Scoring ACT test scores (2023)

FAQs

Is it better to answer all questions on the ACT? ›

It is important to answer all of the questions in each section of the ACT exam. Students are awarded points for each question they answer correctly, and no points are deducted for incorrect answers. Even if you feel the need to guess on a question, remember, you will not be penalized if you get it wrong.

If you got 31 questions correct on the ACT Science section of this test, for example, this would yield a 26 sectional score. 50 correct questions on ACT Math on this test equates to a 30.

In general, a good ACT score is any score in or above the 75th percentile — at least a 24. Students should aim to hit or exceed the middle 50% of ACT scores at their chosen colleges.

Because the composite score is rounded either up or down, you won't have to answer every single question correctly to get a score of 36.

C or H are right (and wrong) as often as any other answer choice. The only guess letter you don't want to use when you are completely guessing is E or K because they only show up on the math test. Ok, myths exposed, let's move on to how and when to guess.

Overall, you can skip/get wrong around 50 questions per ACT test to get a composite score of 26. For English, you can skip/miss 14 questions on average to get a 26. For Math, you can skip/miss 17 questions on average to get a 26.

With a score of 26, you are in the 83th to 85th percentile of all test takers. More likely than not, with a score of 26, you'll often be in or near the commonly accepted range at selective colleges.

A 26 ACT score puts you at the 83rd percentile, which means you scored higher than 83% of all test takers!

With a score of 25, you are in the 79th percentile of all test takers. More likely than not, with a score of 25, you'll often be in or near the commonly accepted range at selective colleges.

Is a 25 on the ACT easy? ›

Earning an ACT score of 25 puts you above average, making you eligible at a wide variety of schools and competitive at some selective institutions. To put this accomplishment in another light, a 25 ACT score puts you at the 75th percentile — that means you scored higher than 75% of all test takers.

What percentile is a 28 ACT score? A 28 ACT score puts you at the 88th percentile, meaning you scored higher than 88% of all test takers.

Your Composite score and each test score (English, mathematics, reading, science) range from 1 (low) to 36 (high).

The absolute minimum ACT score you can get is a 1, although this is very unlikely to happen. You might be more worried about getting a score high enough to get into college.

For example, on Reading, you'll get four passages and 40 multiple-choice questions, so the highest possible raw score is 40. If you got all 40 questions right, your raw score would be 40. If you got 19 questions wrong and 21 questions right, your raw score would be 21.

98th percentile: A 32 ACT score is above the national average. This score is excellent for most Ivy League universities. So if you are wondering, 'is 32 a good ACT score' to get into any of the highly selective Ivy League colleges, you should know that this score is sufficient to stand out among your competitors.

Starting in 2015, the format of the essay was changed slightly. Students are now given 40 minutes to write, and the Writing section is scored out of 36 rather than out of 12.

Most people (and tutors) tell students that, if they have no idea on a question, to just guess answer choice “C” — the middle answer on most multiple choice tests.

For those guessing on only a few of the last ten questions, A/F would be the better option. The Safe Bet: Answer choice E/K is the safest choice because it, so far, has always had one correct answer. In fact, E/K has met or exceeded the expected average 82% of the time, making it the most consistent answer choice.

Does the ACT get harder every year? ›

When those skills and constructs become more complicated and difficult over time, the ACT reflects that. Those changes tend to occur very gradually, however, not usually within a two to three year span.

We've already noted that a 19 is an average ACT score, at the 50th percentile. A score of 24 means you've scored better than about 76% of students. A 28 means you've scored better than 89% of students, and a 30 means you've scored better than 93% of them!

Students have 45 minutes to complete 75 questions. This averages out to approximately 36 seconds per question.

Admissions Summary

Harvard College is extremely selective with an acceptance rate of 4%. Students that get into Harvard College have an ACT score of 34–36. Regular applications are due January 1.

To get a 30, you must score highly on all four sections of the exam (excluding Writing). Specifically, you'll need to get at least a 30 on two sections and a composite score of 29.5 (which rounds to 30) or higher. This means you can only miss a handful of questions on each section.

Average ACT: 34

The 25th percentile ACT score is 33, and the 75th percentile ACT score is 35. In other words, a 33 places you below average, while a 35 will move you up to above average. There's no absolute ACT requirement at Harvard, but they really want to see at least a 33 to have a chance at being considered.

Ivy leagues and top colleges usually look for an ACT range between 32-36. Other highly-selective schools have an average ACT range of 27-31. Some less-selective colleges look for applicants with ACT scores in the range of 25-29.

At a minimum, an ACT score of 25 should qualify you for lower-level scholarship money. However, as the amount increases, scholarships become more competitive and the score ranges increase. Again, the barest minimum to shoot for is the 20-25 score range.

Can I get a full ride with a 25 ACT? ›

If your ACT score falls between 21 and 25, you may qualify for one of several different types of college help. For instance, you could be eligible for a grant, a scholarship, or a loan. Students can supplement their financial aid at some universities by working part-time through a work-study program.

Yes, you should definitely retake the exam if you received a 25 ACT score or lower. This is a relatively weak score that will preclude you from getting into many colleges and universities in the country. If you took the ACT far enough in advance, you should have more than enough time to prepare and retake it.

Admission to any of the eight Ivy League schools is highly selective, and ACT scores are an important piece of the admissions equation. Generally applicants will need a composite score of 30 or higher to be competitive although some applicants are admitted with lower scores.

25 ACT Score Standings

Out of the 1.91 million test-takers, 402110 scored the same or higher than you. You can apply to 1156 colleges and have a good shot at getting admitted. You have a very low chance of getting into 343 schools with this score.

As discussed before, 1 is the lowest, and 36 is the highest ACT score. This makes 23, an above-average score. So as per your question on whether 23 is a good ACT score or not, well, it is excellent.

A score of 23 on the ACT is above the current national average and will make you a strong applicant at many universities, but it may fall below the average score for accepted students at more selective colleges. The higher your ACT score, the more options are open to you. Read on to learn more about ACT scores.

With a score of 28, you are in the 91st percentile of all test takers. More likely than not, with a score of 28, you'll often be in or near the commonly accepted range at highly selective colleges. The exception may be the Ivy League where the score required may be higher than 30 on average.

ACT Scores needed to get accepted

Harvard University is test optional. Students are not required to submit ACT scores with their application. The policy on ACT scores is "considered but not required". Harvard regularly accepts students who score 33 and above on the ACT.

A 27 ACT score puts you a good deal about the national average (20.8) and makes you eligible for acceptance at a vast majority of schools. It also makes you competitive at some selective institutions, as well as eligible for merit aid! Considering those things, it's easy to say that a 27 ACT score is good.

Writing (Optional)

Especially with no provided basic math formulas, this could be their “hardest section of the ACT.” But not every student struggles in math – they could have a hard time in Science, English, or Reading. So the hardest section of the test will absolutely vary from student to student.

How long should you study for the ACT test? ›

With just one month to study for the ACT, you'll want to be as organized as possible to make the most of your time. It's ideal to spread your ACT prep over two or three months, but one month is still enough to see score gains.

The average ACT score of Harvard-accepted students is 33. Although Harvard claims there is no minimum ACT score, if you apply with a 29 or lower, you'll have difficulty getting in. So, to get into Harvard, it is important to note the different Harvard University requirements for test scores.

A 19 ACT score doesn't make you eligible or competitive at as many colleges and universities as most would want. To improve your eligibility and competitiveness, you'll want to aim for a 20 to 21, which puts you right at the national average.

Generally speaking, it's best to aim for an ACT composite score that's in the 75th percentile or above – this means a score of at least 24. However, a score that's "good" for you may not be the same as for somebody else – your ACT score goal will vary based on your college, scholarship, and career goals for the future.

One of the most commonly asked questions of ACT is “how do my students improve their scores?” The simple answer is have them take challenging courses and test prep. Because the ACT tests what students learn in high school, the best way for them to prepare is to take core classes, study, and participate in class.

LOW SCORES

One of the lowest known celebrity ACT scores includes actress Marilyn Monroe scoring 21 on the exam. Even lower than her, however, is esteemed American author William Faulkner. Before becoming one of the most iconic authors in U.S. history, Faulkner scored a dismal 18, and never graduated from high school.

Relatively speaking, the ACT has gotten “harder” over the years. As students start to do better on ACT, the test-makers gradually adjust the difficulty level of the test. And students have gotten better. In 1970, the average composite score nationwide was 18.6.

Whether you take the ACT or SAT, you earn points for the questions you answer correctly (points are not deducted for incorrect answers), so be sure to answer every question!

Can I Leave Questions Blank on the ACT/SAT? On both tests, there is no penalty for guessing. Since points are not deducted for incorrect answers, students are encouraged to attempt every question.

Do you have to complete all questions on the ACT? ›

✓Answer every question. Your scores in the sections will be based only on the number of questions that you answer correctly; there is no penalty for guessing. Try to answer every question within the time allowed for each section.

There is no penalty for guessing on the ACT and revamped SAT—they won't take away points for a wrong answer, they simply won't award you any points. So never, ever leave a question bubble blank.

A 23 ACT score puts you at the 68th percentile, meaning you scored higher than 68% of test takers.

ACT Inc., which administers the exam, lets you take the test up to 12 times, though it's best to take it no more than 2-3 times. Beyond that, you're unlikely to boost your scores substantially. What's more, multiple retakes might reflect negatively on your college application.

It's best to pick one letter and guess with the same letter throughout the test. It statistically improves the chances of guessing more right. Remember, “When in doubt, pick C!” It doesn't have to be C. It just has to be the same letter every time.

This means that, when you are sending scores to colleges, you have to choose which administration results you will send to them—and schools will not be able to see what you got on any other ACTs, or even if you took the ACT more than once.

The ACT is a time crunch, and most students have trouble finishing the whole test in the allotted time. So how many questions can you skip for a good score? In this article, I'll let you know how many questions you can skip or answer incorrectly and to get a composite score of 26.

On the ACT there is no penalty for a wrong answer, so students are encouraged to guess if they aren't certain on the answer. Wrong answers don't take away points you've already earned, they simply don't give you any points at all—so you might as well chance it and maybe get one right!

Students will be awarded points for each correct answer with no points taken away for any incorrect ones. This is why never leaving an answer blank on your test is so important. You can only gain by taking a stab at the question. If you leave it blank, you will most certainly get it wrong.

When those skills and constructs become more complicated and difficult over time, the ACT reflects that. Those changes tend to occur very gradually, however, not usually within a two to three year span.

Does the ACT get harder as you go? ›

For the most part, the ACT and SAT questions fall into a randomized level of difficulty. You might start off with the hardest question and end with a no-brainer. However, there can be an increase in difficulty within a question type. This may be where the core of this myth comes from.