College planning / Free score tool
ACT to SAT.
A clearer comparison.
Convert ACT to SAT, or SAT to ACT, with the official concordance. Then compare your two results and turn a target into a practical score goal.
01 / Convert a score
ACT to SAT converter
Reported Composite · 1–36
SAT comparison score
1370ACT 30 maps to this single SAT comparison score.
This band maps to ACT 30. It is not a prediction interval.
A comparison, not a forecast. Concordance puts individual scores from two different exams alongside each other. Do not use it to convert group means, medians or score ranges. It does not predict what you will score on the other test or your admission chances. Source: ACT and College Board concordance. Verified 9 October 2026.
02 / Put both tests side by side
Which score is stronger?
Compare your reported ACT Composite with your SAT total on the same concordance scale.
Reported Composite · 1–36
Total score · 400–1600 · steps of 10
ACT 30 corresponds to SAT 1360–1380; your SAT is 1400.
Check the college’s score-reporting and superscore policy before deciding what to submit.
03 / Work backwards from a goal
Find a comparable ACT target
Enter an SAT goal to find its ACT score group and the gap from your current ACT.
Reported Composite · 1–36
Total score · 400–1600 · steps of 10
5 ACT points above your current Composite.
That group covers SAT 1450–1480. This is a planning benchmark; it does not guarantee a test result or satisfy a college’s exact SAT cutoff.
Read the result correctly
How ACT–SAT conversion works
Use the reported score
For ACT, enter your Composite, not one section or a decimal average. For SAT, enter the total of Reading and Writing plus Math, on the 400–1600 scale.
Look up the official group
The calculator uses Tables A1 and A2 from the joint 2018 concordance. ACT → SAT returns the designated single score. SAT → ACT looks up the group containing that SAT total.
Keep the band in view
ACT has fewer score points, so multiple SAT totals can map to one ACT Composite. Converting back may return a different single SAT score within the same band.
A worked example: ACT 30 and SAT 1400
ACT 30 maps to the single SAT score 1370, with an SAT band of 1360–1380. An actual SAT 1400 belongs to the next ACT group, 31. In the comparison panel, SAT 1400 therefore appears higher than ACT 30 on the concordance scale.
Now take SAT 1380: it maps to ACT 30. Convert ACT 30 back and you get 1370, not 1380. Both SAT scores are in the same group, which explains the difference without rounding or interpolation.
Keep the whole picture
Complete ACT to SAT conversion chart
The single SAT score is the official comparison point. The band is the Table A1 group, not a range of likely future scores. Select any ACT row to use it in the converter.
| ACT Composite | SAT single score | SAT band | Try it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 36 | 1590 | 1570–1600 | Convert 36 |
| 35 | 1540 | 1530–1560 | Convert 35 |
| 34 | 1500 | 1490–1520 | Convert 34 |
| 33 | 1460 | 1450–1480 | Convert 33 |
| 32 | 1430 | 1420–1440 | Convert 32 |
| 31 | 1400 | 1390–1410 | Convert 31 |
| 30 | 1370 | 1360–1380 | Convert 30 |
| 29 | 1340 | 1330–1350 | Convert 29 |
| 28 | 1310 | 1300–1320 | Convert 28 |
| 27 | 1280 | 1260–1290 | Convert 27 |
| 26 | 1240 | 1230–1250 | Convert 26 |
| 25 | 1210 | 1200–1220 | Convert 25 |
| 24 | 1180 | 1160–1190 | Convert 24 |
| 23 | 1140 | 1130–1150 | Convert 23 |
| 22 | 1110 | 1100–1120 | Convert 22 |
| 21 | 1080 | 1060–1090 | Convert 21 |
| 20 | 1040 | 1030–1050 | Convert 20 |
| 19 | 1010 | 990–1020 | Convert 19 |
| 18 | 970 | 960–980 | Convert 18 |
| 17 | 930 | 920–950 | Convert 17 |
| 16 | 890 | 880–910 | Convert 16 |
| 15 | 850 | 830–870 | Convert 15 |
| 14 | 800 | 780–820 | Convert 14 |
| 13 | 760 | 730–770 | Convert 13 |
| 12 | 710 | 690–720 | Convert 12 |
| 11 | 670 | 650–680 | Convert 11 |
| 10 | 630 | 620–640 | Convert 10 |
| 9 | 590 | 590–610 | Convert 9 |
The published chart stops at ACT 9 / SAT 590. Lower scores are valid test scores, but the joint table does not give them a total-score concordance.
Current test formats
Enhanced ACT, digital SAT and superscores
Enhanced ACT Composite
The enhanced ACT uses English, math and reading for its Composite. Optional science is reported separately. Enter the Composite printed on your score report; this converter does not recalculate it.
ACT’s current multiple-score guidance still recommends the 2018 concordance. The table’s publication year and the page’s verification date are different things.
At the low end, ACT’s 2025 technical guidance did not estimate legacy-to-enhanced concordance below 14 because of insufficient data. The historical SAT mappings for ACT 9–13 remain in this chart; interpret low enhanced-ACT comparisons with that limitation in mind.
Digital SAT and score reporting
Use your official SAT total on the 400–1600 scale. Do not enter a PSAT score, an old 2400-scale SAT total or a practice-test raw score. This tool does not convert the number of questions you answered correctly.
A superscore combines section results according to the institution’s policy. If a college accepts your superscore, you can compare that reported total here. Never combine ACT and SAT sections into a single superscore.
Use the comparison in your college plan
Build a score-policy checklist
For each college, record whether testing is required or optional, which tests it accepts, whether it accepts superscores, and any program-specific section requirements. Note the source and the admission cycle.
Compare your actual score with that college’s published ACT or SAT range where available. A middle-50% range describes admitted or enrolled students; it is not automatically a cutoff.
Choose the next practice test
If you have taken both exams, compare the results here, then review timing and section-level mistakes from your practice sessions. Use the test on which your preparation translates into more consistent performance.
The target panel gives a comparable ACT group for an SAT goal. Use it to set a benchmark, then track performance on full practice tests. A concordance gap cannot tell you how many study hours you need.
Common conversion mistakes
- Using a linear formula. The official groups have unequal widths. Multiplying ACT by a fixed number will give incorrect results.
- Calling the score band a prediction. It groups comparable SAT totals; it does not measure your personal uncertainty.
- Inventing results outside the table. This tool stops at the published lower bounds.
- Reading a higher comparison as guaranteed admission. Colleges also use their own policies and broader application evidence.
- Replacing an official report with a converted score. Report the test and score you actually earned unless an institution explicitly asks for a conversion.
Questions students ask
ACT–SAT conversion FAQs
What is a 30 ACT score in SAT terms?
ACT 30 corresponds to an SAT comparison score of 1370. SAT totals from 1360 through 1380 map to ACT 30 in the 2018 concordance. This is a score comparison, not a prediction of your next SAT result.
What is a 32 ACT score equivalent to on the SAT?
The single SAT comparison score for ACT 32 is 1430. The associated SAT score band is 1420–1440.
What ACT score is a 1400 SAT?
SAT 1400 maps to ACT 31. The full SAT band for ACT 31 is 1390–1410.
Does a 36 ACT equal a 1600 SAT?
SAT 1600 and ACT 36 are in the same concordance group. The single SAT comparison score for ACT 36 is 1590, and its SAT band is 1570–1600.
Is there a new ACT–SAT conversion table for 2026?
As checked on 9 October 2026, ACT still publishes the joint 2018 tables and directs institutions to use them. This page uses those published tables rather than inventing an annual conversion formula.
Can I use this with the enhanced ACT?
ACT’s current guidance continues to recommend the 2018 ACT–SAT concordance. For the enhanced ACT, use the reported Composite based on English, math and reading. Do not add optional science to that Composite.
Can I convert an ACT score below 9 or an SAT score below 590?
The official total-score concordance does not publish mappings below ACT 9 or SAT 590. The tool reports that limit instead of extrapolating a score.
Can I add converted ACT section scores to get an SAT total?
Use your reported ACT Composite for total-score conversion. Section concordances measure different relationships; adding section conversions can produce a different answer. ACT science and writing do not have direct SAT total equivalents.
Should I submit my ACT or SAT score?
The comparison panel shows which score is higher on the concordance scale, or whether both fall in the same band. Use that as one input alongside the college’s current testing policy, section requirements and rules for superscores. A converted score does not replace an official score report.
Is the SAT range a confidence interval?
No. It is the set of SAT totals that maps to a particular ACT Composite in Table A1. It is not a statistical confidence interval or a promised range for your future performance.
Are scores saved or do I need an account?
No account is required. The calculator runs in your browser and does not save inputs to a ProSyllabus database. The site uses its usual analytics services. A link you choose to copy includes the selected test and score in its URL.
Sources and method
Method: discrete lookup of the official total-score tables. No extrapolation, annual adjustment, admission model or percentile estimation is used. Last reviewed: 9 October 2026.
- ACT: official ACT–SAT concordance page — current tables and explanation.
- Joint 2018 ACT/SAT concordance tables (PDF) — Tables A1 and A2.
- College Board: SAT and ACT score comparison — concordance guidance.
- ACT: multiple scores and enhanced Composite — current Composite and superscore guidance.