SAT to ACT conversion
The official 2018 concordance, with its published error bars on the result rather than buried underneath it.
590 to 1600, the range the concordance covers
Concorded ACT composite
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Read this as an approximation. ACT publishes standard errors of plus or minus 2 ACT points and plus or minus 80 SAT points on this table. It is also the 2018 concordance, which mapped the retired four-section ACT against the pre-digital paper SAT. ACT states it can continue to be used, but no updated version exists.
Source: 2018 ACT/SAT Concordance Tables, published jointly by ACT and College Board. Retrieved 2026-08-27.
Common conversions
| SAT total | ACT composite | With standard error |
|---|---|---|
| 1600 | 36 | 34 to 36 |
| 1500 | 34 | 32 to 36 |
| 1400 | 31 | 29 to 33 |
| 1300 | 28 | 26 to 30 |
| 1200 | 25 | 23 to 27 |
| 1100 | 22 | 20 to 24 |
| 1000 | 19 | 17 to 21 |
| 900 | 16 | 14 to 18 |
| 800 | 14 | 12 to 16 |
What this table actually is
A concordance is not a translation. It is a statistical mapping built by looking at students who took both tests and finding scores that fell at comparable points in each distribution. It tells you what an equivalent performance looks like on average, not what your score would have been.
That is why the standard errors matter. ACT publishes plus or minus 2 ACT points and plus or minus 80 SAT points. Treating a concorded number as exact is the single most common misuse of this table.
The complication nobody mentions
The 2018 concordance mapped the four-section ACT composite, which included science, against the paper SAT that ran from 2016 to 2023. Since then the SAT went digital and adaptive, and the ACT dropped science from its composite.
Neither test on either side of that table exists in the form that was concorded. ACT addresses this by publishing a table showing the old four-section composite and the new three-section composite concord almost exactly, which is what keeps the 2018 table defensible. It is still the only official concordance, and ACT says it can continue to be used, but it is worth knowing what you are using.
Which test suits you is a different question
Converting a score tells you where you stand. It does not tell you which test you should sit. The two are structured very differently now, particularly on time per question, which the comparison guide works through.
Going the other way, use the ACT to SAT converter. To score an ACT practice test from raw answers, use the ACT score calculator.
Read next
- SAT or ACT, how to choose in 2026 Digital adaptive SAT versus enhanced ACT: timing, content, scoring and superscore differences that actually decide it.
- The enhanced ACT, everything that changed Shorter sections, optional science, and a three-section composite: the 2025 ACT changes in detail.
- What is a good SAT score Percentile anchors, class of 2025 data, and why the answer depends on your college list.
Common questions
- Is there an official SAT to ACT conversion?
- Yes, the 2018 concordance published jointly by ACT and College Board. It is the only official one, and ACT states it can continue to be used. No updated version has been produced.
- How accurate is the conversion?
- ACT publishes standard errors of plus or minus 2 ACT points and plus or minus 80 SAT points on this table. A concorded score is a statistical estimate of an equivalent, not an equivalent.
- Does the concordance account for the digital SAT and enhanced ACT?
- No. It was built from the four-section ACT composite that included science, and the pre-digital paper SAT. Neither test exists in that form today. ACT publishes a separate table showing the old and new ACT composites concord closely, which is the bridge that keeps the 2018 table usable.
- What ACT score equals 1400 on the SAT?
- The 2018 concordance puts SAT 1400 at ACT 31. With the published standard error, treat that as a range rather than a single equivalent.
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