ACT questions

bandad

10-Year Member
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Mar 11, 2010
Messages
205
I have a few ACT questions.

1) Does the USAFA superscore the ACT?
2) Which ACT scores are used? Math and English, or all four?
3) Is the writing test used?

Thanks much!
 
Yes, the AFA superscores both the ACT and SAT. They will use all 4 subject scores on the ACT and the subscores on the SAT, not just overall scores. Although I think I read somewhere in the application materials last year that the AFA recommends taking the Writing portion, the score never showed up on my son's status page (like all the subject scores did), leading me to believe it was not a key factor.
 
Thanks for the comments. I knew USAFA superscored but I was not sure which ACT sections were used. I did look at the Class of 2014 profile and noticed all 4 sections were listed.

I will say that superscoring can make a big difference. My son is a Junior to be, and his composite ACT scores ranged from 29-31. His superscore is 34. It seems a little odd that they superscore but I will not complain.

Thanks
 
I don't understand why the ACT is superscored. If you get a composite score of 27, wouldn't that mean that your score was a composite 27? Where do you find out how much the scores are superscored by? Thank you for any information.
 
I think you are confused by what superscore means. Say you took the ACT four times. These were the math scores, one from each test session, in chronological order: 28, 29, 34, 30. These were the science, one from each session, in order: 32, 28, 30, 35. Reading: 30, 24, 30, 32. English: 32, 31, 29, 30.

To superscore means to take the top subscore in each category (Math, Reading, English, and Science), regardless of which test session it was, and combine them together. In this case, with all four hypothetical test sessions taken into consideration (ie they were all reported to the USAFA), this candidate's superscore subscores would be: math 34, science 35, reading 32, English 32. So they give you the benefit of the doubt and take the best score from each category regardless of the test session in which you took the test. It's just another way to help candidates out.

I think that they also superscore the composite scores.
 
I don't understand why the ACT is superscored.

Superscoring is intended to level out inconsistencies within a college applicant's exam scores. A student may struggle with one section on one exam day but excel on the same section on a different exam day while scoring lower on another section that they excelled at the previous time. The physical condition of the student, the environment of the test room, the genre and difficulty of the reading passages or the number and type of math problems can vary between exam and therefore impact the exam scores. By taking the highest score from multiple exams, in theory a more realistic picture is provided of the student's academic capabilities as measured by the imprecise test instrument. Using a composite of scores from multiple exams, under multiple conditions, taken at different times of the year with different question sets seems consistent with the Academy's desire to develop a "whole person" view of each candidate.

I think that they also superscore the composite scores.

No, composite scores are not superscored since by definition superscoring uses the highest individual scores to develop a composite superscore.
 
Thank you for clarifying that. Now it makes a lot more sense. Happy 4th to everyone out there on this forum.:thumb:
 
Another similar question; is it true that the academy only looks at your 1600 sat score? Meaning only the CR and M score, excluding the writing portion?
 
Arapwarrior, all 3 SAT section scores will be listed on your application status page after the AFA receives your scores. Whether the writing portion carries as much weight as the other 2, I'm not sure.
 
Whether the writing portion carries as much weight as the other 2, I'm not sure.

Neither the SAT writing section or the ACT writing section is counted as part of a USAFA candidate's WCS even though they are listed on the application status page.
 
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