Free ACT score tool
ACT Composite Score Calculator
Average your English, Math and Reading scores the way ACT does, or start from raw scores on an official practice test. Science is shown separately and never changes the current Composite.
- ACT rounding rules
- Enhanced and Legacy formulas
- What-if planner
Your ACT Composite score
30/36
- Sum of counted scores
- 89
- Average
- 29.67
- STEM score
(30 + 28 + 31) ÷ 3 = 29.67. The fraction is one half or more, so it rounds up to 30.
No Composite yet
What if a section score changed?
Move a slider to see how a different section score would change the Composite. This is arithmetic, not a prediction of the score you will earn.
With these scores your Composite would be 30, the same as now.
How the ACT Composite score is calculated
Composite = (English + Math + Reading) ÷ 3, rounded to the nearest whole number
On the current enhanced ACT, the Composite is the average of your English, Math and Reading scale scores. ACT rounds a fraction below one half down and a fraction of one half or more up. Because three whole numbers are averaged, the fraction is always .00, .33 or .67, so a Composite never lands exactly on a half.
| English + Math + Reading | Average | Composite | Rounding |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 + 28 + 31 = 89 | 29.67 | 30 | Rounded up |
| 30 + 28 + 30 = 88 | 29.33 | 29 | Rounded down |
| 22 + 26 + 25 = 73 | 24.33 | 24 | Rounded down |
| 36 + 35 + 35 = 106 | 35.33 | 35 | Rounded down |
From raw scores
A Composite can only be calculated from scale scores. If you have raw scores, each one must first go through the official conversion table for the test you took. Averaging percentages of questions correct gives a different, incorrect answer. Choose I have raw scores above to do both steps with ACT's tables.
Enhanced and legacy scoring rules
| Rule | Sections averaged | Science |
|---|---|---|
| Enhanced ACT | English, Math, Reading | Optional; reported on its own and in the STEM score |
| Legacy ACT | English, Math, Reading, Science | Required; one quarter of the Composite |
ACT began leaving Science out of the Composite for National online testing in April 2025, and from September 2025 every ACT test uses the three-section calculation when new Composite scores and superscores are generated. Tests reported earlier used the four-section average. If you are unsure which applies to a past score, use the Composite on your official ACT score report.
The STEM score is the rounded average of Math and Science. Add a Science score above to see it.
Common mistakes
- Including Science in a current Composite. It changes the answer, so this calculator only counts it under the Legacy rules.
- Rounding 29.67 down. Any fraction of one half or more rounds up.
- Averaging raw scores. Convert each section to its scale score first.
Sources and verification
Every value this calculator shows comes from the official documents below. We copied each table from the source, then checked every entry against a fresh download of the same document on October 28, 2026. Nothing is estimated or interpolated.
- Understanding Your ACT ScoresACT Education Corp.. Composite and STEM calculation, rounding and the Science change
- ACT National Online Practice Test 1 Scoring Key and Conversion Tables (QU04003-1)ACT Education Corp.. Composite worksheet and the raw-score tables used in raw-score mode
- ACT National Online Practice Test 2 Scoring Key (QU04003-2)ACT Education Corp.
- ACT Online Practice Test 3 Scoring Key (QU04003-3)ACT Education Corp.
- ACT Online Practice Test 4 Scoring Key (QU04003-4)ACT Education Corp.
Found a value that no longer matches an official source? Tell us and we will recheck it.
Related tools and guides
Composite score questions
Got questions? We have answers.
Short, direct answers about this part of the site and the ACT itself.
How is the ACT Composite score calculated?
Add your English, Math and Reading scale scores, divide by 3 and round to the nearest whole number. For example, 30 + 28 + 31 = 89, and 89 ÷ 3 = 29.67, which rounds up to a Composite of 30.
Does ACT Science count toward the Composite?
Not on the current enhanced ACT. Science is optional and is reported as its own score and as part of the STEM score (the average of Math and Science). On the Legacy ACT, Science was one of the four sections averaged into the Composite.
How does ACT rounding work?
A fraction below one half rounds down and a fraction of one half or more rounds up. With three sections the average always ends in .00, .33 or .67; with the four Legacy sections it can end in .25, .50 or .75, and .50 rounds up.
Can I calculate my ACT Composite from raw scores?
Yes, if you know which test you took. Each raw score must be converted to a scale score with that test's own table first. Choose "I have raw scores" and an official ACT practice test, and the calculator does both steps.
Which formula applies to a test I took before the change?
Tests reported before the change used the four-section Legacy average. ACT says it now uses the three-section calculation whenever it generates new Composite and superscores, so check your official score report for the Composite that colleges receive.