Two policies -- superscoring and Score Choice -- have a real, practical effect on how you should think about ACT retakes, and both are commonly misunderstood.
What superscoring actually means
ACT itself reports a single composite score for each individual test date -- the average of your four section scores from that sitting. Superscoring is something individual COLLEGES choose to do on their end: many recombine your best individual section score from each test date you've taken, across multiple sittings, into one newly calculated composite, rather than using any single date's reported composite as-is.
This matters practically because it means a strong Math score from your first attempt and a strong Reading score from your second attempt can both count toward your application, even if neither individual test date had your best overall composite. Not every college superscores, though -- it's a school-by-school policy, so check directly with any specific school you're applying to.
Related: What to Expect on the ACT: Format, Scoring, and How to Prepare
What Score Choice actually means
Score Choice, where a college allows it, lets you choose which specific test date's scores to send them, rather than being required to send every ACT score you've ever earned. This is also a school-by-school policy -- some schools require "all scores," meaning every sitting you've ever completed, regardless of how many times you've tested.
Why this changes how you should think about retakes
Understanding these two policies together should genuinely reduce test-day anxiety about a single attempt. If your target schools superscore, a single weak section on one test date doesn't need to define your application -- a stronger score on that same section from a later attempt can still count. And even at schools that don't superscore, most allow Score Choice, meaning you can simply choose to send only your strongest single sitting.
What to actually check before you rely on either policy
Because both are set individually by each college, never assume a policy applies just because it's common. Before building a testing strategy around superscoring or Score Choice, check the specific admissions policy published by each school on your list -- these policies can also change from year to year, so confirm current details directly rather than relying on older information. Try our ACT practice questions.