Convert scores both ways using the official 2018 concordance tables
| SAT Total | ACT Composite | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1570 – 1600 | 36 | Perfect or near-perfect |
| 1530 – 1560 | 35 | Elite tier |
| 1490 – 1520 | 34 | Elite tier |
| 1450 – 1480 | 33 | Highly competitive |
| 1420 – 1440 | 32 | Highly competitive |
| 1390 – 1410 | 31 | Highly competitive |
| 1360 – 1380 | 30 | Top-tier public universities |
| 1330 – 1350 | 29 | Strong |
| 1300 – 1320 | 28 | Strong |
| 1260 – 1290 | 27 | Strong |
| 1230 – 1250 | 26 | Above average |
| 1200 – 1220 | 25 | Above average |
| 1160 – 1190 | 24 | Above average |
| 1130 – 1150 | 23 | Slightly above average |
| 1100 – 1120 | 22 | Slightly above average |
| 1060 – 1090 | 21 | Around average |
| 1030 – 1050 | 20 | Around average |
| 990 – 1020 | 19 | Around average |
| 960 – 980 | 18 | Just below average |
| 920 – 950 | 17 | Below average |
| 880 – 910 | 16 | Below average |
| 830 – 870 | 15 | Below average |
| 780 – 820 | 14 | Well below average |
| 730 – 770 | 13 | Well below average |
| 690 – 720 | 12 | Well below average |
| 650 – 680 | 11 | Well below average |
| 620 – 640 | 10 | Well below average |
| 590 – 610 | 9 | Well below average |
Source: the 2018 concordance tables published by ACT and the College Board (ACT Composite to SAT Total, Table A2, inverted). SAT totals run in multiples of 10, which is why the ranges sit next to each other with no gaps. For the reverse direction the calculator reports the official SAT range plus its midpoint — for example, ACT 31 converts to SAT 1390-1410 (midpoint ≈ 1400).
The SAT (400-1600) and the ACT (1-36) measure similar skills on different scales, so in 2018 ACT and the College Board ran a joint study of students who took both tests and published concordance tables that translate one to the other. Those tables are still the official standard — colleges, scholarship programs, and the NCAA use them to compare applicants across tests.
There's no formula to compute — concordance is a lookup. Each SAT total maps onto the ACT composite held by students at the same relative standing. SAT 1290 sits in the 1260-1290 band, which corresponds to ACT 27. Reverse it and ACT 27 maps back to the SAT range 1260-1290. Because the ACT has only 36 score points and the SAT has 121, one ACT score covers a band of SAT totals, which is why ACT-to-SAT conversions report a range.
Pick your direction, enter your score, and hit convert. SAT scores are multiples of 10 between 400 and 1600; ACT composites run 1 to 36. The context line places the score against the national picture — the class of 2024 averaged 1024 on the SAT and 19.4 on the ACT, so anything around 1050 SAT / 20 ACT is the national midpoint.
Take a student who scored 1290 on the SAT and is wondering whether to retake it or switch to the ACT. The concordance puts 1290 in the 1260-1290 band: an ACT 27 equivalent. If a practice ACT comes back at 24, the SAT is her stronger score (24 concords to only 1160-1190). But a practice ACT of 29 would concord to 1330-1350 — a meaningful improvement over 1290 — so switching tests would likely pay off.
Or reverse it: an applicant with an ACT 31 wants to know how that reads on the SAT scale. ACT 31 maps to SAT 1390-1410, midpoint about 1400 — comfortably above what most four-year colleges report as their middle 50%, and a score many strong private universities read as competitive. Both numbers tell the admissions office the same thing.
Use the official 2018 concordance tables that ACT and the College Board published jointly. Each SAT total maps to an ACT composite: SAT 1290 converts to ACT 27, SAT 1050 to ACT 20, and SAT 1540 to ACT 35. Colleges use these same tables when comparing applicants who took different tests.
Almost. The official concordance maps SAT 1300-1320 to ACT 28, so a 1300 SAT and a 28 ACT are concordant scores — the same relative standing among test takers. A 1290 maps to 27, and a 1330 to 29.
Yes. Every four-year college that accepts test scores accepts either test and converts between them using the concordance tables. Admissions offices genuinely treat them as interchangeable, so the smarter move is to take a practice test of each, convert the results, and focus on whichever one plays to your strengths.
The class of 2024 averaged 1024 on the SAT (about a 19 on the ACT scale) and 19.4 on the ACT composite. A 1050 SAT or 20 ACT sits right around the middle of test takers nationally.
The 2018 tables remain the official concordance. The digital SAT is scored on the same 400-1600 scale as the paper SAT, and the College Board continues to direct institutions to the same tables for comparisons, so conversions carry over unchanged.
Convert both to a common scale and send whichever is relatively stronger. If your 1230 SAT concords to a 26 but you scored a 27 on the ACT, the ACT is the better send. Also check each college's superscore policy — many mix and match your best section scores across test dates on the same test, but not across both tests.