Thinking about taking the ACT during your sophomore year? You definitely can, but the average ACT score for sophomores probably isn’t as high as you think it could be.

Here’s a quick rundown of what ACT scores schools are looking for in 2020.

The Short Answer

Before we go into details, let’s start off answering the main question.

In general, the average ACT score for sophomores is 18. If that scares you, don’t let it. We’ll discuss why down below.

How An Average ACT Score for Sophomores Compares To Others

The first thing to know is don’t compare your score to 11th graders.

High school juniors have another year’s worth of learning and practice under their belts. Right off the bat, high school juniors score, on average, two points higher per section versus sophomores.

They’re supposed to score higher than any 10th grader. Instead, look at how 10th graders should score amongst themselves. If you want a better idea of how to compare your sophomore score to others, you can go to the ACT’s official website and look for the 10th grade percentile table.

Your guidance counselor may also have additional resources to help analyze your scores too, in context.

What’s A Good ACT Score for Sophomores?

10th grade scores again tend to be lower than 11th grade scores, so don’t get upset.

The truth is, you’ll receive more information and practice the following year with a lot of the concepts that the ACT tests students on. Also, there’s always ACT prep course options like our own to give you a leg up ahead of time.

Again, research has found that the average ACT score for sophomores is 18 points. Anything above that would be considered great for a 10th grader.

In percentile terms, if you are able to score a 24, then you’d already rank higher than over 75 percent of other sophomore scores. A 31 would place you higher than 95 percent of sophomores too. However, if your first attempt lands at 18 or 19, you’re doing fine.

ACT Score Improvement Tips

Improving your ACT score doesn’t happen overnight, it takes time and forethought.

The first thing you can do is take an ACT practice test. There are many of them available online. If you’ve already taken it during your sophomore year, then study your score report to see which areas need improvement.

Dial in on those weak sections, and work on improving your skills for each one. This focus maximizes your available study time and will help you initially improve fast.

Again, ACT prep courses like our own provide tips and strategies for how to successfully tackle every seciton. Another important tip is take a lot of practice tests. Practice tests help you master the necessary time management skills and register improvements.

If you find that specific sections are still giving you grief, then double down on studying those concepts and question types.

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