ACT Test Scores Scoring (2024)

Scores for the ACT Test

How can I see my scores?

Whenavailable, your scores are posted online and accessed using your MyACT account.

ACT Customer Support cannotprovide your scores by phone, email, chat, or fax.

  • Multiple choice scoresare normally available two weeks after each national test date, but it can sometimes take up to eight weeks.
  • Writing scoresare normally available about two weeks after
    your multiple-choice scores.

If you took the writing test, your overall scores are not officially reported until your writing scores have been added.Viewing your scores online does not speed up reporting.

On select test dates, ACT performs equating activities to ensure that scores reported have a constant meaning across all test forms. During equating test dates, scores are available within3-8 weeks.

For the 2023-2024 testing year, equating will be adminstered in October.

Score reporting dates

Scores are delivered over a window of time after the test date and are processed continuously during business hours. ACT is committed to providing your scores as quickly as possible but cannot guarantee a specific date for your scores to be reported.

2023-2024

National test dateReporting Timeframe
February 10, 2024February 20 – April 5
April 13, 2024April 23 – June 7
June 8, 2024June 18 – August 2
July 13, 2024July 23 – September 6

2024-2025

National test dateReporting Timeframe
September 14, 2024September 24 – November 8
October 26, 2024November 5 – December 20
December 14, 2024December 24 – February 7
February 8, 2025February 18 – April 4
April 5, 2025April 15 – May 30
June 14, 2025June 24 – August 8
July 12, 2025July 22 – September 5

ACT Test Scores Scoring (1)

Occasionallywe are unable to post scores when expected. If yours are not available yet, it may be due to one of these issues:

  • Answer documents from your test center arrived late or your test date was rescheduled.

  • The "Matching Information" you provided on the answer document (name, date of birth, and Match Number) is not consistent with the Matching Information on your admission ticket.Scores cannot be reported until they can be accurately matched to the correct person. You provided incomplete or inaccurate test form information on the answer document, or the answer document has not cleared all other scoring accuracy checks.

  • An irregularity is reported at your test center.

  • You owe any registration fees.

If your scores are not yet available, while during the posted timeframe, ACT is unable to provide a status or timeline about a specific score.

Delivery timelines

ACT sends score report data to the recipients you provided during registration; these include your high school and any institutions with college codes you provided. ACT also provides your scores through your web account.

Type of reportWhere it's deliveredWhen it's deliveredWhat it reports
Student reportYour MyACT accountAbout 2–8 weeks after the test dateACT scores, college and career planning information
High school reportYour high schoolvia
online reporting
About 2–8 weeks after the test dateACT scores, college and career planning information
College reportEach valid college code you listed and paid for when you registered or tested (up to six)Varies based on college and when ordered
Everything on the Student and High School Report, plus the grades you reported in up to 30 high school courses; it may also include predictions about your performance in specific college programs and courses


Your scores in MyACT

MyACT is mobile-accessible and friendly and all results can be accessed on a PC, tablet, or mobile device.

When you select score recipients, you’ll have the option of sending either score reports from the specific test event or you can choose to send your superscore.

You may print an unofficial copy of your ACT test score by using your browser’s print option.A PDF student report is currently unavailable.

Additional Services

Request a Copy of the Questions and Answers

Certain national test dates and centers give you the opportunity to order a copy of your questions, your answers, the answer key, and scoring instructions—plus the writing prompt, scoring rubric, and scores assigned to the optional writing test.

Request a Copy

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Score Verification Service

You can ask ACT to verify your multiple-choice and/or your writing test scores up to 12 months after your test date. Please download theRequest for Score Verification (PDF).

You will need to complete the form, and enclose a check payable to ACT Customer Support for the applicable fee(s).

  • For multiple-choice tests, ACT will verify that your responses were checked against the correct scoring key.
  • For the writing test, ACT will verify that your essay was scored by two independent, qualified readers and by a third reader in the event that the two scores differed by more than one point in any domain. ACT will also verify that your essay was properly captured and displayed to readers. If errors are discovered during score verification, ACT will rescore your essay.

ACT will inform you by letter of the results of the score verification approximately three to five weeks after receiving your request.

If a scoring error is discovered, your scores will be changed and corrected reports will be released to you and all previous score report recipients at no charge. In addition, your score verification fee will be refunded.

Score Verification Request (PDF)

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Correcting Errors in Your Score Report

Student errors

If, after you receive your score report, you find that you made a significant error in the information you supplied to us about yourself, or if you want to change your address, you may ask us to correct your record. Write to:

ACT Customer Support
P.O. Box 414
Iowa City, IA 52243-0414 USA

Write within three months of receiving your score report.Enclose a photocopy or printed pdf of your Student Report describing the error and the change you are requesting.

There is no fee for making the correction, but you must pay the applicable fee for each corrected report you wish sent to a college, agency, or high school.

Other errors

If you think there is an error (on any information other than your test scores), write to ACT Customer Support—Score Reports at the above address within three months of receiving your score report. Enclose a photocopy or printed pdf of your Student Report describing the error and the change you are requesting.

If an error is our responsibility and requires you to retest, there will be no fee. If the error does not involve retesting, corrected score reports will be released to you and all previous score recipients at no charge.

If an error is not to be found to be made by ACTand you wish to send corrected reports, you must request and pay for Additional Score Reports.

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Changing Score Recipients

If you need to change a score recipient, you have until Thursday noon after the regularly scheduled test date.

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Need to send more scores?

In addition to the four institutions you selected upon registering, you can send your scores to others, even after you test. Requests are processed after all scores for your test option—the ACT or the ACT with writing—are ready.

Find College Codes

How to Send Scores

Can scores be cancelled?

ACT reserves the right to cancel test scores when there is reason to believe the scores are invalid. See theCompromises/Disruptions in the Testing Process—Limitation of Remediessection of the ACT Terms and Conditions (PDF)for details.

Outside of state testing and district testing, you may request to cancel scores for a particular test date. Contact us online and we will provide you a form to complete and return to us. We will then permanently cancel that score record for the indicated test date and send cancellation notices to any score recipients.

Understanding Your Scores

What does it all mean?

There's a lot of information provided in the ACT score report.

Follow the link below to learn why we show individual reporting categories, how we arrived at your Composite score—and more!

Understanding Scores

National ranks

How do you compare?

Your national ranks tell you how your scores compare to those earned by recent high school graduates who took the ACT. Colleges use this information to help make admissions decisions, and scholarship agencies may base awards on it.

National Ranks

How schools use results

Your current and future schools want to learn more about you.

Just as you can use national ranks to get a sense of your strengths and weaknesses, so can your high school and potential colleges.A high rank in a content area may suggest a good chance of success in related college majors and careers. A low rank may indicate that you need to develop your skills more by taking additional coursework in that area. This information is helpful for you as well as your current and future schools.

How Schools Use Results

Should I retest?

43% of ACT test takers chose to take the test more than once last year, and more than half of them improved their scores.

ACT Test Scores Scoring (2)

View Infographic

Why every point matters on the ACT test

Did you know improving by just a single test point can be worth thousands of dollars in financial aid for your college education? The ACT® test is important to your future—and can open up new opportunities for college and career.

What scores are reported if I test more than once?

You determine which set of scores is sent to colleges or scholarship programs. We will release only the scores from the test date (month and year) and test location (e.g., National, State, School) you designate.

Can I combine scores from different test dates to create a new Composite score?

Yes - superscoring enables you to combine scores from different test dates.

Can I report only my writing scores or only my multiple-choice scores from a test date?

No. All scores from a test date will be reported together.

Can I combine my writing scores from one test date with my multiple-choice scores from another?

Yes - superscoring enables you to combine writing scores from one test date with multiple-choice scores from another test date.

Test Security Hotline

Cheating hurts everyone – if you see it, report it. You can make an anonymous report by using the Test Security Hotline.Discussing test content—including on social media—is not permitted.Students who don't do their own work put honest students at a disadvantage. If you suspect that someone is trying to take unfair advantages or encounter anything else out of the ordinary, please report it to ACT.

Compromises and disruptions

SeeACT's Terms and Conditionsfor remedies available to examinees affected by compromises or disruptions in the testing process.

ACT Test Scores  Scoring (2024)

FAQs

How many questions can you miss on the ACT to get a 20? ›

To earn a score of 20 (the 2022 national composite score average), you need to answer only about 54 percent of the questions correctly. On most tests, getting only a bit more than half the questions right would be terrible—not so on the ACT.

How many questions can you get wrong to get a 35 on ACT? ›

Strangely enough, the number of questions you can get wrong on the ACT and still get a perfect composite score varies by which section you get them wrong in. For a 35 in English, you can get up to two questions wrong. In Math, you can miss up to three. In Reading and Science, it's one per section.

How many questions can you get wrong on the ACT to get a 33? ›

2 questions wrong drops you to a 33 in Science on that test. If you are aiming to get a 34 on 1 section and 36 on the rest to get a 36 composite score, you should aim for at most 2 wrong on that section.

What ACT score is good enough? ›

Getting a high ACT score can increase your chances of getting into selective colleges. 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.

Can you get a 36 on the ACT and miss a question? ›

You can miss 1-3 questions on each ACT section and still earn a 36 composite score.

Is 15 a passing ACT score? ›

Scores below a 15 on the ACT are considered low at just about any four-year college. You can overcome low scores with a great GPA or an outstanding college application. But even if you're accepted, the school may ask you to take some remedial courses before enrolling.

How rare is a 36 on the ACT? ›

To really press how well a 36 is, it puts you at a 100 percentile — meaning that you scored higher or as high as all test takers. Only 0.19% of test takers earn a 36, which is around 3,700 students in the most recent years.

Should I retake the ACT if I got a 35? ›

Is 35 a good ACT score? Yes! The highest score available is 36, making 35 a very good score. You're eligible to apply as a competitive candidate to every college, as well as accumulate a significant amount of merit aid.

Is 19 a good ACT score? ›

ACT Test Score Ranges

Average Score Range: 17-24. Above Average Score Range: 25-36.

Are ACT scores curved? ›

It's important to note that the ACT® exam itself is not curved relative to test takers. However, it is curved through a process known as equating. This is when the ACT® organization scales test scores from a range of past test dates so that they're all comparable in the ability that is being tested.

Can you get a 0 on the ACT? ›

What's the Lowest ACT Score You Can Get? The ACT is scored on a scale of 1-36, meaning that the absolute minimum ACT score you could get is 1.

Is it normal to not finish the ACT? ›

While our final goal is always to help students so that they can finish all of the questions in the time allotted, and usually we are successful in that goal, there are some students who get to their official test date still unable to finish all of the questions, and that's okay!

Is 14 a bad ACT score? ›

A 14 on the ACT is considered below average, as the average score usually falls between 20 and 21. However, don't panic! You still have time and resources available to help you improve your score before applying to colleges.

What is the lowest ACT score colleges will accept? ›

For instance, prestigious universities require minimum scores of 32 and 33. However, other colleges lower the criteria. Several public schools accept scores of around 26 to 27, while the schools at the state level open admission for students lying in the ACT score range of 18 to 22.

What is a poor score on the ACT? ›

And the closer you can get to 36, the more you will stand out. (Read more about how many students get a 36 ACT every year and how their admissions chances are improved.) So to recap, any ACT score below 33 will lower your chances at the most selective schools. And any score below a 30 is decidedly low for top colleges.

How hard is it to get a 20 on the ACT? ›

A 20 ACT score puts you at the 49th percentile, meaning you scored higher than 49% of all test takers — which is certainly something to be proud of! To increase your competitiveness during the college application process, though, you'll want to meet or exceed the national average, which is closer to a score of 21.

Is 20 a low ACT score? ›

ACT Test Score Ranges

Each section has a test score range of 1-36: Below Average Score Range: 1-16. Average Score Range: 17-24. Above Average Score Range: 25-36.

What is a 20 on the ACT equivalent to? ›

ACT vs SAT Conversion Table
SATACT
104020
103020
102019
101019
30 more rows

What letter grade is a 20 on the ACT? ›

Conversion of ACT Scores to Class Grade Equivalents
ACT Composite ScoreNumerical Class GradeLetter Class Grade
2087.2B+
1985.5B
1883.7B
1781.5B-
32 more rows

References

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