<p>ACTs on US News are reported as English, math, and composite score.</p>
<p>Can someone tell me if what the English score means? Is it the English section and the Reading section combined? I am very unfamiliar with this test.</p>
<p>ACT has an English section and a Reading section, each scored separately. IF the student opts to take ACT with Writing, the writing score is factored in for a separate subscore that gets reported in smaller font, in a different area of the score report than the writing score. Considering that the vast majority of colleges state that the writing score is informational only, I would be surprised if what is being reported for English is this English/Reading/Writing subcore (not part of the scores used to determine composite). It more likely is the English subscore only. Since the Science score is also not reported, I imagine they might ignore the Reading score.</p>
<p>To illustrate the difference, my D got 36s in both English & Reading, but when the writing score was factored in she got a score a couple points lower; that is not reflected in the Composite score. ACT writing is scored based on a particular essay method. The position taken must be stated, supporting evidence must be presented ... and a different position must be acknowledged and refuted. D didn't know that when she took the test. I found out from a teacher who was prepping her language arts class for the state mandated ACT test all our high school juniors now take (in school) spring of junior year.</p>
<p>kelsmom, wow, nice reading/English scores! It is hard for me to all subscores are not reported. I find it strange. I thought perhaps the average English and reading, but I guess not. I can rationalize why science would be left out I guess, just because not tested on the SAT.</p>
<p>The Composite Score is the average of your four test scores, rounded to the nearest whole number (including science).</p>
<p>nysmile,thank you. I understand that. I was just wondering why only the math and Enlish section are reported as a subscore, on USNews anyway. I perhaps can justify in my mind why the subscore in science is not reported, but I cannot understand why the reading subscore is not reported. Is the reading section considered less important than math and English? If so, why?</p>
<p>NEM, it was a nice surprise. She didn't prep ... she got the right test for her skills that day! I am convinced that that is at least part of it, since ACT is a test of "what you know.</p>
<p>I wouldn't be surprised if the Reading score is actually used. That seems more likely.</p>
<p>I just looked up the usnwr methodology. They say that they use SAT math & CR, and ACT composite. That makes sense. They are using both tests sans writing component.</p>
<p>kelsmom, yes, but they breakdown they still report the ACT as math, English and composite. I wonder how this effects admissions if the English score is quite a bit lower than the reading score. I also wonder if science counts much other than it raising or lowering the composite score.</p>
<p>Somebody was kind enough to explain to me that the ACT subscores reported in USNews are English and math because English and math are the only components of the composite score they are required to breakout on the Common Data Set.</p>
<p>I think that it is a shame because in my opinion, the reading on the ACT most closely resembles the reading section on the SAT. The English along with the essay (ACT's writing test), IMO, seems similar to the SAT's writing section.</p>
<p>Thank you for posting, Northeastmom. It's good to have an answer on that. I also agree that the reading score seems more aligned with SAT verbal.</p>