SAT vs ACT Score Converter 2026: Full Concordance Table

The official SAT to ACT score converter uses the 2018 concordance table published jointly by College Board and ACT Inc. – a 1400 SAT converts to approximately a 31 ACT, and a 27 ACT converts to approximately a 1280 SAT.

You took the SAT. Your target school lists its middle 50% in ACT scores. Or you took the ACT and want to know how your score compares to a friend’s SAT result. Either way, you need the concordance table – the only official tool for translating between the two scales.

This page gives you the full bidirectional table, explains how to use it for college applications, and covers the one question most conversion pages skip: does the 2024 switch to the Digital SAT change which table to use?

The Full SAT to ACT Concordance Table (Official 2018 Data, Current for 2026)

The concordance study was conducted jointly by College Board and ACT Inc. using data from students who took both tests. It has not been updated since 2018 – and that is intentional. The 2018 table remains the official standard used by colleges, scholarship programs, and athletic conferences through 2026.

The switch to the Digital SAT in 2024 did not require a new concordance table. College Board confirmed (source: College Board SAT Suite) that the Digital SAT score scale (400-1600) is designed to be continuous with the previous paper SAT scale, so the 2018 concordance remains valid for converting Digital SAT scores to ACT equivalents.

SAT to ACT: Find Your ACT Equivalent

SAT Score	ACT Equivalent	SAT Score	ACT Equivalent
1570-1600	36	1090-1110	21
1530-1560	35	1060-1080	20
1490-1520	34	1020-1050	19
1450-1480	33	980-1010	18
1420-1440	32	940-970	17
1390-1410	31	900-930	16
1360-1380	30	860-890	15
1330-1350	29	810-850	14
1290-1320	28	760-800	13
1250-1280	27	710-750	12
1210-1240	26	670-700	11
1170-1200	25	630-660	10
1130-1160	24	590-620	9
1090-1120	23	530-580	8
1050-1080	22	400-520	7 or below

ACT to SAT: Find Your SAT Equivalent

ACT Score	SAT Equivalent	ACT Score	SAT Equivalent
36	1570-1600	22	1100-1120
35	1530-1560	21	1060-1090
34	1490-1520	20	1020-1050
33	1450-1480	19	980-1010
32	1420-1440	18	940-970
31	1390-1410	17	900-930
30	1360-1380	16	860-890
29	1330-1350	15	810-850
28	1290-1320	14	760-800
27	1250-1280	13	710-750
26	1210-1240	12	670-700
25	1170-1200	11	630-660
24	1130-1160	10	590-620
23	1090-1120	9	530-580

Source: Official ACT/College Board concordance study (2018). Ranges shown reflect the band of scores on one test that correspond to a single point on the other scale.

What “Concordance” Actually Means (And Why It Matters)

Concordance is not the same as equivalence. The concordance table does not say a 1400 SAT and a 31 ACT are identical tests. It says that students who score 1400 on the SAT tend to score around 31 on the ACT – the two scores represent a similar level of academic achievement and college readiness.

This distinction matters for two reasons. First, the SAT and ACT test different skills in different formats. The SAT uses a section-adaptive digital format; the ACT is still largely paper-based in most states and includes a science reasoning section. A student who is strong in science reasoning may perform better on the ACT than their SAT concordance would predict. Second, concordance ranges span 20-40 SAT points per ACT score point, meaning a single ACT point corresponds to a wide band of SAT scores. A 1290 and a 1320 both convert to an ACT 28.

Admissions offices, scholarship programs, and athletic conferences (including the NCAA) use these tables to evaluate applicants who submitted different tests on equal footing. When a college lists an SAT middle 50% of 1300-1500 and you have a 31 ACT, you can confirm that your 31 converts to approximately 1390-1410, which puts you inside that range.

Applying the Conversion: Three College Examples

Example 1: Checking a merit scholarship threshold

A state scholarship requires a minimum 1200 SAT or equivalent. You scored a 25 ACT. The concordance converts a 25 ACT to 1170-1200 SAT. Your score sits at the bottom edge of the range – you likely meet the threshold, but contact the scholarship program directly since the exact policy for borderline scores varies.

Example 2: Evaluating a target school’s middle 50%

A school you are applying to has a middle 50% of 28-32 ACT. You have a 1320 SAT. The conversion shows 1290-1320 maps to ACT 28, placing you at the bottom of the middle 50%. Your SAT is technically in range, but you would benefit from understanding where a 1400 SAT score would sit relative to selective programs. If your SAT is below a school’s median, see our guide on improving your SAT score by 200 points.

Example 3: Deciding which score to report when you have both

You scored a 1380 SAT and a 29 ACT. The conversion shows 1380 SAT maps to ACT 30. Since you only scored a 29 on the actual ACT, your SAT is relatively stronger. Submit the 1380 SAT. The reverse calculation: 29 ACT converts to 1330-1350 SAT, confirming your SAT of 1380 is above the equivalent ACT score you achieved.

How the Digital SAT Affects Score Conversion

The Digital SAT launched in the US in March 2024 and changed the test format significantly: shorter passages, fully adaptive two-module structure, and embedded Desmos calculator. Despite these changes, the concordance table remains the same.

College Board designed the Digital SAT to maintain score continuity with the previous SAT. A 1400 on the Digital SAT is intended to represent the same level of college readiness as a 1400 on the prior paper SAT. Because the scale is continuous, the 2018 concordance table converts Digital SAT scores to ACT equivalents without adjustment.

This means students testing in 2024, 2025, or 2026 use the same concordance table as students who tested in 2020. The only situation where you might see a different table is if College Board and ACT commission a new concordance study based on post-2024 data – which, as of mid-2026, has not happened.

For a deeper understanding of how the SAT and ACT compare on format, timing, and strategy, see our Digital SAT vs ACT comparison and expert opinion on ACT vs SAT.

Your Next Step: What to Do With Your Score

Converting your score is step one. What matters is where that score sits relative to your target schools and whether there is room to improve before your next test date.

The SAT score percentile table shows exactly how your score compares to the national pool of test takers – useful context when assessing whether a 27 ACT equivalent puts you in a competitive position for a specific school. For context on what the average SAT score looks like nationally, that reference is worth checking alongside any concordance conversion.

LearnQ.ai’s SAT-ACT score converter and adaptive diagnostic test places you at your real performance level across all Digital SAT skill areas in 45 minutes — try the free full-length practice test first, then builds a personalised study path targeting your highest-leverage score improvements. Mia, LearnQ’s AI tutor, identifies exactly which question types are holding your score back – so if your converted score is below your target school’s range, you know precisely where to focus.

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FAQ

What is a 1200 SAT in ACT?

A 1200 SAT converts to approximately a 25 ACT using the official concordance table. The concordance range for ACT 25 spans 1170-1200 SAT, so a 1200 sits at the top of this band. Both scores represent roughly the 74th percentile nationally.

What ACT score equals a 1400 SAT?

A 1400 SAT converts to approximately a 31 ACT. The concordance range for ACT 31 spans 1390-1410 SAT. A 1400 is in the 95th percentile for the SAT and represents competitive performance for most selective universities.

How do I convert my ACT score to SAT?

Find your ACT composite score in the right-hand ACT-to-SAT table above and read the SAT range listed alongside it. For example, a 29 ACT converts to 1330-1350 SAT. The conversion works in both directions using the same 2018 concordance data.

Is the SAT to ACT concordance table accurate for the Digital SAT?

Yes. College Board confirmed that the Digital SAT score scale (400-1600) is continuous with the previous SAT scale, so the 2018 concordance table applies without adjustment to Digital SAT scores reported from 2024 onward.

Why hasn’t the concordance table been updated since 2018?

The concordance table is updated only when one of the tests undergoes a significant format change that College Board and ACT Inc. determine requires a new joint study. The 2023-2024 Digital SAT transition did not trigger an update because the score scale was maintained. As of mid-2026, the 2018 concordance remains the official standard.

What is a 30 ACT equivalent in SAT?

A 30 ACT converts to approximately 1360-1380 SAT. A 1370 is sometimes cited as the midpoint for this conversion. Both represent roughly the 93rd-94th percentile and are competitive scores for most universities in the top 50.

Should I submit my SAT or ACT score if I have both?

Convert both scores to the same scale using the concordance table. Whichever score converts higher on the other scale is your relatively stronger result – submit that one. For example: 1380 SAT converts to ACT 30; if your actual ACT is 28, the 1380 SAT is the stronger submission. Note that some colleges require all scores (Score Choice policies vary), so check each school’s submission policy before deciding.

Do colleges prefer one test over the other?

No. All US colleges accept both SAT and ACT equally. Neither test is preferred or weighted differently in the admissions process. The choice of which test to take – or which to submit – should be based entirely on which score is stronger after concordance conversion.

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Sources: Official ACT/College Board Concordance Study (2018), act.org/concordance; College Board Digital SAT score continuity documentation (2024); AdmissionSight SAT-ACT Concordance Guide (April 2026); College Transitions SAT-ACT Converter (April 2026)