Scoring the
Practice Tests
How to Score the
Multiple-Choice Tests
Follow the instructions below and on the following pages
to score your practice multiple-choice tests and review your
performance.
Raw Scores
The number of questions you answered correctly on each
test and in each reporting category is your raw score.
Because there are many forms of the ACT, each with
different questions, some forms will be slightly easier (and
some slightly harder) than others. A raw score of 67 on
one form of the English test, for example, may be about as
difficult to earn as a raw score of 70 on another form of that
test.
To compute your raw scores, check your answers with the
scoring information on pages 11–13. Count the number of
correct answers for each of the four tests and seventeen
reporting categories and enter the number in the blanks
provided on those pages. These numbers are your raw
scores on the tests and reporting categories.
Scale Scores
To adjust for the small differences that occur among
different forms of the ACT, the raw scores for tests are
converted into
scale scores.
Scale scores are printed on
the reports sent to you and your college and scholarship
choices.
When your raw scores are converted into scale scores, it
becomes possible to compare your scores with those of
examinees who took different test forms. For example, a
scale score of 26 on the English test has the same meaning
regardless of the form of the ACT on which it is based.
To determine the scale scores corresponding to your
raw scores on the practice test, use the table explaining
procedures used to obtain scale scores from raw scores on
page 14. This table shows the raw-to-scale score conversions
for each test. Because each form of the ACT is unique,
each form has somewhat different conversion tables.
Consequently, this table provides only approximations of the
raw-to-scale score conversions that would apply if a different
form of the ACT were taken. Therefore, the scale scores
obtained from the practice tests don’t match precisely the
scale scores received from an actual administration of the
ACT.
Computing the Composite Score
The Composite score is the average of the four scale scores
in English, mathematics, reading, and science. If you did
not take a practice test for each of these subjects, do not
calculate a Composite score. If you take the ACT with
writing, your writing results do not affect your Composite
score.
Comparing Your Scores
Information about comparing your scores on the practice
multiple-choice tests with the scores of recent high school
graduates who took the ACT can be found at
www.actstudent.org
.
Your scores and percent are only
estimates
of the scores
that you will receive during an actual administration of
the ACT. Test scores are only one indicator of your level
of learning. Consider your scores in connection with your
grades, your performance in outside activities, and your
career interests.
ACT College and Career Readiness Standards
The ACT College and Career Readiness Standards describe
the types of skills, strategies, and understandings you will
need to make a successful transition from high school to
college. For English, mathematics, reading, and science,
standards are provided for six score ranges that reflect
the progression andcomplexity of the skills in each of the
academic areas measured by the ACT tests. Forwriting,
standards are provided for five score ranges. The ACT
College and Career Readiness Standards and benchmark
scores for each test can be found at
www.act.org
.
Reviewing Your Performance on
the Practice Multiple-Choice Tests
Consider the following as you review your scores:
y Did you run out of time? Reread the information in
Preparing for the ACT
®
Test
on pacing yourself. (This
is found under Test Prep at
www.actstudent.org
.)
You may need to adjust the way you use your time in
responding to the questions.
y Did you spend too much time trying to understand the
directions for the tests? The directions for the practice
tests are the same directions that will appear in your test
booklet on test day. Make sure you understand them
before test day.
y Review the questions that you missed. Did you
select a response that was an incomplete answer or
that did not directly respond to the question being
asked? Try to figure out what you overlooked in
answering the questions.
y Did a particular type of question confuse you? Did the
questions you missed come from a particular reporting
category? In reviewing your responses, check to see
whether a particular type of question or a particular
reporting category was more difficult for you.
50
Scoring Keys for Form 74F
Use the scoring key for each test to score your answer document for the multiple-choice tests. Mark a “1” in the
blank for each question you answered correctly. Add up the numbers in each reporting category and enter the total
number correct for each reporting category in the blanks provided. Also enter the total number correct for each test
in the blanks provided. The total number correct for each test is the sum of the number correct in each reporting
category.
Test 1: English—Scoring Key
Number Correct (Raw Score) for:
Production of Writing (POW) _______
(23)
Knowledge of Language (KLA) _______
(12)
Conventions of Standard English (CSE) _______
(40)
Total Number Correct for English Test _______
(POW + KLA + CSE) (75)
Key
Reporting
Category*
POW KLA CSE
1. A ___
2.
B
___
3. A ___
4.
A
___
5. C ___
6.
A
___
7. D ___
8.
B
___
9. C ___
10.
D
___
11. C ___
12.
A
___
13. B ___
14.
D
___
15. B ___
16.
B
___
17. C ___
18.
A
___
19. C ___
20.
B
___
21. D ___
22.
B
___
23. C ___
24.
C
___
25. B ___
26.
A
___
27. C ___
28.
A
___
29. D ___
30.
B
___
31. C ___
32.
D
___
33. C ___
34.
B
___
35. A ___
36.
D
___
37. C ___
38.
A
___
Key
Reporting
Category*
POW KLA CSE
39. D ___
40.
C
___
41. B ___
42.
A
___
43. C ___
44.
B
___
45. A ___
46.
A
___
47. B ___
48.
B
___
49. D ___
50.
A
___
51. B ___
52.
A
___
53. D ___
54.
C
___
55. D ___
56.
C
___
57. A ___
58.
B
___
59. C ___
60.
D
___
61. C ___
62.
B
___
63. D ___
64.
D
___
65. B ___
66.
A
___
67. B ___
68.
A
___
69. D ___
70.
A
___
71. C ___
72.
C
___
73. D ___
74.
A
___
75. D ___
*Reporting Categories
POW = Production of Writing
KLA = Knowledge of Language
CSE = Conventions of Standard
English
1874F
Scoring Keys for the ACT Practice Tests
51
Number Correct (Raw Score) for:
Preparing for Higher Math (PHM) _______
(N + A + F + G + S) (35)
Integrating Essential Skills (IES) _______
(25)
Total Number Correct for Mathematics Test _______
(PHM + IES) (60)
Modeling (MDL) _______
(Not included in total number correct for (28)
mathematics test raw score)
*Reporting Categories
PHM = Preparing for Higher Math
N = Number & Quantity
A = Algebra
F = Functions
G = Geometry
S = Statistics & Probability
IES = Integrating Essential Skills
MDL = Modeling
Test 2: Mathematics—Scoring Key
Key
Reporting Category*
PHM
IES MDLN AFGS
1. C ___
2.
E
___ ___
3. B ___
4.
D
___
5. D ___ ___
6.
C
___ ___
7. D ___ ___
8.
B
___
9. D ___
10.
B
___ ___
11. D ___
12.
C
___ ___
13. B ___
14.
C
___ ___
15. D ___
16.
E
___
17. B ___
18.
E
___ ___
19. B ___
20.
E
___ ___
21. B ___ ___
22.
A
___ ___
23. C ___
24.
D
___ ___
25. A ___
26.
C
___ ___
27. A ___
28.
C
___ ___
29. E ___
30.
D
___ ___
Key
Reporting Category*
PHM
IES MDLN AFGS
31. E ___
32.
B
___ ___
33. E ___
34.
C
___
35. C ___ ___
36.
D
___
37. A ___
38.
E
___
39. D ___
40.
E
___
41. A ___ ___
42.
B
___
43. C ___ ___
44.
A
___ ___
45. A ___ ___
46.
D
___ ___
47. B ___
48.
B
___ ___
49. B ___
50.
D
___ ___
51. C ___
52.
A
___
53. A ___ ___
54.
C
___ ___
55. E ___
56.
C
___ ___
57. B ___
58.
A
___
59. A ___
60.
E
___ ___
5
Combine the totals of these columns and put in the blank for PHM in the box below.
5
1874F
Test 3: Reading—Scoring Key
Number Correct (Raw Score) for:
Key Ideas & Details (KID) _______
(25)
Craft & Structure (CS) _______
(11)
Integration of Knowledge & Ideas (IKI) _______
(4)
Total Number Correct for Reading Test _______
(KID + CS + IKI) (40)
Test 4: Science—Scoring Key
Number Correct (Raw Score) for:
Interpretation of Data (IOD) _______
(18)
Scientific Investigation (SIN) _______
(12)
Evaluation of Models, Inferences &
Experimental Results (EMI) _______
(10)
Total Number Correct for Science Test _______
(IOD + SIN + EMI) (40)
Key
Reporting
Category*
IOD SIN EMI
1. C ___
2.
D
___
3. B ___
4.
D
___
5. A ___
6.
B
___
7. C ___
8.
D
___
9. C ___
10.
D
___
11. A ___
12.
A
___
13. A ___
14.
C
___
15. B ___
16.
D
___
17. A ___
18.
C
___
19. A ___
20.
B
___
Key
Reporting
Category*
IOD SIN EMI
21. C ___
22.
C
___
23. C ___
24.
C
___
25. D ___
26.
D
___
27. C ___
28.
A
___
29. B ___
30.
A
___
31. D ___
32.
A
___
33. D ___
34.
B
___
35. A ___
36.
D
___
37. D ___
38.
D
___
39. B ___
40.
B
___
*Reporting Categories
IOD = Interpretation of Data
SIN = Scientific Investigation
EMI = Evaluation of
Models,
Inferences
& Experimental Results
Key
Reporting
Category*
KID CS IKI
1. A ___
2.
B
___
3. A ___
4.
D
___
5. C ___
6.
B
___
7. D ___
8.
C
___
9. C ___
10.
A
___
11. D ___
12.
B
___
13. D ___
14.
D
___
15. A ___
16.
B
___
17. B ___
18.
C
___
19. A ___
20.
C
___
Key
Reporting
Category*
KID CS IKI
21. C ___
22.
B
___
23. D ___
24.
C
___
25. D ___
26.
A
___
27. C ___
28.
D
___
29. A ___
30.
A
___
31. D ___
32.
C
___
33. B ___
34.
D
___
35. C ___
36.
B
___
37. A ___
38.
B
___
39. A ___
40.
D
___
*Reporting Categories
KID = Key Ideas & Details
CS = Craft & Structure
IKI = Integration of Knowledge &
Ideas
52
1874F
1874F
53
Raw Scores
On each of the four tests, the total number of correct responses
yields a raw score. Use the table below to convert your raw
scores to scale scores. For each test, locate and circle your
raw score or the range of raw scores that includes it in the table
below. Then, read across to either outside column of the table
and circle the scale score that corresponds to that raw score.
As you determine your scale scores, enter them in the blanks
provided on the right. The highest possible scale score for each
test is 36. The lowest possible scale score for any test on which
you marked any responses is 1.
Next, compute the Composite score by averaging the four
scale scores. To do this, add your four scale scores and divide
the sum by 4. If the resulting number ends in a fraction, round it
to the nearest whole number. (Round down any fraction less
than one-half; round up any fraction that is one-half or more.)
Enter this number in the blank. This is your Composite score.
The highest possible Composite score is 36. The lowest
possible Composite score is 1.
ACT Test 1874F Your Scale Score
English _________
Mathematics _________
Reading _________
Science _________
Sum of scores _________
Composite score (sum ÷ 4) _________
NOTE: If you did not take a practice test for a subject, do not
list a scale score for that subject. If any test was not taken, do
not calculate a Composite score.
Explanation of Procedures Used to Obtain
Scale Scores from Raw Scores
Scale
Score
36
35
34
33
32
31
30
29
28
27
26
25
24
23
22
21
20
19
18
17
16
15
14
13
12
11
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
Test 1
English
74-75
71-73
70
69
68
67
66
64-65
63
61-62
59-60
56-58
53-55
50-52
47-49
44-46
41-43
39-40
37-38
35-36
32-34
29-31
26-28
24-25
22-23
19-21
16-18
13-15
11-12
09-10
7-8
6
4-5
3
2
0-1
Test 2
Mathematics
59-60
57-58
55-56
54
53
51-52
49-50
47-48
45-46
42-44
39-41
37-38
34-36
32-33
31
29-30
27-28
25-26
22-24
19-21
16-18
13-15
10-12
8-9
7
5-6
4
—
3
—
2
—
1
—
—
0
Test 3
Reading
40
38-39
37
36
34-35
33
32
31
30
—
29
28
26-27
25
23-24
22
20-21
19
18
16-17
15
14
12-13
11
10
8-9
7
6
5
—
4
3
2
—
1
0
Test 4
Science
40
—
39
38
—
37
36
—
35
34
32-33
31
29-30
26-28
24-25
22-23
20-21
18-19
17
15-16
14
13
11-12
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
—
2
1
—
0
Scale
Score
36
35
34
33
32
31
30
29
28
27
26
25
24
23
22
21
20
19
18
17
16
15
14
13
12
11
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1