One way to maximize your results is by understanding the types of ACT scores and how they work, especially when it has a unique scoring system.
Rather than calculating simply the overall answers, the ACT follows a specific process to get your final score. There are also a few factors that can affect it along the way.
So, what exactly are these and how can they affect your outcomes? Let’s get into it!
ACT Scoring Components
The ACT comes with four primary scoring components. These are crucial in learning how to calculate your scores and help you get familiar with the process.
Moreover, it can let you see the impact every right answer can make on your final score. It includes the following.
Raw Scores
Your raw scores refer to the number of correct answers you get for each section. Keep in mind that they only count the answers you get right and tally them separately for each part. It means the number of correct answers you get in Reading won’t necessarily affect what you get in Science until later.
Scaled Scores
The ACT has a specific chart of scaled scores with 1 being the lowest and 36 the highest. With the said chart, your raw scores are converted accordingly into the scaled counterparts.
Note that the scaled scores work this way to account for minor differences when it comes to the level of difficulty of the test. So, even if you and another taker get a score with a point apart, you might end up with the same scaled score, mainly if the test was more challenging than others.
Subscores
Next to your scaled scores, subscores are used to assess your performance in different skill areas for each section of the test. So, you can get extra points if you do significantly better in certain parts, such as Rhetorical Skills in English or Algebra in Math.
Subscores can help you gain insight into what you do best and possibly identify areas of improvement along the way.
Composite Scores
Your final score is also referred to as the composite score. Generally, it’s the average of all scaled scores from each section, except the optional writing test. This is also what most colleges look at first when they review your report during admissions.
A common rule with the composite score is to round up to the nearest whole number if it includes a decimal of 0.5 or higher and round down if it’s below 0.5.
What to Consider When Calculating ACT Scores
There are a few things to keep in mind if you want to try calculating your ACT scores. These can help you get a better grasp of the process and let you understand what role they play.
The considerations are as follows.
Four Sections
Your final ACT score is based on the four sections of the test, regardless of whether you take the optional writing exam. Your scores will be scaled from 1 to 36 with every section and carry equal weightage during the final calculation. So, it’s important to perform your best in every part.
Incorrect Answers
The ACT follows a no-penalty rule for incorrect answers. It means they won’t factor into your composite score. At the same time, it gives you wiggle room to make educated guesses to boost the number of answers you get right.
Question Difficulty
Each section has a different level of question difficulty. So, you will likely get higher scaled scores when you answer the challenging ones correctly. Because of this, it’s best to aim for accurate and confident answers as much as possible, regardless of how complex it seems.
Get an Overview of the Types of ACT Scores
The types of ACT scores you encounter play an important role in the final results. By understanding how they work, it gives you a general idea of how they affect your score. So, you can determine a strategy that focuses on making sure you boost them as much as you can!
