In some cases, though, it is easiest to use the 31 to 36 range of composite scores because it best aligns with the 1400 to 1600 range on the SAT. ACT does still produce figures for each composite and section score. Instead, we must make do with ranges-1400 to 1600 for total score and 700 to 800 for Math and Evidenced-based Reading & Writing (ERW). It has become more difficult to distinguish oneself with high scores.Ĭollege Board stopped reporting the number of students at each point along the scale. A high score is no less of an achievement from an academic standpoint, but it is an achievement shared by a wider set of students. Students, parents, counselors, and even admission offices, may need to reconsider their confidence about what a “great” score is. The increase fits a historical trend for both the SAT and ACT that shows no signs of abating. While the size of last year’s change was unusual, its direction was not. For the class of 2018, 145,000 fell in this range-a 71% jump in a single year! In the class of 2017, College Board reported 85,000 students scored between 14. The story that has been overlooked is the surge in top scores.

The SAT regained momentum last year, and once more became the most popular-if that’s the right word-admission test. Compass has examined, in-depth, how this trend has been shaped, why it accelerated in 2018, and what impact it has on admissions. In just the last 5 years, the number of students scoring 1500–1600 or 34–36 has doubled. In the last 10 years, the number of students scoring 1400–1600 on the SAT or 31–36 on the ACT doubled. With the release of class of 2018 results from both ACT and College Board, we can now say definitively that students saw the most competitive scores ever. Much of the discussion revolved around how unpredictable things seemed, especially when it came to test scores.

When admission letters came in last spring, there was more head-scratching than usual among counselors and families.

Act good score range