Introduction
What is a good ACT score?
ACT: About the Exam
- The ACTis an abbreviation given to the American College Testing. This is a standardized examination whose scores are used by candidates to seek admission in the colleges of the United States.
- Since it was first introduced in 1959, numerous changes have been made in the Act exam pattern and the scores by the Act, the non-profit organization that administers the exam.
- The four sections of the exam, namely; English, Mathematics, Social Studies, and Natural Sciences are individually scored on a scale from1 to 36.
- The rounded whole number which is the average of the all the four sections is provided to the candidates as the composite ACT score.
- Every candidate dream of a top college to seek admission in and this comes only with a good ACT score. It then becomes crucial to know what good score shall mean.
ACT
What is a good ACT score - Score Percentiles:
What is a good ACT score - Key Findings:
- The composite score of 1 to 36 shall correspond to a percentile that will compare the scores of the candidates with the general population of ACT candidates.
- In simple words, a higher percentile shall mean that a candidate has scored higher than that percentage of total candidates.
| Score | English Percentile | Mathematics Percentile | Reading Percentile | Science Percentile | Composite Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 10 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 13 | 18 | 3 | 13 | 10 | 9 |
| 16 | 36 | 31 | 28 | 25 | 27 |
| 18 | 44 | 48 | 38 | 37 | 40 |
| 20 | 52 | 57 | 49 | 50 | 52 |
| 22 | 64 | 65 | 60 | 64 | 64 |
| 24 | 75 | 74 | 70 | 77 | 74 |
| 26 | 82 | 83 | 77 | 86 | 82 |
| 28 | 86 | 91 | 82 | 90 | 88 |
| 30 | 90 | 95 | 87 | 94 | 93 |
| 34 | 96 | 99 | 97 | 98 | 99 |
| 36 | 99 | 99 | 99 | 99 | 99 |
- The Act scores follow a normal distribution. In other words, the candidate’s performance tends to cluster around the middle of the scale.
- Fewer candidates score towards the higher end or, the lower end of the score scale.
- Since the average here is 20.8, the candidates who have scored 21 have scored higher than 50 percent of the candidates.
- Again the average is 20.8 at the 50th percentile. Therefore, a score of 24 shall mean that the candidate has scored better than 74 percent of candidates.
- Further, 28 scores shall mean that the candidate has scored better than 88 percent of candidates.
- Similarly, 30 scores shall mean that the candidate has scored better than 93 percent of candidates.
- A score of 35 or above is truly a phenomenal score and lies in the [latex]{99}^{th}[/latex]percentile.
What is a good ACT score - Good’ ACT Score:
What is a good ACT score - Key Findings:
- Naturally, the higher the score, the more likely it is for candidates to seek admission and excel in college.
- Since candidates take the ACT exam to seek the admission, it becomes crucial for them what is the good score that shall help them seek admission in the top schools of the United States.
| University Name | [latex]{25}^{th}[/latex] Percentile Scores | [latex]{75}^{th}[/latex] Percentile Scores |
|---|---|---|
| Princeton University | 32 | 35 |
| University of Chicago | 32 | 35 |
| Harvard University | 32 | 35 |
| Stanford University | 31 | 35 |
| Yale University | 31 | 35 |
| Columbia University | 32 | 35 |
| Duke University | 31 | 34 |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) | 33 | 35 |
| Johns Hopkins University | 32 | 34 |
| University of Pennsylvania | 31 | 34 |
- It is hard to decide on a good score. For instance, a 29 is an above average score. However, it is quite low if the candidate wants to seek admission in one of the super-selective institutes like Stanford, Duke MIT, and so on.
- The same score of 29 is incredibly high if the candidate wants to seek admission in less selective schools like the University of Southern Indiana, and so on.
- Moreover, some universities give scholarships to students who score well in the ACT exam. For instance, Baylor University provides a scholarship of $41,996 to students who manage to achieve a perfect 36 score.
- In addition to this, candidates who have a lower Grade Point Average (GPA) at school can seek admission in, particularly selective institutions by securing a higher ACT score.
Note:Therefore, a good ACT score is relative for each candidate and is based on the college the candidates aspiring to seek admission in and gain scholarships.