Why count only the scored questions?

Each section includes unscored try-out questions: 10 in English, 4 in Math, 9 in Reading and 6 in Science. The answer key for ACT's practice test shows which ones are scored. For other practice tests, switch to "Any other test" and we scale your count.

Does Science count toward the ACT Composite?

Not anymore. Since September 2025 the Composite is the average of English, Math and Reading. Science gets its own 1–36 score and goes into your STEM score with Math.

Is there a penalty for guessing on the ACT?

No. Your score is the number of questions you got right, so answer every one.

What's the highest ACT score?

36, for each section and for the Composite.

ACT prep

ACT score calculator

Enter how many questions you got right in each section. You'll get your 1–36 section scores and Composite from ACT's own 2025–26 conversion table, your national rank and the SAT score it lines up with.

By Marteen Tang, founder of Ashore · Updated Nov 12, 2026 · Sources at the bottom of the page

Your estimate

English: questions right

Out of 40 scored questions

Math: questions right

Out of 41 scored questions

Reading: questions right

Out of 27 scored questions

I took Science too

On ACT's own practice tests the answer key marks the unscored questions. Count only the scored ones, the same way ACT does: 40 English, 41 Math, 27 Reading and 34 Science.

Estimated Composite

(24 + 26 + 24) ÷ 3, rounded

English: 24
Math: 26
Reading: 24

National rank 83: about 83% of recent ACT test takers scored 25 or lower.

At or above ACT's college readiness benchmark in English, Math and Reading.

About 1210 on the SAT

ACT raw score conversion table (2025–26)

From the full practice test in ACT's Preparing for the ACT 2025–2026. Every ACT form has its own table, so treat it as an estimate for other tests.

ACT raw score to scale score, 2025–26 practice test
Questions right	English (of 40)	Math (of 41)	Reading (of 27)	Science (of 34)
41	—	36	—	—
40	36	36	—	—
39	35	35	—	—
38	35	34	—	—
37	33	34	—	—
36	31	33	—	—
35	29	32	—	—
34	28	31	—	36
33	27	30	—	35
32	26	29	—	34
31	25	29	—	33
30	24	28	—	32
29	23	27	—	31
28	22	27	—	30
27	22	26	36	29
26	21	25	35	28
25	20	24	34	27
24	20	23	32	26
23	19	22	30	25
22	18	21	28	25
21	17	20	26	24
20	16	19	25	23
19	15	19	24	23
18	15	18	23	22
17	14	17	22	21
16	13	17	21	20
15	13	17	20	19
14	12	16	18	18
13	11	16	17	18
12	11	15	16	17
11	10	15	15	16
10	10	15	14	15
9	10	14	13	14
8	9	14	12	12
7	8	13	12	12
6	7	13	11	11
5	7	12	10	10
4	6	11	9	9
3	5	9	7	7
2	3	7	5	6
1	2	5	3	3
0	1	1	1	1

Source: ACT, Preparing for the ACT 2025–2026, pp. 72–77. Counts are scored questions only.

How the ACT Composite works

Your Composite is the average of your English, Math and Reading scores, rounded to the nearest whole number. Halves round up. Science doesn't change it. If you take Science, you also get a STEM score: the average of Math and Science.

28 + 26 + 27 = 81, divided by 3 is 27, so the Composite is 27.
30 + 29 + 29 = 88, divided by 3 is 29.33, so the Composite is 29.
30 + 30 + 29 = 89, divided by 3 is 29.67, so the Composite is 30.

Testing more than once? Work out your superscore.

What's a good ACT score?

National rank is the percent of recent ACT test takers who scored at or below a score. These are the ranks ACT prints on 2026–27 score reports.

ACT Composite national ranks, 2026–27
Composite	National rank
36	100: 100% scored 36 or lower
34	99: 99% scored 34 or lower
32	97: 97% scored 32 or lower
30	94: 94% scored 30 or lower
28	91: 91% scored 28 or lower
26	86: 86% scored 26 or lower
24	80: 80% scored 24 or lower
22	72: 72% scored 22 or lower
20	63: 63% scored 20 or lower
18	52: 52% scored 18 or lower
16	41: 41% scored 16 or lower

Based on ACT-tested graduates of 2024, 2025 and 2026. Source: ACT, National Ranks for the 2026–2027 reporting year.

ACT College Readiness Benchmarks
Section	Benchmark	Class of 2025 at or above
English	18	50%
Math	22	29%
Reading	22	39%
Science	23	30%
STEM	26	15%

A benchmark is the score that gives about a 50% chance of a B or higher in the matching first-year college course. Source: ACT, The ACT Profile Report: National, Graduating Class 2025.

2026–27 ACT dates

Test dateRegister byLate deadlinePaper scores out

Sat, September 19, 2026DoneRegister byAugust 14, 2026Late deadlineSeptember 1, 2026Paper scoresOctober 6, 2026

Sat, October 17, 2026DoneRegister bySeptember 11, 2026Late deadlineSeptember 29, 2026Paper scoresOctober 27, 2026

Sat, December 12, 2026Register byNovember 9, 2026Late deadlineNovember 29, 2026Paper scoresDecember 22, 2026

Sat, February 27, 2027Register byJanuary 22, 2027Late deadlineFebruary 9, 2027Paper scoresMarch 16, 2027

Sat, April 10, 2027Register byMarch 5, 2027Late deadlineMarch 23, 2027Paper scoresApril 20, 2027

Sat, June 12, 2027Register byMay 7, 2027Late deadlineMay 25, 2027Paper scoresJune 23, 2027

Sat, July 10, 2027Register byJune 4, 2027Late deadlineJune 22, 2027Paper scoresJuly 20, 2027

Deadlines close at 11:59 p.m. Central Time. After the first deadline you can still register until the late deadline for $42 more. The scores column is ACT's first release for paper tests; online test scores take two to eight weeks. Sources: test dates and deadlines, online testing.

Questions

Still have a question? support@tryashore.com

On ACT's 2025–26 practice test it gives exactly the official scores. Every real ACT form has its own conversion table, so on test day the same number right can come out slightly higher or lower.

By Marteen Tang · Founder of Ashore

Marteen Tang founded Ashore and works on its SAT and AP lessons, practice and plans. Updated Nov 12, 2026.

Sources

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Join the ACT waitlist Superscore calculator

When ACT prep opens, it's part of the same plan as SAT and AP, at the same price. The score guarantee covers the SAT only.

Practice test 1

Example

Composite
(28 + 26 + 27) ÷ 3

English28
Math26
Reading27
ScienceOptional, not in the Composite25

Questions right	English (of 40)	Math (of 41)	Reading (of 27)	Science (of 34)
41	—	36	—	—
40	36	36	—	—
39	35	35	—	—
38	35	34	—	—
37	33	34	—	—
36	31	33	—	—
35	29	32	—	—
34	28	31	—	36
33	27	30	—	35
32	26	29	—	34
31	25	29	—	33
30	24	28	—	32
29	23	27	—	31
28	22	27	—	30
27	22	26	36	29
26	21	25	35	28
25	20	24	34	27
24	20	23	32	26
23	19	22	30	25
22	18	21	28	25
21	17	20	26	24
20	16	19	25	23
19	15	19	24	23
18	15	18	23	22
17	14	17	22	21
16	13	17	21	20
15	13	17	20	19
14	12	16	18	18
13	11	16	17	18
12	11	15	16	17
11	10	15	15	16
10	10	15	14	15
9	10	14	13	14
8	9	14	12	12
7	8	13	12	12
6	7	13	11	11
5	7	12	10	10
4	6	11	9	9
3	5	9	7	7
2	3	7	5	6
1	2	5	3	3
0	1	1	1	1

Questions right	English (of 40)	Math (of 41)	Reading (of 27)	Science (of 34)
41	—	36	—	—
40	36	36	—	—
39	35	35	—	—
38	35	34	—	—
37	33	34	—	—
36	31	33	—	—
35	29	32	—	—
34	28	31	—	36
33	27	30	—	35
32	26	29	—	34
31	25	29	—	33
30	24	28	—	32
29	23	27	—	31
28	22	27	—	30
27	22	26	36	29
26	21	25	35	28
25	20	24	34	27
24	20	23	32	26
23	19	22	30	25
22	18	21	28	25
21	17	20	26	24
20	16	19	25	23
19	15	19	24	23
18	15	18	23	22
17	14	17	22	21
16	13	17	21	20
15	13	17	20	19
14	12	16	18	18
13	11	16	17	18
12	11	15	16	17
11	10	15	15	16
10	10	15	14	15
9	10	14	13	14
8	9	14	12	12
7	8	13	12	12
6	7	13	11	11
5	7	12	10	10
4	6	11	9	9
3	5	9	7	7
2	3	7	5	6
1	2	5	3	3
0	1	1	1	1