SAT Score Converter
SAT and ACT concordance both ways from the official 2018 tables.
What it does
SAT and ACT scores travel together in admissions, but the scales never shared a ruler. Concordance tables built from students who sat both tests link each SAT total to the ACT composite at the same percentile.
The tool above runs the official 2018 College Board and ACT tables both ways. It returns the concorded score plus the band around it, so a 1400 reads as ACT 31 inside 1390 to 1410.
The default SAT 1400 lands exactly on a table row: ACT 31. Nearby, 1280 concords to 27, and ACT 25 concords back to SAT 1210 inside 1200 to 1220.
Those tables came from 589,753 seniors who took both tests in 2016 to 2017, weighted to the national test taking group. The guide names them the single official source and retires the 2016 release.
Concorded scores carry error near 80 SAT points, so they frame chances rather than replace sittings. Colleges use them for context while scholarships and cutoffs read the scale you actually sent.
How to use
- Pick SAT to ACT or ACT to SAT.
- Type the score on the sending scale.
- Read the concorded score first.
- Read the band beside it.
- Use ranges, not single points, for cutoffs.
- Recheck against the PDF for admissions letters.
Formula
- SAT
- SAT total, 400 to 1600 (tool covers 590 to 1600).
- ACT
- ACT composite, 1 to 36 (tool covers 9 to 36).
- range
- SAT band around each tabled match, e.g. 1390 to 1410.
Table A1 maps each ACT composite to an SAT total (36 to 1590, 31 to 1400, 25 to 1210, 20 to 1040, 15 to 850, 9 to 590) with an SAT range around it. SAT to ACT picks the nearest tabled total, with ties going to the higher row. Scores under 590 sit below the published tables.
Worked example
Example: SAT 1400 to ACT
Defaults: SAT to ACT direction, score 1400.
- Direction: SAT total to ACT composite.
- Input 1400 sits inside the 1390 to 1410 band.
- Band maps to ACT 31 on Table A1.
- Reverse check: ACT 31 concords back to SAT 1400.
- Range check: 1400 falls between 1390 and 1410.
- Tool shows 31, SAT 1400 concords to ACT 31.
Reference table
| ACT | SAT | SAT range |
|---|---|---|
| 36 | 1590 | 1570 to 1600 |
| 31 | 1400 | 1390 to 1410 |
| 27 | 1280 | 1260 to 1290 |
| 25 | 1210 | 1200 to 1220 |
| 20 | 1040 | 1030 to 1050 |
| 15 | 850 | 830 to 870 |
| 9 | 590 | 590 to 610 |
Limits
- Covers SAT 590 to 1600 and ACT 9 to 36 only.
- Percentile matching, not a prediction of your next sitting.
- Section level concordance needs the separate math and ERW tables.
- Old SAT 2400 tables are retired and excluded.
Common mistakes
- Treating a concorded score as earned on that test.
- Rounding 1390 to 1400 before converting.
- Using retired 2016 tables from old blogs.
- Comparing section scores through total tables.
- Reading cutoffs off a single point instead of the band.
Try it yourself
Quick checks. Answers sit tucked under each question.
ACT 25 to SAT?
ACT 25 concords to SAT 1210, inside 1200 to 1220.
SAT 1280 to ACT?
1280 sits nearest 1280, concording to ACT 27.
ACT 36 to SAT?
36 concords to 1590, inside 1570 to 1600, the top of the tables.
Questions
How do SAT and ACT compare?
Through concordance tables built from students who took both tests, matching equal percentile ranks. The 2018 tables are the single official source.
What are the score scales?
400 to 1600 total, from 200 to 800 per section. ACT runs 1 to 36 composite.
How exact is a concorded score?
About plus or minus 80 SAT points and 2 ACT points near the middle, per the guide.
Does a concorded score replace the real test?
No. Colleges concord for context; cutoffs and scholarships read the test you sent.
Why 2018 tables?
The 2018 release replaced the 2016 tables after the SAT redesign. Older tables should not be used.
What about very low scores?
Below 590 has no official match, so the tool asks for 590 to 1600 and ACT 9 to 36.
Sources
- College Board and ACT: Guide to the 2018 ACT/SAT Concordance (PDF)
- College Board: SAT and ACT comparison