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Scoring is where a lot of enhanced-ACT confusion hides. The composite no longer includes science, superscoring can blend old and new tests, and practice tests must be scored with their own form-specific keys. This guide walks through the arithmetic with original worked examples. If you need the broader format first, start with our Enhanced ACT guide.
Facts verified against ACT’s official publications on October 1–2, 2026.
Raw vs. scaled scores
A raw score is simply the number of scored questions you answered correctly. A scaled score is the 1–36 score ACT reports for each section. ACT converts raw scores to scaled scores through a form-specific equating process, so a given raw count does not map to the same scaled score on every test form.
Do not trust a universal “raw score to ACT score” table for the enhanced ACT. Official scoring keys are form-specific, and the sections also contain unscored field-test items you cannot identify. In addition, ACT has not published an official ACT-to-SAT concordance for the enhanced ACT; the existing concordance tables cover the legacy ACT and the pre-digital SAT.
The EMR composite (worked example 1)
Your composite is the rounded average of your three required section scores: English, math, and reading (often called EMR). Each section is reported on the 1–36 scale. Science and writing sit outside the composite.
| Section | Scaled score |
|---|---|
| English | 24 |
| Math | 27 |
| Reading | 26 |
Add the three section scores: 24 + 27 + 26 = 77. Divide by 3: 77 ÷ 3 = 25.67. Round to the nearest whole number: composite = 26.
ACT rounds the average using standard rounding rules. A mean of 25.50 rounds up to 26; a mean of 25.49 rounds down to 25. The inputs must be scaled section scores, not raw counts or percentages.
Superscoring (worked examples 2 and 3)
If you take the ACT more than once, ACT automatically calculates a superscore using your best English, best math, and best reading from any combination of attempts. The superscore composite is the rounded average of those three best section scores. Optional science and writing are excluded from the superscore composite.
Worked example 2: two enhanced tests
| Section | Attempt A | Attempt B | Best for superscore |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | 22 | 24 | 24 |
| Math | 25 | 23 | 25 |
| Reading | 24 | 26 | 26 |
| Composite | 24 | 24 | — |
The superscore takes the best of each section: 24 + 25 + 26 = 75. Divide by 3: 75 ÷ 3 = 25. Superscore composite = 25, one point higher than either single-test composite.
Worked example 3: mixing legacy and enhanced tests
ACT allows superscoring across legacy and enhanced tests: the best English, math, and reading scores are used regardless of which version produced them.
| Section | Legacy attempt | Enhanced attempt | Best for superscore |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | 21 | 25 | 25 |
| Math | 24 | 22 | 24 |
| Reading | 23 | 25 | 25 |
| Composite | Not shown | 24 | — |
The mixed superscore is 25 + 24 + 25 = 74. Divide by 3: 74 ÷ 3 = 24.67. Superscore composite = 25. Science and writing scores from either attempt are reported separately but do not enter the superscore composite.
Science, STEM, writing, and ELA scores
Science and writing are optional add-ons. Each is scored and reported on its own, but neither affects your composite.
- Science score: reported separately on the 1–36 scale if you take the science section. It is excluded from the composite and from the superscore composite.
- STEM score: reported only if you take science. It combines math and science into a single score.
- Writing score: reported on a 2–12 scale if you take the optional writing test. It is the rounded average of four domain scores. It does not affect your composite.
- ELA score: reported only if you take English, reading, and writing together. It combines those three sections into a single score.
Because the composite and superscore composite use English, math, and reading only, a strong science score will help your STEM report but will not raise your composite. Likewise, a strong writing score helps your ELA report but does not raise your composite.
For context, ACT’s 2026–2027 national ranks list these composite anchors: 30 = 94th percentile, 25 = 83rd percentile, and 22 = 72nd percentile. ACT does not label that column “EMR,” even though the enhanced composite is calculated from English, math, and reading only. Percentiles compare you to the national cohort, not to the students at a specific college, so use them as a rough benchmark and check the middle-50% ranges published by the schools on your list.
Interpreting practice-test scores
Each official enhanced-ACT practice form must be scored with its own key. The free forms ACT publishes use these form codes:
| Practice test | Form code | Scoring key |
|---|---|---|
| Practice Test 1 | 25MC1 | Form-specific key |
| Practice Test 2 | 25MC5 | Form-specific key |
| Practice Test 3 | 26MC2 | Form-specific key |
| Practice Test 4 | 26MC3 | Form-specific key |
Use the key that matches the form. A key from 25MC1 will give the wrong scaled scores for 26MC3. Likewise, do not drop the science section from a legacy practice test and try to estimate an enhanced composite — ACT has not published a conversion for that, and each form is equated separately.
Treat each practice test as a snapshot, not a guarantee. The score you get today reflects that form, that day’s fatigue, and that day’s pacing. The trend across several timed, correctly scored forms is more reliable than any single number.
References
- [1] ACT, Inc. (2025). Interpreting Scores on the Enhanced ACT. act.org. act.org
- [2] ACT, Inc. (2026). ACT Superscore FAQs. act.org. act.org
- [3] ACT, Inc. (2026). Free ACT Practice Tests and Test Prep. act.org. act.org
- [4] ACT, Inc. (2026). The ACT Test — Test Overview. act.org. act.org
- [5] ACT, Inc. (2026). ACT Score National Ranks 2026–2027. act.org.
- [6] ACT, Inc. and College Board (2018). ACT and SAT Concordance Tables. act.org. act.org
- [7] ACT, Inc. (2026). Design Framework for the ACT Enhancements (R2519). act.org. act.org
Frequently asked questions
It is the rounded average of your English, math, and reading scaled scores, each on a 1–36 scale. For example, 24 + 27 + 26 = 77, divided by 3 = 25.67, which rounds to a composite of 26. Science and writing are not included.
A superscore is the rounded average of your best English, best math, and best reading scores across all your ACT attempts since September 2016. Science and writing are excluded from the superscore composite.
Yes. ACT’s superscore calculation uses your best section scores regardless of whether they came from a legacy or enhanced test.
The STEM score combines your math and science scores. It is reported only if you take the optional science section.
The ELA score combines your English, reading, and writing scores. It is reported only if you take all three of those sections, including the optional writing test.
It depends on your target colleges. National percentile anchors for 2026–2027 are roughly: composite 30 = 94th percentile, 25 = 83rd percentile, and 22 = 72nd percentile. Compare your score to the middle-50% ranges published by the schools you are considering.
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