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

ACT Test Scores Scoring? ›

ACT Test Score Ranges

Is 27 a good score on the ACT test? ›

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.

Is 28 on ACT good? ›

Looking at this from that percentage angle, an ACT score of 28 puts you at the 88th percentile — that means you scored higher than 88% of all test takers, of which there are nearly 2 million. All that considered, a 28 is definitely a good score! Congratulations!

Is 33 a good ACT score? ›

A 33 puts you at the 98th percentile, meaning you scored higher than 98% of all test takers! Congratulations! You're also qualified for a sizable amount of merit aid, which can really help pay off college tuition.

Is 32 ACT good? ›

All that considered, yes, 32 is a good ACT score. To show you just how good, we have to look at the percentiles. A 32 ACT score puts you at the 97th percentile — that means you scored higher than 97% all test takers!

Can I get into Harvard with a 27 ACT? ›

To summarize, while there's no exact "cutoff" ACT score at Harvard, at such a selective institution you likely need to be at least in the 33-34 range to present yourself as a competitive candidate. However, even students with perfect ACT scores are not guaranteed admission.

Should I retake the ACT if I got a 27? ›

If you plan to attend a school with low (or no) ACT score requirements or a community college, you probably don't need to retake the ACT. For a highly selective school like Harvard or Columbia, you should aim for a considerably higher-than-average ACT score, say, between 34 and 36.

Is a 28 ACT good enough for Ivy League? ›

For example, Ivy League schools are highly selective and tend to admit students with ACT composite scores 33 to 35, as reported by the College Board. Other highly selective institutions have comparable standards, like Boston University (31 to 34) and the University of Chicago (34 to 35).

Is a 29 on the ACT bad? ›

A 29 ACT score puts you in the 91st percentile — that means you scored higher than 91% of all test takers. That's a brilliant accomplishment and you should be proud!

Is a 30 bad on the ACT? ›

Because of all this, a 30 ACT score is definitely considered good! To help you understand your standing within all test takers, a score of 30 on the ACT puts you at the 93rd percentile, meaning you scored higher than 93% of all test takers.

Will a 33 ACT get me into Harvard? ›

Average ACT: 34

There's no absolute ACT requirement at Harvard, but they really want to see at least a 34 to have a chance at being considered.

What is the lowest ACT score colleges will accept? ›

In general, the lowest ACT score that colleges will accept varies from institution to institution. However, most colleges have a minimum requirement of 18 or 20 on the ACT.

Can I get into an Ivy League with a 32 ACT? ›

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.

How impressive is a 36 ACT? ›

A 36 ACT score is most certainly good — in fact, it's great. It's the best possible score! A 36 ACT score makes you eligible to apply as a competitive candidate at all institutions — this includes elite and selective colleges and universities, as well. On top of that, you can expect a sizable amount of merit aid.

How rare is a 32 on the ACT? ›

How Many People Get a 36 on the ACT?
ACT ScorePercentilePercentage
32961.69%
31941.92%
30922.24%
29902.39%
4 more rows

Is the ACT or SAT harder? ›

The SAT is not harder than the ACT. Both tests vary slightly in terms of subjects covered and structure. These variations can affect each test taker differently, making one exam more challenging than the other. Taking full-length practice tests of each type can help you determine which may be best suited for you.

What is a 27 on ACT equivalent to? ›

ACT/SAT Equivalency Table
SATACT Composite Score
1260-129027
1230-125026
1200-122025
1160-119024
23 more rows

What GPA is a 27 ACT? ›

Conversion Between ACT Scores and GPA
ACT Composite ScoreGPA (4.0 Scale)
303.98
293.97
283.95
273.93
32 more rows

How many colleges can you get into with a 27 ACT score? ›

27 ACT Score Standings

Out of the 1.91 million test-takers, 248925 scored the same or higher than you. You can apply to 1266 colleges and have a good shot at getting admitted. You have a very low chance of getting into 241 schools with this score.

What is the lowest ACT score? ›

Minimum score is 1 and maximum score is 36. NOTE: Data in this table represent the 50 states and the District of Columbia.

References

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