ST2 Scoring, Composite & Superscore

Knowing how the ACT is scored helps you set realistic goals and see how each section feeds your final number. Your Composite score is the average of your English, Math, and Reading scores, each reported on a 1 to 36 scale. Science and the Writing essay are optional and don't count toward that Composite. A concrete tip: because the Composite is an average of the core sections, raising a weaker section can lift your Composite as much as pushing an already strong one, so target your study where you have the most room to grow. This page gives a short, plain explanation of how the pieces fit together, plus free interactive practice to build the underlying skills that move your scores. Understanding the scoring picture makes your study time more strategic and your goals easier to plan.

Every multiple-choice section of the ACT is reported on the same 1–36 scale: English, Mathematics, Reading and Science each get their own 1–36 score. The optional Writing section is different — it is reported on a 2–12 scale and never mixes into the 1–36 numbers.

Composite = the average of English, Mathematics and Reading. Add those three scale scores, divide by 3, round. Science and Writing are not in it.

The rounding rule, exactly as ACT states it

A fraction less than one-half rounds down.
A fraction of one-half or more rounds up.
The one exception: an average lower than 1 rounds up to 1.

Worked example. English 29, Mathematics 24, Reading 30. Sum = 83. 83 ÷ 3 = 27.67. The fraction 0.67 is more than one-half, so the Composite is 28. Had the three scores been 26, 22 and 25, the sum would be 73, the average 24.33, and the fraction 0.33 is less than one-half — Composite 24.

A useful piece of arithmetic: because you are always dividing three whole numbers by 3, the average can only ever end in .00, .33 or .67. A three-section Composite average never lands exactly on .5. The half-up rule bites elsewhere — on STEM, where you divide two numbers by 2.

STEM and ELA

STEM = the average of Mathematics and Science. Reported only if you sat Science.
ELA = the average of English, Reading and Writing. Reported only if you sat Writing.

So what you receive depends on what you sat. In every case you also get an individual score for each section you took:

English + Math + Reading → Composite
… plus Science → Composite and STEM
… plus Writing → Composite and ELA
… plus both → Composite, STEM and ELA

Superscoring

A superscore is the average of your best score in each section across multiple test attempts. The Superscore Composite uses English, Mathematics and Reading only — the same three sections as an ordinary Composite. Science is still reported and still feeds STEM, but it is not part of the Superscore Composite.

You are eligible the moment you have tested more than once (September 2016 onward).
Your best section scores can come from ANY test event — ACT states this explicitly, including a mix of legacy-blueprint and enhanced sittings.
Your older scores are not restated. Scores from tests taken before the new Composite rolled out do not change.
Not every college superscores. ACT says the number that do "is growing" — which is not the same as all of them. Check the policy of each school you are actually applying to.

Two things people get wrong about the raw score

There is no penalty for guessing. Your raw score in a section is simply the number of questions you answered correctly. A blank and a wrong answer are worth exactly the same — nothing — so there is never a reason to leave a bubble empty.

There is no single conversion chart. Raw scores are converted to the 1–36 scale form by form, precisely because difficulty varies slightly between forms: ACT notes that a raw 35 on one mathematics form can be about as hard to earn as a raw 37 on another. Official practice books print the table for that form. Any site advertising "the" ACT conversion chart is selling you a number it cannot know.

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Frequently asked questions

How is the ACT Composite score calculated?

The Composite is the average of your English, Math, and Reading scores, each on a 1 to 36 scale. Because it's an average, every core section carries equal weight. That means improving a lower-scoring section can raise your Composite just as much as improving a higher one, which is worth keeping in mind when you plan your study time.

What is the ACT score range?

Each core section, English, Math, and Reading, is reported on a scale from 1 to 36, and the Composite is the average of those on the same 1 to 36 scale. When you set a goal, think in terms of that 1 to 36 range for each section and for your Composite, and aim your practice at the sections with the most room to improve.

Does Science count toward my ACT Composite?

No. On the enhanced ACT, Science is optional and is not included in the Composite, which comes from English, Math, and Reading. You can still take Science if a school or scholarship requests it, but it won't change your Composite. Check whether your target programs want a Science score before deciding to include it.

Which section should I focus on to raise my ACT score?

Since the Composite averages English, Math, and Reading, focus on the section where you have the most room to grow. A jump in a weaker section moves the average as much as the same jump in a stronger one. Take a practice test, see which core section is lowest, and put your effort there first.