ACT Test: How do scores convert?

Hello everyone! I'm curious about how ACT test scores are converted. I know there's a composite score and separate section scores, but how does it all come together? And do colleges look mostly at the composite score, or do they care about individual sections too?

Hello! The ACT test consists of four sections: English, Math, Reading, and Science. Each of these sections is scored on a scale of 1 to 36. Your raw score for each section (i.e., the number of questions you answer correctly) is converted to a scaled score using the ACT's official scoring chart, which changes slightly from test to test to account for differences in difficulty levels.

Now, to calculate your composite score, the ACT first averages your four scaled section scores; this average is then rounded to the nearest whole number to become your final composite score, also on a scale of 1 to 36. The composite score is considered a summary of your overall performance on the ACT, with higher scores indicating a stronger performance.

As for how colleges evaluate your scores, it typically varies by institution. In general, colleges do look at your composite score as a significant part of your application, as it provides a quick snapshot of your overall performance. That being said, individual section scores can also be important, especially if you're applying for a specific program or major. For example, if you're applying to an engineering program, they might place more emphasis on your Math and Science scores. Similarly, a college might value your performance on the English and Reading sections more if you're applying for a humanities program.

To get an idea of what colleges emphasize when evaluating applications, you can look up their ACT score ranges to see the middle 50% of accepted students' scores. Note that these ranges usually include both composite and individual section scores. However, it's essential to remember that, even though standardized test scores are a notable factor in college admissions, they're still just one piece of the puzzle in the overall evaluation process, as colleges consider many other factors, like course rigor, GPA, extracurricular activities, and essays, too.

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