ACT Composite
28
STEM score
30
The average of English, math and reading. Science has its own score and does not count. STEM is the average of math and science.
(28 + 31 + 26) / 3 = 28.33, rounds to 28STEM: (31 + 29) / 2 = 30, rounds to 30
How the ACT Composite is calculated
Each section is scored from 1 to 36. Add your English, math and reading scores, divide by 3 and round. ACT rounds fractions under one-half down and fractions of one-half or more up.
If you take the science section, you also get a STEM score: the average of math and science, rounded the same way. The optional writing test is scored 2 to 12 and never changes the Composite.
Worked examples
Example 1: the current rule
Problem English 28, math 31, reading 26, science 29. What are the Composite and STEM scores?
- Average English, math and reading.
- The fraction is under one-half, so round down. Science does not enter the Composite.
- STEM averages math and science.
Answer Composite 28, STEM 30
Example 2: a legacy test and a one-half
Problem A test from before the change: English 25, math 26, reading 25, science 26. What was the Composite?
- The legacy rule averages all four sections.
- Exactly one-half rounds up.
Answer Composite 26
ACT score ranges
| Score | Range | In the Composite? |
|---|---|---|
| English | 1 to 36 | Yes |
| Math | 1 to 36 | Yes |
| Reading | 1 to 36 | Yes |
| Science (optional) | 1 to 36 | No, since 2025 |
| STEM (math and science) | 1 to 36 | No |
| Writing (optional) | 2 to 12 | No |
| Composite | 1 to 36 | It is the Composite |
Frequently asked questions
Does science count in the ACT Composite?
Not anymore. Since September 2025 every ACT test calculates the Composite from English, math and reading only. Science is optional; if you take it you get a science score and a STEM score. Some colleges still ask for science, so check each college's testing page.
How does ACT round the Composite?
ACT averages your section scores and rounds to the nearest whole number. Fractions less than one-half round down and fractions of one-half or more round up. With three sections the average never lands exactly on one-half, so 28.33 becomes 28 and 30.67 becomes 31.
Is my old ACT score still valid?
Yes. ACT does not recalculate Composite scores from tests taken before the change, and it says old and new Composites can be used interchangeably. Use the legacy box in the calculator to check a score from an older test.
How does the ACT superscore work now?
An ACT superscore averages your best English, math and reading scores from any test dates, legacy or enhanced, rounded the same way. Science still appears on the report but is not part of the superscore Composite.
What SAT score matches my ACT Composite?
Use the official ACT/SAT concordance. For example, an ACT 29 matches an SAT 1340. The SAT to ACT conversion tool looks up any score both ways.
Sources
- ACT: Understanding your ACT scores, accessed October 1, 2026
- ACT: The enhanced ACT test, educator guide (PDF), accessed October 1, 2026
- ACT: Interpreting scores on the enhanced ACT (PDF), accessed October 1, 2026
