ACT Superscore Calculator
Took the ACT more than once? This ACT superscore calculator takes your best section score from each test date and builds a new composite out of them, which is usually higher than either test day on its own.
TEST DATE 1
TEST DATE 2
This ACT superscore calculator picks your best score in each section across both test dates, then averages those four numbers into a new composite. It does not change your actual score reports, it just shows what a school that superscores would likely see.
How This Calculator Works
Enter your section scores from two different test dates and this ACT superscore calculator does the rest. For each section, English, Math, Reading, and Science, it keeps whichever of your two scores is higher and quietly drops the lower one. Once it has your best four numbers, it averages them the normal way, adding them up and dividing by four, rounding to the nearest whole number just like a regular composite.
That's really all superscoring is. It's not a special formula or a bonus adjustment, it's just picking your best section performances no matter which day they happened on, then treating those four best scores as if they came from one ideal test sitting.
Why the Result Is Usually Higher
Look at the example already filled into the ACT superscore calculator above. On the first test date, English and Science were the strong sections. On the second date, Reading pulled ahead instead. Neither single test day included all four of those best scores together, but a superscore does, which is exactly why it tends to land a point or two above either individual attempt.
This is also why retaking the ACT can be worth it even after a solid first attempt. You don't need every section to improve the second time around, you only need one or two sections to beat your first sitting, and the rest can hold steady or even dip slightly without hurting your superscore at all.
Just need a single test date averaged?
If you only have one set of section scores, skip the superscore step and use the standard composite calculator instead.
Not Every School Superscores
This is the part students skip past most often. Superscoring is common, but it isn't universal, and each college sets its own policy. Some schools superscore automatically no matter how you submit your results, others only do it if you ask, and a small number don't superscore at all and will only look at your single best test date as a whole. Before assuming a superscore from this ACT superscore calculator will be what an admissions office actually sees, check the testing policy page for each school on your list. It's usually a short paragraph, and it saves you from planning around a number that particular school won't end up using.
What to Do If Your Superscore Still Isn't Where You Want It
If your superscore from this calculator falls short of a target, look at which single section is dragging it down rather than trying to improve all four again. A future retest only needs to beat your current best in that one weaker section to lift your overall superscore, which is usually a smaller and more realistic goal than chasing a higher composite from scratch.
Common Questions
Do all colleges accept an ACT superscore?
No. Superscoring is common but not universal, so it's worth checking each school's testing policy page directly rather than assuming every college will combine your section scores across dates.
Does the ACT automatically calculate my superscore for me?
The testing organization reports a superscore alongside your individual test dates if you have more than one sitting on file, but not every school pulls that number in the same way, which is why running your own numbers through a calculator first is useful.
Is superscoring the same thing as taking the highest composite from one test date?
No, and this is the most common mix-up. Superscoring mixes and matches your best section scores across different dates, even if those best sections came from different sittings, which usually produces a higher number than just picking your single best test day.
Should I retake the ACT if my superscore is already strong?
Not automatically. If your superscore already sits where you need it for your target schools, another attempt mostly adds cost and stress for a small potential gain. It makes more sense when one section is clearly holding your superscore down.
Where to Go From Here
If you've only sat for the ACT once, superscoring doesn't apply yet, since there's nothing to combine across dates. Head to the ACT composite score calculator instead to average your single test date, or start from your raw answers correct using the full ACT score calculator if you don't have scaled scores yet.