Here's a detail that surprises almost every Louisiana family, and it can cost real scholarship money if it's missed: TOPS does not superscore your ACT.

Understanding this one rule changes how a smart family plans the entire testing season.

First, what "superscoring" means Superscoring is when a college takes your best section scores across multiple test dates and combines them into one higher composite. Take the ACT twice, and a superscoring college might use your best English from one date and your best Math from another. Many selective colleges do this, and the ACT even provides an official superscore automatically. It's a genuinely great thing — for admissions.

But TOPS plays by a different rule TOPS uses a single test-date composite. It looks at one sitting and takes that day's composite. It will not stitch together your best sections from different dates. So a student could have a superscore of 25 that gets them into a great college — but if their best single-day composite is a 22, TOPS sees a 22.

This is the whole game for Louisiana families: the strategy that maximizes admissions (retake and superscore) is different from the strategy that maximizes TOPS (peak everything on one day). You need a plan that serves both — and it starts with knowing they're different.

What smart families do instead - Aim to peak on a single sitting. Rather than hoping to patch sections together later, prepare so English, Math, and Reading all come together strong on the same day. - Still retake — but retake to raise the whole composite, not just one section. Each retake is a fresh shot at a higher single-day number. - Know your target tier. If your student needs a 23 for Performance, the goal is a 23 composite in one sitting — not a 23 superscore. - Prepare across all three core sections together, since a weak section on test day drags the single-day composite TOPS actually uses.

The good news This rule isn't bad news — it's clarity. Once you know TOPS wants a strong single day, you can prepare for exactly that. Every practice test becomes a rehearsal for bringing it all together at once, which is a very coachable skill.

Colleges reward your best pieces. TOPS rewards your best day. Prepare for the day.

TOPS scoring rules are set by LOSFA and can change. Always confirm the current single-sitting policy at mylosfa.la.gov.