SAT vs ACT Score Conversion Chart 2026: The Complete Concordance Guide
Here's a scenario that plays out in thousands of households every year: a student gets their ACT score back — say, a 28 — and immediately wants to know if that's the same as a 1300 or a 1310 on the SAT. Their reach school lists a mid-50% range in SAT terms. Their safety school only reports ACT data. And the student has scores from both tests, taken at different points in junior year.
This is exactly what concordance tables are built for. But most articles get one critical thing wrong: they call it a "conversion," which implies precision that doesn't exist. A 28 ACT and a 1310 SAT are not the same score. They represent the same rank in a national test-taking population. That distinction matters when you're deciding which score to submit.
What Concordance Actually Means (It's Not a Conversion)
The word "concordance" comes from college admissions research, not from math. The ACT and College Board jointly published their official concordance tables in 2018, after analyzing data from students who took both exams. The resulting tables map scores that occupy the same percentile rank — not scores that represent the same knowledge or skill level.
A concorded score isn't a perfect prediction of how a student would perform on the other test. Interpret concorded scores as scores with the same rank within a group of students who take the tests at approximately the same time.
— College Board's official guidance on concordance
So when you see that an ACT 30 "equals" an SAT 1370, that means: in a large sample of students who took both tests, the 30 ACT scorers and the ~1370 SAT scorers landed in roughly the same percentile band. The tests measure overlapping but distinct skill sets, use different timing, and reward different test-taking styles. The concordance is a bridge, not a translation.
One more thing: these tables have not been updated since 2018. That's not an oversight. The College Board and ACT confirmed they remain the official standard through 2026. They're still what colleges use.
The Full ACT to SAT Score Conversion Chart 2026
This table reflects the official 2018 ACT/SAT concordance, published jointly by ACT Inc. and the College Board. It remains current and is the version colleges, scholarship organizations, and athletic conferences use today.
| ACT Composite | SAT Total Equivalent |
|---|---|
| 36 | 1570–1600 |
| 35 | 1530–1560 |
| 34 | 1490–1520 |
| 33 | 1450–1480 |
| 32 | 1420–1440 |
| 31 | 1390–1410 |
| 30 | 1360–1380 |
| 29 | 1330–1350 |
| 28 | 1300–1320 |
| 27 | 1260–1290 |
| 26 | 1230–1250 |
| 25 | 1200–1220 |
| 24 | 1160–1190 |
| 23 | 1130–1150 |
| 22 | 1100–1120 |
| 21 | 1060–1090 |
| 20 | 1030–1050 |
| 19 | 990–1020 |
| 18 | 960–980 |
| 17 | 920–950 |
| 16 | 880–910 |
| 15 | 830–870 |
| 14 | 780–820 |
| 13 | 730–770 |
| 12 | 690–720 |
| 11 | 650–680 |
| 10 | 620–640 |
Notice the ranges rather than single numbers. That's intentional. The concordance acknowledges the fuzziness at the edges: an ACT 27, for instance, could reasonably sit anywhere from a 1260 to a 1290 on the SAT scale.
The Full SAT to ACT Score Conversion Chart 2026
Running the concordance in the opposite direction produces slightly different results because the scales work differently. The SAT runs from 400 to 1600; the ACT runs from 1 to 36. The gaps between adjacent ACT scores are not evenly spaced in SAT points.
| SAT Total | ACT Composite Equivalent |
|---|---|
| 1570–1600 | 36 |
| 1530–1560 | 35 |
| 1490–1520 | 34 |
| 1450–1480 | 33 |
| 1420–1440 | 32 |
| 1390–1410 | 31 |
| 1360–1380 | 30 |
| 1330–1350 | 29 |
| 1300–1320 | 28 |
| 1260–1290 | 27 |
| 1230–1250 | 26 |
| 1200–1220 | 25 |
| 1160–1190 | 24 |
| 1130–1150 | 23 |
| 1100–1120 | 22 |
| 1060–1090 | 21 |
| 1030–1050 | 20 |
| 990–1020 | 19 |
| 960–980 | 18 |
| 920–950 | 17 |
| 880–910 | 16 |
| 830–870 | 15 |
| 780–820 | 14 |
| 730–770 | 13 |
| 690–720 | 12 |
| 650–680 | 11 |
| 620–640 | 10 |
Practical observation: notice that a 1300 and a 1320 SAT both map to ACT 28. That 20-point spread on the SAT collapses into a single ACT composite point. This is why the tables show ranges instead of one-to-one pairs.
Understanding the Score Structure of Each Test
Before using these charts strategically, it helps to understand the mechanical differences between the two scores.
How the SAT is scored:
- Two sections: Math (200–800) and Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (200–800)
- Total score = sum of both sections, so 400–1600
- Digital SAT format: approximately 98 questions in 2 hours and 14 minutes
- No Science section
How the ACT is scored:
- Four sections: English, Math, Reading, Science (each scored 1–36)
- Composite = average of all four sections, rounded to nearest whole number
- Approximately 131 questions in roughly 2 hours 5 minutes of actual test time
- Optional Writing section scored separately
That Science section on the ACT is the elephant in the room for many students. It's not really a science knowledge test — it tests data analysis and graph interpretation — but students who struggle with timed reasoning tasks often find it a drag on their composite. One student who pulled a 1380 SAT (just below ACT 31 territory) told me she'd taken the ACT twice and hit a 28 both times, largely because her Science score kept landing in the low 20s.
How Colleges Actually Use These Numbers
Most selective colleges accept both tests without stated preference. When an admissions officer sees a 1380 SAT from one applicant and a 30 ACT from another, they're not mentally converting one to the other with a calculator. They understand the rough equivalency and evaluate both in context of that school's admitted student profile.
What colleges explicitly warn against (from College Board's own institutional guidance):
- Don't convert average SAT scores to average ACT scores as a way to compare class profiles. Aggregating concorded scores introduces errors.
- Don't combine ACT section scores and SAT section scores into a hybrid superscore. They come from different scales and different constructs.
- Don't treat concorded scores as interchangeable for merit scholarship decisions without checking the specific scholarship's stated policy.
Some scholarships do specify a minimum score on one or the other, and use the concordance to set the equivalent threshold for the other test. The National Merit Scholarship program, for instance, operates purely through the PSAT/NMSQT — no ACT equivalent applies.
Choosing Which Test to Submit
If you've taken both tests, the concordance table is your first tool — but not your last. Here's a practical framework:
Step 1: Find your concorded pair
Look up your ACT composite in the first table. Check whether your SAT total falls inside, above, or below the equivalent range. If your SAT 1310 is in the ACT 28 band and you also have a 29 ACT, the ACT is slightly stronger by concordance standards.
Step 2: Check section-level fit
Your total score matters. But specific programs — engineering, nursing, business — sometimes weigh math sections more heavily. An SAT 780 Math score can read differently than an ACT 35 Math score even when the totals concorded the same way.
Step 3: Compare to each school's middle 50%
Find the 25th–75th percentile ranges for both tests at each of your target schools. If you're in the top quartile on one test but only at the median on the other, submit the stronger one.
Step 4: Consider score-optional policies
At many schools that remain test-optional, submitting a score that falls below their 25th percentile can actually hurt your application. Use the concordance tables to verify where you stand before deciding to include either score.
Mistakes Students Make with Score Conversions
Treating the concordance as a guarantee. If your ACT composite is 30, you cannot assume you would score 1370 on the SAT. You might score 1310. You might score 1400. The concordance reflects group-level statistical patterns, not individual prediction.
Ignoring the ranges. A student who scores a 27 ACT and sees "1260–1290 SAT equivalent" sometimes fixates on 1290 as their target. But 1260 is equally concorded. Plan for the midpoint, not the ceiling.
Converting scores to shop for scholarship thresholds. If a merit scholarship requires a 1400 SAT and you want to see if your ACT 31 qualifies, you should contact the scholarship directly. Some accept the concordance explicitly; others require the test score in its original form. Assuming concordance applies can cost you money.
Conflating the digital SAT with the old paper SAT. The digital SAT launched for U.S. students in spring 2024. The 2018 concordance tables were built on paper SAT data. College Board has confirmed the same concordance applies, but the test's structure changed in ways that matter — fewer questions, more adaptive routing, no penalty for wrong answers. The percentile bands have held steady, but it's worth knowing that the underlying data is now about six years old.
Section-Level Score Comparisons
The total score concordance is the most widely used. But section-level comparisons exist too, and they're useful when a program or scholarship specifies a math score threshold.
| ACT Section | Comparable SAT Section | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| ACT Math (1–36) | SAT Math (200–800) | Separate concordance table available |
| ACT English + Reading (avg) | SAT EBRW (200–800) | Rough alignment only |
| ACT Science | No SAT equivalent | Science is unique to the ACT |
The ACT's Science section has no counterpart on the SAT. Students whose strongest subject is data interpretation and graph analysis should weigh this seriously — it's a genuine advantage if science reasoning is your thing, and a drag on your composite if it's not.
Bottom Line
- The official ACT/SAT concordance comes from a 2018 joint study by ACT Inc. and College Board. It has not been updated since, and it remains the standard colleges use through 2026.
- Concordance maps equivalent percentile ranks — not identical skills or predicted performance on the other test.
- If you have scores from both exams, compare each against your target schools' published middle-50% ranges before deciding what to submit.
- Never combine section scores from both tests or use concordance to self-convert averages. That's not what the tables are designed for.
- When in doubt: take a full-length practice test of the test you haven't sat officially. The 30-point improvement you find by switching tests is more valuable than anything a concordance chart can do.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the SAT ACT concordance table different in 2026 than it was in 2024?
No. The concordance tables published jointly by ACT Inc. and College Board in 2018 remain the official standard through 2026. Neither organization has released an updated concordance study. Any site claiming a "new 2026 table" is presenting the same 2018 data with a fresh label.
My ACT score falls in a range on the SAT — which number should I use?
Use the midpoint as your rough benchmark, but don't treat either end of the range as wrong. The range exists because the concordance reflects statistical probability, not a deterministic formula. If a college's mid-50% SAT range starts at 1300 and your ACT 28 concorded range is 1300–1320, you're at the bottom edge — that's worth knowing before you decide which score to submit.
Can I submit both my SAT and ACT scores to a college?
Yes. Most colleges allow this, and some admissions offices will look at all scores you send. However, many test-optional schools only consider scores if you choose to share them — you don't have to submit both. Check each school's policy individually, since there's no universal rule.
Does concordance mean my ACT and SAT scores are interchangeable for scholarships?
Not automatically. Merit scholarships and athletic eligibility thresholds sometimes accept the concordance; others require the original test score in a specific format. The NCAA, for example, publishes its own eligibility guidelines separately from the college concordance. Contact the scholarship organization directly rather than assuming the concordance applies.
Is the ACT or SAT harder?
Neither is objectively harder — they test different things. The ACT's Science section and faster per-question pacing (the ACT has about 131 questions to the digital SAT's roughly 98) make it a distinct challenge. Students who read quickly and handle data graphs well often prefer the ACT. Students who like more time per question and no science section often do better on the SAT. The only reliable way to find out is to take a timed practice test of each.
What happens if my SAT and ACT scores don't concorded the way I expected?
That's actually common, and it's informative. If your SAT 1350 maps to the ACT 29 band but you actually scored a 27 on the ACT, the SAT is your stronger test — submit that one. Meaningful gaps between your real scores and the concorded equivalents usually signal that one test format fits your testing style better than the other.
