What Is Superscore for SAT and ACT?

When you take the SAT or ACT more than once, your scores may fluctuate from one section to another. Superscoring is a policy that lets colleges — and in some cases the testing organizations themselves — take your best individual section scores across all your test dates and combine them into a single, higher composite score. You are not locked into the results of a single test day.

For the SAT, this means a college would take your highest Reading and Writing score from one sitting and your highest Math score from another to form your best possible total out of 1600. For the ACT, the process works similarly: your highest English, Math, Reading, and Science section scores are pulled from different test dates and averaged into a new composite out of 36.

The important thing to understand is that superscoring is determined by each college’s individual admissions policy. Both the College Board and ACT allow you to send superscore reports, but the school you’re applying to decides whether to use them. You should always verify the testing policy on each college’s admissions website before deciding which scores to send.

The SAT is scored on a 400–1600 scale, composed of two section scores: Reading and Writing (200–800) and Math (200–800). When a college superscores the SAT, it selects your highest section score in each area from all the test dates you submit and adds them together for your best possible total.

Here’s a concrete example. Suppose you take the SAT in March and score 620 in Reading/Writing and 580 in Math (total: 1200). You retake it in October and score 590 in Reading/Writing and 640 in Math (total: 1230). A superscoring college would combine your 620 Reading/Writing from March with your 640 Math from October, giving you a superscore of 1260 — higher than either of your individual scores.

The College Board offers Score Choice, which lets you select which test dates to send to each college. However, some colleges that superscore still require you to submit scores from all test dates. Even in those cases, the admissions office will typically focus on your highest section scores. According to the College Board, colleges do not view retaking the SAT negatively — in fact, many students raise their scores on a second attempt.

Keep in mind that you cannot send individual section scores from different dates on a single report. You send complete test-date reports, and the college pulls the best sections from what you provide.

The ACT traditionally scored students on four sections — English, Math, Reading, and Science — each on a 1–36 scale, with the composite being the average of all four. Superscoring on the ACT works by taking your highest score in each section across all test dates you’ve taken since September 2016, then averaging those top scores into a new composite.

A major change took effect in 2025: ACT superscores are now calculated using only English, Math, and Reading. The Science section became optional on the enhanced ACT, and Science scores are no longer factored into the superscore composite. If you took the Science section, that score will still appear on your report and contribute to a separate STEM score, but it will not affect your superscore composite.

Your highest section scores can come from any test event — including both legacy and enhanced ACT formats. ACT automatically calculates your superscore once you’ve completed a second test, and you can view it in your MyACT account. You can also request that your superscore report be sent directly to colleges. When schools receive your superscore report, they see your best section scores along with full reports from the test dates that contributed those scores.

The writing section has never been included in the ACT composite or superscore. However, some colleges still require the writing section, so check each school’s requirements.

These two terms often get confused, but they serve different purposes. Score Choice (offered by both the College Board and the ACT) lets you decide which complete test-date reports to send to each college. You choose the dates — a college only sees the sittings you select.

Superscoring, on the other hand, is a policy set by the college. Once the college receives your reports — whether you sent one test date or five — it pulls your highest section scores from across all submitted dates and creates your best possible composite.

Here’s why the distinction matters: a college might superscore but still require you to send all your test dates. In that scenario, you cannot use Score Choice to withhold a lower score. The college will see every sitting, but will officially evaluate only your best section scores. Conversely, a college might allow Score Choice but not superscore — meaning you can pick which single test date to send, and that date’s composite stands on its own.

The bottom line is that you need to check two things for every college: (1) whether they allow Score Choice or require all scores, and (2) whether they superscore or use a different method like the highest single-sitting composite.

The majority of colleges that require or accept standardized test scores use some form of superscoring, particularly for the SAT. Nearly all of the top 25 nationally ranked universities superscore the SAT, with notable exceptions including Harvard and Princeton, which consider the highest section scores but do not technically superscore. More colleges superscore the SAT than the ACT, though the number of ACT-superscoring institutions continues to grow.

Some important nuances to be aware of: certain colleges superscore the SAT but not the ACT (Carnegie Mellon is one example). Others may practice “weak superscoring,” meaning they consider your highest subscores but don’t formally create a new composite. The University of California system does not use SAT or ACT scores at all for admissions.

Policies also change. Several colleges that went test-optional during the pandemic have reinstated test requirements, and some have updated their superscoring policies in the process. Cornell, for instance, moved from “test-recommended” to “test-required,” and it does superscore. Always verify the current policy on a school’s official admissions website — a policy listed in a third-party database may be outdated.

You don’t need to wait for a college to calculate your superscore — you can figure it out yourself. For the SAT, look at all your test dates and identify your highest Reading/Writing section score and your highest Math section score. Add them together. That’s your SAT superscore.

For the ACT, the process involves a few more numbers. List your section scores (English, Math, Reading, and — if applicable — Science) from every test date. Select the highest score in each section. If you tested under the new enhanced format (April 2025 onward for online testers), your superscore composite is the average of your best English, Math, and Reading scores, rounded to the nearest whole number. If all your tests were under the legacy format, the composite is the average of all four best section scores.

Once you know your superscore, compare it to the middle 50% score ranges published by the colleges on your list. If your superscore falls at or above a school’s 75th percentile, you’re in a strong position. If it falls below the 25th percentile, you might benefit from retaking the test to improve a weaker section.

Because superscoring combines your best section performances, retaking the test gives you more opportunities to peak in each area. Research compiled by the College Board indicates that approximately 55% of students who retake the SAT as seniors after first testing as juniors improve their scores.

A separate Harvard-cited study found that retaking once improves admissions-relevant superscores by an average of about 90 points on the old 2400-point scale — a meaningful boost.

Start testing early, ideally in the spring of your junior year or earlier, so you have time for a second or third attempt before application deadlines. Between sittings, focus your preparation on the section where you have the most room to grow. If your Reading/Writing score is already strong but your Math is lagging, concentrate your study hours on Math. With superscoring, your strong section score is already locked in.

Don’t worry about how many times you take the test, within reason. Two to three sittings is the sweet spot for most students. Colleges that superscore expect retakes and do not view them negatively. That said, avoid excessive testing — after three or four attempts, most students hit diminishing returns.
If you qualify for fee waivers, take advantage of them. ACT provides fee waivers covering registration for two tests, meaning eligible students can earn a superscore at no cost. The College Board similarly offers fee waivers that include free score sends.

One of the biggest misconceptions is that every college superscores. They don’t. Some schools only consider your highest single-sitting composite, meaning they look at your best total from one test date rather than mixing sections across dates. Others require all scores and review them holistically without formally superscoring. Always verify — assuming a school superscores when it doesn’t could result in you sending a suboptimal score report.

Another common fear is that colleges will judge you negatively for retaking the test or for having lower scores on some sittings. According to both the College Board and ACT, colleges that superscore are deliberately evaluating you based on your best performances. ACT’s own research shows that superscores are actually better predictors of college success than single-sitting composites or most-recent scores. The data also shows superscoring is fair across all demographic groups.

Finally, some students confuse superscoring with Score Choice, believing they can send just one section from one date and another section from a different date. You cannot do this. You always send complete test-date reports. The college then extracts the best section scores from whatever reports you provide.