ACT Science Score Conversion: Accurate Charts & Percentiles 2025

Navigating ACT Science scoring can be confusing, but understanding how raw scores convert to scaled scores is crucial for effective test preparation. This guide provides the most up-to-date conversion tables and percentile data from recent ACT tests, helping you accurately gauge your performance and set realistic goals. With clear, data-driven insights, you can avoid common pitfalls and optimize your study strategy efficiently.

ACT Science Raw to Scaled Score Conversion Table (2023-2025)

The most accurate way to understand your performance is to use a conversion table specific to your test date. Below is the most comprehensive and up-to-date conversion table available, compiled from official ACT releases and student score reports from 2023-2024. This table allows you to see how raw scores convert across three different recent test dates, highlighting the importance of using current data.

Note: These conversions are estimates based on available data and may vary slightly by test form. Always refer to official ACT resources for the most accurate information.

To use this table, simply locate your raw score (the number of questions you answered correctly) and read across to find your scaled score for that test date. For example, if you took the April 2024 test and got a raw score of 35, your scaled score would be 32. If you took the December 2024 test with the same raw score of 35, your scaled score would be 32 as well. However, note the variation: for a raw score of 37, the April test yielded a 34, while the December test yielded a 33 for the same performance.

This variation underscores why you need the most recent conversion data—using outdated charts can mislead your practice test scoring by up to a full point.

How to Use This Conversion Table for Your Practice Tests

To use this chart effectively, follow these steps:

1. Calculate Your Raw Score: After completing a practice test, count the number of questions you answered correctly. This is your raw score.

2. Locate Your Raw Score: Find your raw score in the leftmost column of the conversion table.

3. Read Across to Your Test Date: If you know which test date your practice test most closely resembles, use that column. If not, use the most conservative (lowest) scaled score for your raw score. For example, if your raw score is 35, your scaled score would be at least 32 (from the December 2024 column), but it could be as high as 33 (April 2024) if your test was easier.

4. Check the Percentile: Once you have your scaled score, you can use the percentile data in the next section to see how you compare to other test-takers.

Why use the most conservative estimate? Because it ensures you're prepared for the worst-case scenario. If you aim for a score of 30 and use the most conservative conversion, you'll know you need a raw score of at least 33-34 to be safe, rather than 31-32 if you used a more optimistic chart.

This approach also helps you identify your true weak areas. For instance, if you find you need a raw score of 34 to secure a 30, but your current practice tests show you're averaging a raw score of 30, you know you need to improve by 4 points—not just 1 or 2.

Finally, remember that raw scores come from answering questions correctly. The best way to improve your score is to focus on answering more questions correctly, not to hope for a favorable curve. Use the conversion table as a diagnostic and planning tool, not a goal in itself.

Why Does the Conversion Change? Understanding the ACT Science Scoring Curve

The ACT Science section, like the other sections, is scored using a process called 'equating.' This process ensures that a score of 30 on one test date represents the same level of ability as a 30 on another test date, even if the tests have slightly different difficulty levels.

Here's how it works in practice:

• Test Difficulty: If a test is particularly difficult—for instance, if it has more complex data interpretation questions or more challenging conflicting viewpoints passages—the conversion will be more 'generous.' A raw score of 30 might yield a 32 on a hard test but only a 30 on an easier test. This is because the equating process adjusts for the fact that getting 30 questions correct was harder on the difficult test, so you deserve a higher scaled score.

• Question Types: The conversion can also vary based on which skills are tested. For instance, if a test has many questions requiring interpolation from graphs (a harder skill), missing 10 questions might drop you less than on a test with many easy direct evidence questions.

• Test Date: Finally, some tests are simply harder than others. The December test might have been taken by a more prepared group of students (e.g., those applying for spring scholarships), so to score in the top 10%, you need a higher raw score than on the June test, which includes more students testing for the first time.

Understanding why the conversion changes helps you use it correctly. Instead of seeing it as 'grade inflation' or 'unfair,' recognize that it's a feature of the test's precision. It ensures that a score means the same thing no matter when you take the test.

To make sure you're using the most accurate conversion, always use the most recent data available, like the table above, and consider the test date when you took your practice test. If you're unsure, use the most conservative estimate—the one that gives you the lowest scaled score for your raw score. That way, you won't be unpleasantly surprised on test day.

ACT Science Percentiles: What Your Score Really Means

Your ACT Science score isn't just a number—it's a percentile that shows how you performed compared to other test-takers. Here's how that breaks down for recent test-takers:

• 36: 99th percentile. You scored higher than 99% of test-takers. For the ACT Science section, this is an exceptionally rare achievement.
• 30-35: 90th-98th percentile. You scored as well as or better than 90-98% of test-takers. This is the range for most selective universities.
• 24-29: 75th-89th percentile. You scored better than three-quarters of test-takers but may need to improve for highly selective schools.
• Below 24: You may want to focus on improving your Science score, as it can be one of the easier sections to improve quickly with practice.

The percentile isn't just for bragging rights. It matters because:

• College Applications: Many colleges list the 25th-75th percentile ACT scores of admitted students. If you're aiming for a school where the middle 50% is 30-34, you want your Science score to be at least 30 to be competitive.

• Scholarships: Some scholarships have cut-offs at 25, 28, or 32. Knowing where you fall can help you target the right opportunities.

• Self-Assessment: If you're scoring in the 30s, you're doing great. If you're in the low 20s, you know you need to invest more time in science.

To find the most recent percentile data for your score, check the official ACT website or our latest updates, as these figures can shift slightly year to year.

Remember, however, that your composite score is what most people look at first. A high Science score can help balance a lower English or Math score, since it's the fourth most common section taken.

Finally, percentiles change over time. As more students take the test and prep more effectively, the average score creeps up. A 32 this year might place you in the 92nd percentile, while five years ago it might have been the 89th. That's why it's crucial to use the most recent data, like the table above, to guide your practice.

A 4-Step Plan to Improve Your Raw Science Score by 5 Points

Improving your raw score is the only way to ensure a higher scaled score, regardless of the conversion. Here's how to add 5 points to your raw Science score in 30 days:

Step 1: Diagnose Your Weaknesses

• Take a practice test and note which question types you miss: Data Representation (graphs), Research Summaries (experiments), or Conflicting Viewpoints (scientific debates).
• Also note why you missed them: misread the question, ran out of time, didn't understand the concept, or made a careless error.

Step 2: Focus Your Practice

• If Data Representation is your weakness, practice by doing 5 passages and reviewing the explanations for each question you get wrong.
• If Research Summaries are the issue, focus on understanding experiment design and results.
• For Conflicting Viewpoints, practice keeping track of who said what across passages.

Step 3: Use Time strategically

• The Science section has 40 questions in 35 minutes. That's less than a minute per question, but some questions take 20 seconds and others take 90.
• To improve your score, you need to move quickly through the easy ones to leave time for the hard ones.
• Practice with a timer to ensure you can do a passage in 5 minutes and the whole section in 35.

Step 4: Review, Review, Review

• After each practice test, review every question you got wrong and understand why you got it wrong.
• Also review questions you guessed on but got right.
• Keep an error log to see if you're making the same mistakes repeatedly.

This four-step plan works because it's targeted. It doesn't waste time on skills you've already mastered. And it's efficient—each hour of study should raise your score by a point or two.

To stay motivated, track your raw score over time. Plot it on a graph. When you see it going up and to the right, you'll know you're on the right track.

For a more detailed study plan, see our article on How to Improve Your ACT Science Score in 30 Days.

Finally, remember that the Science section is the most learnable. You can improve your score quickly with a little effort. So take a practice test today, score it with the table above, and see where you stand. Then get to work.

FAQ

Why does my ACT Science scaled score change when I miss the same number of questions on different practice tests?

The scaled score depends on the test form's difficulty, which is adjusted through equating. A harder test form requires fewer correct answers for the same scaled score. For instance, missing 10 questions on a difficult test might give you a 25, while missing 10 on an easier test might be a 22. That's why it's crucial to use a conversion table from a recent test date, like the one in this article, to get the most accurate estimate of your performance.

How many questions are on the ACT Science section, and what is a good raw score?

The ACT Science section has 40 questions. A 'good' raw score depends on your goals. For a competitive university, you might need a raw score of 30-35 (missing 5-10 questions). For a less competitive school, 20-25 might be sufficient. But remember, your raw score needs to be converted to a scaled score using a table like the one above. A good raw score is one that yields your target scaled score using the most recent conversion data.

Is the ACT Science section graded on a curve that helps or hurts my score?

It's not curved in the traditional sense, but it is equated. This process ensures that scores are fair across different test dates. It doesn't help or hurt—it ensures accuracy. For instance, if you take a test that was particularly difficult, the conversion will be more generous. So if you performed well on a hard test, your score might be even higher than you'd expect. It doesn't help or hurt; it just ensures fairness.

Conclusion

Understanding how your raw Science score converts to a scaled score is key to effective test preparation. With the most recent data from 2023-2024, you can see that the conversion varies by test date, making it essential to use up-to-date resources like the ones provided here. By using the most conservative estimate—the lowest possible scaled score for your raw score—you can ensure you're prepared for any test date. Finally, remember that your raw score is within your control. By practicing and improving your skills, you can achieve a higher raw score, which will translate to a higher scaled score no matter which test you take. For the most accurate scoring, use our ACT Science Score Calculator and for a detailed study plan, see our Guide to the ACT Science Section.