ACT Score Calculator
Enter your ACT English, Math and Reading scores to get your Composite out of 36, then add a target to see how many points you still need.
Last updated November 4, 2026
1 to 36
1 to 36
1 to 36
Leave blank to skip the gap.
Result
ACT Composite = 26
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Average before rounding | 26 |
| Target | 27 |
| Points needed | 1 |
| English needed (others fixed) | 28 |
| Math needed (others fixed) | 26 |
| Reading needed (others fixed) | 30 |
Uses scale scores from your score report. It does not convert raw scores.
Show the work
Formula: Composite = (English + Math + Reading) / 3, rounded to the nearest whole number.
- English 26, Math 24, Reading 28.
- Sum = 26 + 24 + 28 = 78.
- Average = 78 / 3 = 26.
- Rounded to the nearest whole number (0.5 and above rounds up) = 26.
- Points needed = 27 - 26 = 1.
- English: the lowest score that gives a Composite of 27 or more with the other scores unchanged is 28.
- Math: the lowest score that gives a Composite of 27 or more with the other scores unchanged is 26.
- Reading: the lowest score that gives a Composite of 27 or more with the other scores unchanged is 30.
Result: ACT Composite = 26
How the ACT Composite is calculated
Composite = (English + Math + Reading) / 3, rounded to the nearest whole number
Each ACT section is reported as a scale score from 1 to 36, and so is the Composite. Under the current rule, the Composite is the average of your English, Math and Reading scale scores. If the average ends in a fraction below 0.5 it rounds down; at 0.5 or more it rounds up. A 24, 24 and 25 average 24.33 and give a Composite of 24, while a 24, 25 and 25 average 24.67 and give 25.
Science is optional and is no longer part of the Composite. ACT phased this change in from April 2025 and applied it to every test mode by September 2025. Optional Science and Writing results are reported separately from the Composite.
This calculator takes scale scores, not the number of questions you answered correctly. The conversion from raw score to scale score differs from one test form to the next, so we do not invent a table. To convert a raw score, use the table in the official scoring key for your own test form.
See how we calculate for the formulas, sources and review schedule behind every calculator.
Also useful alongside this calculator: Average Calculator and Percentage Calculator.
The older four-section rule
Before the 2025 change, the Composite was the average of all four sections: English, Math, Reading and Science. Score reports and college materials from earlier test dates still use that rule, so the calculator includes a clearly labelled mode for it.
With four sections, an exact half can appear. Scores of 20, 21, 22 and 23 sum to 86, and 86 divided by 4 is 21.5, which rounds up to a Composite of 22. With three sections an average can never end in exactly 0.5, because a sum divided by 3 ends in .0, .33 or .67.
Use the older mode only to check a score from an earlier test date. For a test taken under the current rule, use the default mode and leave Science out of the Composite.
Planning the gap to a target
When you enter a target Composite, the calculator shows the gap: the target minus your Composite, or 0 if you have already reached it. It also shows the lowest score each section would need if the other sections stayed exactly as they are.
Take English 26, Math 24 and Reading 28, a Composite of 26, with a target of 27. To round to 27 the average must reach 26.5, so the three scores must sum to at least 80. English would need 28, Math 26 or Reading 30. A section is marked not reachable if even a 36 would not be enough.
These figures are arithmetic, not predictions. Real improvement usually spreads across sections, and the numbers only show what each section would have to reach on its own.
Several test dates
Many students take the ACT more than once, and colleges handle several attempts in different ways. Some use the highest Composite, and some combine the best section scores from different dates. Policies differ and change, so read each college’s own admissions page before relying on either method.
To compare options, run the calculator once for each test date, or once with the best section scores from different dates. It adds only the numbers you enter and does not know which method a school uses.
Sources
Official and primary sources for the statements on this page. Their authors have not reviewed or endorsed this page.
- ACT, Inc. Understanding Your ACT Scores (web page, checked November 4, 2026). States that the Composite is the average of the English, math and reading scores, rounded to the nearest whole number (fractions under one-half round down, one-half or more rounds up), on a 1 to 36 scale, with Science an optional section score outside the Composite since the 2025 change
Raw-to-scale conversion is not included because it differs for every test form; use the official scoring key.
The four-section mode reflects the rule before September 2025 and is offered for older score reports only.
How to use the ACT Score Calculator
- Choose the Composite rule: current (English, Math, Reading) or the older four-section rule.
- Enter each section scale score from 1 to 36.
- Optionally enter a target Composite to see the gap.
- Read your Composite, then use Copy, Print or Share.
Worked example
A student scores 26 in English, 24 in Math and 28 in Reading. The sum is 78, and 78 divided by 3 is exactly 26, so the Composite is 26. To reach a target of 27, the average must reach 26.5, which needs a sum of at least 80.
| English | Math | Reading | Average | Composite |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 | 24 | 25 | 24.33 | 24 |
| 24 | 25 | 25 | 24.67 | 25 |
| 20 | 21 | 22 | 21 | 21 |
| 26 | 24 | 28 | 26 | 26 |
| 30 | 32 | 31 | 31 | 31 |
| 36 | 36 | 36 | 36 | 36 |
Frequently asked questions
What is a perfect ACT score?
A Composite of 36, which needs a scale score near the top of every counted section.
Does Science count toward the ACT Composite?
Not any more. Since the 2025 change, the Composite averages English, Math and Reading, and Science is reported separately as an optional section.
How is the ACT Composite rounded?
The average is rounded to the nearest whole number. A fraction below 0.5 rounds down, and 0.5 or more rounds up.
Can this calculator turn my raw score into a scale score?
No. The raw-to-scale conversion differs for each test form, so use the table in the official scoring key for your own form.
Are my numbers stored or sent anywhere?
No. The calculation runs in your browser and nothing you enter is saved or uploaded.