of testers, and 30 or better sits in roughly the top 5 percent. The right target depends on the middle-50 percent range at colleges you're considering.
No, it's equated. A curve would set your score against everyone testing that day. Equating calibrates each form's raw-to-scaled conversion in advance so a given raw score earns the same scaled score regardless of when you test or how the country performs. That's why the conversion table moves a couple of raw points between test dates.
On a recent representative form, a 25 in English allowed about 61-62 of 75 correct (13-14 missed), in Math about 44-45 of 60 (15-16 missed), in Reading about 25 of 40 (15 missed), and in Science about 26 of 40 (14 missed). Exact allowances shift by a few questions between forms because of equating.
The ACT rolled out a shorter format through 2025, with online national dates first and all testers moved over in fall 2025. Sections have fewer questions, and Science became optional: the composite now averages only English, Math, and Reading, with Science reported separately (paired with Math for a STEM score). The 1-36 scale and the round-average composite rule did not change.
Yes. Colleges see every section score alongside the composite, and placement decisions often key off a single section. ACT's published College Readiness Benchmarks, the scores tied to a decent shot at passing first-year credit courses, are 18 in English, 22 in Math, 22 in Reading, and 23 in Science.