How to Get a 36 on the ACT | BestColleges (2023)

FAQs

How to Get a 36 on the ACT | BestColleges? ›

Based on the ACT practice tests, most sections require you to miss 0 questions to receive a score of 36. However, in the Math section, you might be able to miss 1 question and still receive a 36. Receiving a score of 35 most often entails missing 1–3 questions in each section.

Getting a perfect ACT score is a pretty rare feat. The number of students in 2020 who scored a full 36 was 5,579 out of over 1.6 million — or about 0.33% of test-takers. Don't be discouraged by the rarity of a perfect score. Even if you don't earn a 36, coming close is still an excellent result.

You can miss 1-3 questions on each ACT section and still earn a 36 composite score.

To do well on the ACT without studying, answer easy questions first and use the process of elimination. Use diagrams and visuals to one's full advantage. Make intelligent guesses to get good ACT scores. There's no penalty for guessing, and there's a 20% chance of getting the right answer each time.

It is scored differently.

Further, because the ACT Writing Test is optional, it is scored separately from the other sections and does not affect your ACT composite score (out of 36). This means that if you've been wondering, “Can the ACT Writing hurt your score,” you can rest easy: the answer is no.

So if you score 34 or higher, you're in the top 1% of test takers! Unsurprisingly, a full 36 is the rarest score of all—just 0.313% of all test takers earned a perfect ACT score.

In general, a good ACT score is any score in or above the 75th percentile — at least a 24. Students should aim to hit or exceed the middle 50% of ACT scores at their chosen colleges.

The average ACT score for students who get accepted into Harvard is between 32 and 35. This is well above the national average of 21. Considering 36 is the highest you can score, this is a daunting goal. The average ACT score for Harvard University is much higher than that of any other Ivy League in the country.

There is no penalty for guessing on the ACT. Never, ever, ever, leave any answers blank. You have a 25% chance of getting the question right if you guess. So at the very least, always guess!

Average ACT: 34

The 25th percentile ACT score is 33, and the 75th percentile ACT score is 35. In other words, a 33 places you below average, while a 35 will move you up to above average. There's no absolute ACT requirement at Harvard, but they really want to see at least a 33 to have a chance at being considered.

Has anyone ever gotten a 1 on the ACT? ›

1 ACT Score Standings

Out of the 1.91 million test-takers, 1895661 scored the same or higher than you. You can apply to 0 colleges and have a good shot at getting admitted. You have a very low chance of getting into 1499 schools with this score.

Unsurprisingly, the highest potential comes with ACT scores 30+. With ACT scores in the 30-36 range, it's possible to win $10,000 or more in scholarship prizes. For example, the University of Tennessee-Knoxville grants scholarships up to $32,000 for students with ACT scores in the 34-36 range.

There are rough guidelines if you want to improve a certain amount of points. With the ACT, improving by 1 point requires about 10 hours of studying. 2-3 points mean 20 hours, 2-4 means 40 hours, 4-6 requires 80, and anything above that means you're looking at 150+ hours of studying to make information stick.

The ACT Writing Test is scored on a scale of 2 (lowest score) to 12 (highest score). The average ACT Writing score is between a 6 and 7.

As mentioned earlier, it's easier for many test-takers to get a 36 on the ACT than a 1600 on the SAT. This is true even if the ACT has more questions and sections, too. That's because ACT scores are rounded up to the whole number closest to them. So, in other words, ACT scores anywhere from 35.5 to 35.9 become 36.

Taking the writing test does not affect your subject area scores or your Composite score.

Shoot for at least a 28 on the ACT or above 1300 on the SAT. Some scholarships allow for flexibility, so check the particular scholarship, but these numbers generally give you the most options. Encourage your student to also pursue a high GPA or even 4.0, especially their senior year.

Your Composite score and each test score (English, mathematics, reading, science) range from 1 (low) to 36 (high). The Composite score is the average of your four test scores, rounded to the nearest whole number.

Scores below a 15 on the ACT are considered low at just about any four-year college. You can overcome low scores with a great GPA or an outstanding college application. But even if you're accepted, the school may ask you to take some remedial courses before enrolling.

If you decide to report your scores to an Ivy League school despite test-optional policies, you should strive for an ACT composite score between 32 and 36.

Should I retake the ACT if I got a 33? ›

Should I Retake the ACT with a 33 Score? With a 33 ACT score, there's no need to retake the exam. The only reason to consider retaking the ACT is to increase your competitiveness at the most elite colleges. Because competition for elite schools is fierce, every extra point both on your ACT score and GPA will help.

The average ACT scores for the entire Ivy League are 31–35 for Math, 34–36 for English, and 33–35 for the composite ACT.

Princeton. Princeton is commonly regarded as the “cheapest Ivy” thanks to its extensive financial aid offerings. 62% of admitted students receive financial aid.

You should also have a 4.18 GPA or higher. If your GPA is lower than this, you need to compensate with a higher SAT/ACT score. For a school as selective as Harvard, you'll also need to impress them with the rest of your application.

The Easiest Ivy League schools to get into

Cornell is the easiest and youngest Ivy League school. It was established in 1865 and is situated in Ithaca, New York. Out of 49,114 candidates, Cornell accepted 5,330, for an admission percentage of around 10.9%.

Most people (and tutors) tell students that, if they have no idea on a question, to just guess answer choice “C” — the middle answer on most multiple choice tests.

And computers are very good at being random. This means that the answer choices will have a statistically even distribution of 1 in 4 for each answer choice letter (or 1 in 5 on the math section): there is no most common answer on the ACT.

Every answer choice on the SAT will have a statistically even distribution of 1 in 4 for each answer choice letter, A, B, C, or D. In other words? There is no most common answer on the SAT. Ultimately, guessing C (or any letter!) will give you the correct answer only a statistical 25% of the time.

Average GPA: 4.18

(Most schools use a weighted GPA out of 4.0, though some report an unweighted GPA. With a GPA of 4.18, Harvard requires you to be at the top of your class. You'll need nearly straight A's in all your classes to compete with other applicants.

Yale University is extremely selective with an acceptance rate of 6%. Students that get into Yale University have an SAT score between 1470–1560 or an ACT score of 33–35. Regular applications are due January 2.

What is the hardest school to get into? ›

Harvard, Stanford and Princeton, unsurprisingly, are America's toughest colleges to get into in 2023, according to Niche's most recent rankings.

For those guessing on only a few of the last ten questions, A/F would be the better option. The Safe Bet: Answer choice E/K is the safest choice because it, so far, has always had one correct answer. In fact, E/K has met or exceeded the expected average 82% of the time, making it the most consistent answer choice.

First things first: There is no guessing penalty, so you've got nothing to lose by guessing.

Even if you guessed on every question, you'd get a composite score of around 11-13. Therefore, it is highly unlikely that you will get the lowest possible score—or even a score lower than 11—on the ACT.

For example, if you have a 3.5 GPA and a 31-35 ACT score, you could qualify for merit aid from your school. This is a scholarship that you receive in exchange for your academic performance. It does not have to be paid back and can cover up to all of the costs incurred by attending college.

The SAT and ACT generally cover the same topics. Both ACT and SAT scores are used for college admissions decisions and awarding merit-based scholarships. Most colleges do not prefer one test over the other. Neither the SAT or ACT is harder than the other.

Starting in 2015, the format of the essay was changed slightly. Students are now given 40 minutes to write, and the Writing section is scored out of 36 rather than out of 12.

A 36 ACT score makes you an eligible and competitive applicant at every college and university. Among your many options, you can include Stanford University, Yale University, and Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Institution.

One of the most commonly asked questions of ACT is “how do my students improve their scores?” The simple answer is have them take challenging courses and test prep. Because the ACT tests what students learn in high school, the best way for them to prepare is to take core classes, study, and participate in class.

If you're trying to boost your ACT score, the English section is the easiest to tackle. Here's why: there is only a handful of technical grammar content covered and there are really only a handful of rhetorical skills covered.

Is an 8 on the ACT essay good? ›

As you can see from this table, the mean, or average, score on the ACT Writing section is 6. It's a good idea to aim for at least the 75th percentile, so in this case a good ACT writing score would be an 8 or above. A 9 or above would put you in the 96th percentile, which is great!

If a school accepts ACT Writing, that means they'll review your essay score if you take and send it. However, it's not something they're hugely interested in, and it may not have much or any impact on your application, even if your score is particularly high or low.

Use your practice test's ACT scoring chart to see how your raw scores translate into scale scores. You can miss 1-3 questions on each ACT section and still earn a 36 composite score.

Put differently, approximately one in every 735 students who took the ACT got a 36. The odds are roughly equivalent to guessing correctly two letters of the alphabet one after the other.

Scores May Determine Placement in College Classes

So some colleges use scores to place students in classes that are at the right level for them. SAT and ACT scores can also be used to identify students who may benefit from specific advisors or academic support in college.

For example: If you took both the September and October ACT administrations, and decided to send colleges your September scores, colleges will see what you got on all the tests in the September ACT (English, Math, Reading, and Science—and, if you took the ACT Plus Writing, they would see your Writing Test scores, too).

In short, improving your ACT Reading score will bump up your average composite score. And improving your ACT composite score, even by just 5 points, can make a huge difference in your chances of getting into your target colleges.

The 25th percentile ACT score is 33, and the 75th percentile ACT score is 35. In other words, a 33 places you below average, while a 35 will move you up to above average. There's no absolute ACT requirement at Harvard, but they really want to see at least a 33 to have a chance at being considered.

Is it harder to get a 36 or a 1600? ›

Getting a 1600 on the SAT is harder than getting a 36 on the ACT. To get a perfect 1600 on the SAT, one has to get a perfect 800 on each of the two SAT sections. To get a perfect 36 on the ACT, in contrast, one has to get a score that can be rounded up to 36. For instance, 35.5 is equivalent to 36.

ACT Requirements for Harvard

ACT scores range from 33 to 35, with 35 representing the 75th percentile. Even though Harvard probably states that there is no minimum ACT requirement, if you apply with a 33 or lower, you will likely struggle to get in unless you have other extremely strong application materials.

Generally speaking, you need a minimum ACT score of 31 to get into an Ivy League School. The minimum score is 32 at a few of these schools, including Harvard and Yale. The minimum SAT score to get into an Ivy League school ranges from 690 to 730 for the reading section and from 700 to 730 for the math section.

The average ACT score of Harvard-accepted students is 33. Although Harvard claims there is no minimum ACT score, if you apply with a 29 or lower, you'll have difficulty getting in. So, to get into Harvard, it is important to note the different Harvard University requirements for test scores.

The minimum requirements to receive a scholarship are a rank in the top 50% of your class, a GPA of 3.5 or over, and an SAT score of 1100 or an ACT score of 22.

An SAT score of 1555 (out of 1600) or ACT score of 35 (out of 36) will place you right in the top 25% for most Ivy League schools, whereas an SAT score of 1455 or ACT score of 33 would put you at the boundary of the bottom 25%.

Mark Zuckerberg.

The founder of Facebook scored the perfect 1600 on the SAT and attended Harvard University. There's no surprise there on the score or prestigious university!

Elon Musk reacts to GPT-4 scoring 93% on SAT exams.

Will Smith SAT score was a perfect 1600. A rare score few people have earned. Despite this incredible score, Will chose not to attend college, did not even enroll, and decided to pursue his career in music.