Free tool · official concordance
SAT to ACT conversion
The chart below is the concordance College Board and ACT publish jointly, the same table admissions offices use. Convert either direction, then send the score that reads stronger.
Type either score and the equivalent appears here.
The full chart
ACT to SAT concordance table
| ACT composite | SAT range | SAT single score |
|---|---|---|
| 36 | 1570–1600 | 1590 |
| 35 | 1530–1560 | 1560 |
| 34 | 1490–1520 | 1520 |
| 33 | 1450–1480 | 1480 |
| 32 | 1420–1440 | 1440 |
| 31 | 1390–1410 | 1410 |
| 30 | 1360–1380 | 1380 |
| 29 | 1330–1350 | 1350 |
| 28 | 1300–1320 | 1320 |
| 27 | 1260–1290 | 1290 |
| 26 | 1230–1250 | 1260 |
| 25 | 1200–1220 | 1220 |
| 24 | 1160–1190 | 1190 |
| 23 | 1130–1150 | 1160 |
| 22 | 1100–1120 | 1120 |
| 21 | 1060–1090 | 1090 |
| 20 | 1030–1050 | 1060 |
| 19 | 990–1020 | 1020 |
| 18 | 960–980 | 990 |
| 17 | 920–950 | 950 |
| 16 | 880–910 | 910 |
| 15 | 830–870 | 870 |
| 14 | 780–820 | 830 |
| 13 | 730–770 | 780 |
| 12 | 690–720 | 730 |
| 11 | 650–680 | 690 |
| 10 | 620–640 | 650 |
| 9 | 590–610 | 610 |
Source: College Board / ACT joint concordance (2018), the current official table.
Strategy
Which score should you send?
Convert both scores to one scale with the chart, then compare against the middle 50% of the school you are targeting. Send whichever sits higher in that band; skip the other. If a school is test-optional and both scores fall below its 25th percentile, withholding is usually the stronger play.
To see the bands themselves, check any school in the chances calculator. It applies this same concordance automatically when a school only publishes one test’s range.
Common questions
SAT vs ACT, answered
What is a 1400 SAT in ACT?
A 1400 SAT concords to roughly a 31 ACT composite. The official concordance places 1390 to 1410 at 31, so scores at the edge of a band can round either way.
Is the SAT or ACT easier?
Neither is easier overall; they are paced differently. The ACT gives less time per question and includes a science-reasoning section, while the SAT allows more time per question and leans harder on multi-step math. Most students score comparably, so take one real practice test of each and go with the better percentile.
Do colleges prefer the SAT or the ACT?
No US college prefers one over the other; every school that accepts scores accepts both equally. Choose the test that shows you better, and send that one.
Should I send both my SAT and ACT scores?
Only if both are strong for the school's admitted range. If one concords clearly higher, send just that one. There is no bonus for volume, and the weaker score can only dilute the read.
What Spike does with this
Testing strategy is more than a chart.
Spike helps compare your scores with school policies, admitted ranges, and the rest of your application plan.
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