Who grades the ACT?

Just curious, do any of you know who grades the ACT, and how the scoring process works? Are there any tips for understanding the ACT scoring system better?

The ACT is graded by teams of qualified and trained professionals, who are often teachers or educators with experience in the specific content area they are evaluating. The scoring process for the ACT is standardized, and the evaluators receive specific guidelines and criteria to ensure consistency and fairness in scoring.

Here's a brief overview of how the ACT scoring process works:

1. Multiple-Choice Sections (English, Math, Reading, and Science): These sections are graded by scanning machines, which simply calculate the number of correct responses and provide a raw score. There are no deductions for incorrect answers, so it's beneficial to answer every question, even if you need to guess.

2. Writing Section (optional): The ACT Writing section is evaluated by two independent scorers who provide a score on a scale of 1-6, based on specific criteria such as organization, language use, and development of ideas. The scores from both scorers are combined to create a final Writing score out of 12 points.

To understand the ACT scoring system better, it's important to know the difference between raw scores, scaled scores, and composite scores:

1. Raw Scores: This is the basic tally of the number of questions you got correct in each section. These scores are not reported on your official score report.

2. Scaled Scores: The raw scores are converted into scaled scores in a range from 1 to 36 for each of the four multiple-choice sections (English, Math, Reading, and Science). The process of scaling accounts for differences in difficulty between test versions.

3. Composite Score: The composite score is the average of the four scaled scores (rounded to the nearest whole number), and it also falls in the range of 1 to 36. This is the number that most people refer to when discussing their overall ACT score.

To improve your understanding of your own ACT scores, consider diving deeper into the score report you receive after taking the test. Look at your subscores, which give you more detailed information on your performance in specific areas within each section, and compare your scores to national averages and the score ranges of the colleges you are interested in.

Finally, to boost your scores, focus on strengthening your understanding of the test format, strategies for time management and efficient problem-solving, and, of course, the content covered in each section.