Preparing for the ACT is one thing, taking the test is another. But at the end of the day, it’s your final score that matters the most.
The score you get is what determines the likelihood of you getting into the college you want. However, these don’t get released on the dot.
If you can’t wait, you want to learn how to calculate ACT scores yourself to get an idea of what your final results may look like. Here’s a brief guide on how to do it.
The ACT Scoring Process
To start, you want to understand how the ACT scoring process works. It takes a few steps and requires you to calculate and convert your scores accordingly.
Keep in mind that wrong answers don’t count against your raw scores. So, you may want to try to answer every test question, even if a few are wild guesses.
The ACT follows its own scale to determine your final score. You can consider taking an official practice test to see how it works. On the other hand, the optional writing portion will be judged according to different factors but will not be added to your composite ACT score.
How to Calculate ACT Scores Yourself
Calculating your ACT score can be done in a few steps. What’s important is to have the right and updated resources to begin.
Note that there’s no exact number for a good score. But usually, you want to reach a number that goes above the average. In 2023, the national average hit 19.5 out of 36.
Moreover, you might find selective schools that accept students who get scores within a certain range. A few examples include the Ivy League universities with a recommended score of 32 to 35.
The following are the steps on how to start calculating:
Get Your Raw Score for Each Part
The first step is to take your raw scores for each part of the exam. If you’re trying it with a practice test, you can use the answer key that came with it.
Every correct answer is equal to one point, while incorrect answers are void. Make sure you don’t deduct wrong answers from your score.
You can also take this time to understand the parts you got wrong according to the answer key.
Convert Them to Scale Scores
Once you have the raw score for each section, you need to convert them to scale scores. These go from 1 to 36 and are based on the ACT’s own score chart.
In the provided chart, determine what your raw score corresponds to in the scales score column and list down the estimates.
Get the Average
Add your scale scores together to get the average. Even if you take the optional writing test, do not include it in the calculation.
According to ACT guidelines, you should round up your score to the nearest whole number if you get a decimal of 0.5 or higher. Otherwise, round down if it’s lower than 0.5.
The average of your scale scores is called the composite score, which is usually your final ACT score. This is usually the first thing college admissions look into when they go through your official score report.
In Summary
Knowing how to calculate your ACT scores gives you an idea of your performance and grasp of the test questions. While it doesn’t necessarily guarantee your final result, it can help you gauge where you should improve and what portions to pay closer attention to to get a higher score.
