SAT to ACT Conversion Calculator
Instant, bidirectional SAT to ACT conversion and ACT to SAT conversion using the official 2018 College Board / ACT concordance tables.
Equivalent ACT Composite
How SAT to ACT Conversion Works
SAT to ACT conversion, and the reverse ACT to SAT conversion, rely on official concordance tables jointly published by the College Board and ACT in 2018. Concordance is not a formula that colleges predict your score with — it is a statistically derived mapping built from hundreds of thousands of students who took both tests, matching scores that placed students at the same percentile rank on each exam. This calculator looks up your score directly in that official table rather than approximating with a simple linear equation, which keeps the result accurate at every point on the scale, including the compressed top end and the wider bottom end of both scoring ranges.
Use this tool for SAT to ACT conversion when you want to know how a score you already have compares to ACT benchmarks, or for ACT to SAT conversion when a scholarship, honors program, or college average is published only in the other test’s scale.
Why a Concordance Table Instead of a Simple Formula
A common shortcut is ACT composite times roughly 30, plus a small offset, equals SAT total — and while that captures the general trend, it breaks down noticeably at the very top and bottom of the scale, where the two tests compress and stretch differently. The official 2018 concordance tables correct for this by mapping every SAT and ACT score to the closest statistically equivalent score on the other test, based on real test-taker data rather than a straight-line estimate.
SAT to ACT Conversion Chart (2018 Official Concordance)
| SAT Total | ACT Composite | SAT Total | ACT Composite |
|---|
This SAT to ACT conversion chart mirrors Table A1/A2 of the official concordance guide. For section-level detail — SAT Math to ACT Math or SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing to ACT English+Reading — consult the full College Board concordance guide, which this calculator’s composite table is drawn from.
Common SAT to ACT and ACT to SAT Conversion Benchmarks
- SAT 1600 = ACT 36 (perfect composite on both scales)
- SAT 1400 = ACT 31 — a strong, highly competitive composite on either test
- SAT 1200 = ACT 25 — a solid, above-average composite score
- SAT 1000 = ACT 19 — roughly the national average range for both exams
- SAT 590 = ACT 9 — near the lower bound of the officially published single-point table
Should I Take the SAT or the ACT?
Since colleges accept both tests equally and score conversion works cleanly in either direction, the more useful question is usually which test format fits a student better rather than which one converts more favorably. The ACT includes a dedicated Science section and moves at a faster pace per question, while the SAT allows slightly more time per question and leans more heavily on evidence-based reading passages and algebra-focused math. Taking an official practice test for each is the most reliable way to decide, then using this SAT to ACT conversion calculator to translate a practice score into the other test’s scale for comparison against target school benchmarks.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most accurate SAT to ACT conversion chart?
The 2018 ACT/SAT Concordance Tables, jointly released by the College Board and ACT, are the official and most accurate source. Earlier 2016 concordance tables were formally replaced and should no longer be used for conversions.
What ACT score is equivalent to a 1200 SAT?
Under the official concordance, a 1200 SAT composite converts to a 25 ACT composite, with the corresponding SAT range for a 25 ACT listed as 1200–1220.
What SAT score is equivalent to a 30 ACT?
A 30 ACT composite converts to an SAT total of 1370, with a corresponding SAT range of 1360–1380 under the official 2018 concordance table.
Is ACT to SAT conversion the same calculation reversed?
Not exactly. Because concordance is built from real score distributions rather than a single formula, the ACT to SAT table (Table A2) and the SAT to ACT table (Table A1) are each derived independently from the same dataset, so always use the direction-specific official table rather than manually reversing the other one.
Do colleges prefer the SAT or the ACT?
No major college in the United States prefers one test over the other; both are accepted equally at test-optional and test-required schools alike, and admissions offices use concordance tables specifically to compare applicants fairly regardless of which test they submitted.
Can I convert individual section scores, like SAT Math to ACT Math?
Yes, the official concordance guide includes separate Table B (Math) and Table C (Evidence-Based Reading and Writing to English+Reading) conversions, though composite-to-composite conversion using this calculator is the most common use case.
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This calculator applies the official 2018 ACT/SAT Concordance Tables for general planning and comparison purposes and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or an official product of the College Board or ACT, Inc. Concorded scores are not a perfect prediction of performance on the other test. For the complete official tables and technical notes, see the College Board concordance guide and ACT.org.