The New ACT Superscore

As of April 2021, the ACT is offering a new superscore option that is available to all students who have taken the ACT more than one time since September 2016. The superscore option can have a huge impact on how colleges and universities evaluate your test scores to make admission decisions, so it is a great idea to be familiar with the changes and how they may impact your score.

How Does the Superscore Affect Students?

In general, the ACT superscore is beneficial to students. It takes the average of your four best subject scores from each ACT test attempt and uses it to calculate your official ACT score. Scores from state, district, and international testing sites are all used to make the final calculation. The benefit to students through this process is that the one score shows the best reflection of your abilities, ensuring that you are putting your best foot forward when applying for admission. Since many colleges, universities, and scholarships are competitive and merit-based, using this superscore can be advantageous for those who have put multiple efforts into taking the ACT to help meet their academic goals.

How Do the Superscore and Composite Scores Differ?

The superscore is different from the Composite score that students receive after each test attempt. The Composite score is the average of the four subject scores from one ACT attempt. The superscore is the average of your best scores from each subject across multiple test attempts. This process means that the superscore can never be lower than a single Composite score. The writing score from the ACT is not factored into the superscore, but it will remain part of the Composite score.

Is the Superscore Useful and Fair?

The move to adopt the superscore was carefully considered before it was implemented. While there were some initial concerns that the use of only the best scores could overstate a student’s capabilities, research has shown that the superscore is better at predicting success in college than other dimensions of scoring. It has also been demonstrated to be fair to all students, regardless of gender, race/ethnicity, family income, and parent education levels.

Is the Superscore Accepted by All Institutions?

The introduction of the superscore offers many benefits to students applying for post-secondary educational institutions and scholarships, but it should be noted that not all schools use the superscore. You will want to determine how your chosen schools view scores before taking the ACT exam to ensure that your test score meets their admission requirements.