Hey folks! My ACT is coming up and I've just found a percentile chart online but tbh, I'm having a hard time making sense of it. Can anyone help me out with how to interpret the ACT percentile chart? Appreciate it!
Absolutely, happy to help clarify this for you! The ACT percentile chart shows how well you did compared to other test-takers. For instance, if you scored in the 70th percentile, that means you did better than 70% of test-takers, but 30% of test-takers did better than you.
Now, let's break it down by sections. The ACT has four sections: English, Math, Reading, and Science. The score for each section ranges from 1 to 36. The percentiles for each section tell you precisely what percentage of test-takers you scored better than in each section.
In addition to your section scores, you'll receive a composite score. Your composite score is simply the average of your four section scores (rounded to the nearest whole number), and this score also has a percentile ranking.
For example, if you got a composite score of 29 that puts you in the 92nd percentile. This means you did as well as or better than 92% of test-takers, and only about 8% of test-takers scored higher than you.
Remember, a higher percentile rank is better because it means you scored higher than that percentage of people who also took the test. Also, remember that while ACT scores are a factor, many colleges consider other aspects of your application, like your GPA, extracurriculars, and essay, alongside your percentile.
That's the basic idea of an ACT percentile chart! Feel free to drop any other questions you might have. Good luck on your upcoming ACT!
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