As someone who is trying to improve their score, how is the official ACT scored? Is it based on how other’s did when they took the test or based on how difficult the material is?
Thanks
To a certain extent both. The ACT has many tests which it uses more than once, e.g., the test you take in August 2018 could be one from February several years ago. Your score on the test is in fact pre-determined before you walk into the exam room, based on the number of answers you may get correct. That is because you will not be compared to the people taking the test at the same time as you but instead to people who took the ACT in prior exam years (the exam year is August to June).
The tests are all similar but some are little harder than others. For each test ACT has calculated an equalization factor to assure the scoring on a harder test comes out essentially the same as that on an easier test. But the result can sometimes seem strange. For example, there are ACT tests where a 35 on the science section is impossible because one wrong drops you to a 34.