Planning to enroll in college? You may need to take the ACT® as part of the admissions process!
For those new to the test, this page provides everything you need to know about its content, scoring, and overall importance.
If you’re already familiar with the test, and you’re looking for ACT test prep help, you’re also in the right place! Just below, you’ll find links to a wide variety of free review videos and practice questions that can help you get a great score on the ACT.
What is the Enhanced ACT?
The current version of the ACT is often called the “enhanced” ACT. Compared with the previous version of the exam, it has fewer questions and gives you more time per question. The required English, Math, and Reading sections contain 131 questions and take 2 hours and 5 minutes in total.
For National ACT testing, Science and Writing are optional add-ons. The Science section adds 40 questions and 40 minutes, while the Writing section adds one 40-minute essay. For school-day testing, your state or district may determine which sections you take.
The Composite score is also now based only on your English, Math, and Reading scores. Science is no longer included in the calculation.
ACT Test Outline
Here’s a closer look at what’s on the ACT:
1. English
The questions in this section are split into three categories:
The questions in this category assess your knowledge of topic development, organization, unity, and cohesion when it comes to a piece of writing.
Knowledge of Language
The questions in this category assess your ability to use precision and concision in word choice to demonstrate effective language use, as well as your ability to maintain consistency in the tone and style of a piece of writing.
Conventions of Standard English
The questions in this category assess your ability to revise and edit a piece of writing using standard grammar, mechanics, and language usage conventions.
You will be given multiple different passages to read, usually consisting of several paragraphs. The passages will vary greatly in both style and topics and are usually unrelated to any other passage. After each passage, you’ll be given several questions to answer concerning what you just read. Some parts of the passage will be underlined, and different parts of the passage will be assigned a number for easy reference when answering questions.
Many of the questions will be about one of the underlined portions of the passage. You will be shown several substitutes for the underlined portion and asked which one should replace it. In some questions, you have the option of selecting NO CHANGE if you believe the underlined text is correct as written. Other questions may concern the entire passage, or particular sections of the passage, even though they’re not underlined.
2. Mathematics
The questions in this section are split into two categories:
The questions in this category assess your knowledge of recently learned math concepts, from algebra to statistics. This category is divided into further subcategories:
- Number and Quantity
- Algebra
- Functions
- Geometry
- Statistics and Probability
Integrating Essential Skills
The questions in this category assess your ability to solve complex problems by synthesizing and applying various concepts.
According to ACT, you don’t need to memorize any complex formulas to do well on the Math section, nor will you be required to perform any long, intensive calculations. In fact, ACT says that a calculator isn’t required to solve any of the math problems (though you are welcome to use an approved calculator if you wish).
On the enhanced ACT, each Math question has four answer choices instead of the five used on the previous version of the exam.
3. Reading
The questions in this section are split into three categories:
The questions in this category assess your ability to identify main ideas and themes in a text, draw logical inferences and conclusions from a text, summarize information and ideas from a text, and understand various types of relationships presented in a text (sequential, cause-and-effect, etc.).
Craft and Structure
The questions in this category assess your ability to analyze text structure, define words and phrases, analyze characters’ points of view, understand a passage’s purpose, and evaluate an author’s word choice.
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
The questions in this category assess your ability to distinguish facts from opinions, understand and evaluate an author’s claims, and make logical connections between related texts.
The reading material will be divided into four categories: Social Studies, Natural Sciences, Humanities, and Literary Narrative or Prose Fiction. In other words, you’ll have a passage (or two short passages) from each of the first three categories named, and one category will be either Literary Narrative or Prose Fiction. All of these categories are wide-ranging, so there’s no way to predict exactly what the subject matter in each category will be.
4. Science
The questions in this section are split into three categories:
The questions in this category assess your ability to analyze and manipulate scientific data found in charts, tables, graphs, and diagrams.
Scientific Investigation
The questions in this category assess your knowledge of experimental tools and procedures and your ability to compare and modify experiments.
Evaluating Scientific Arguments and Models with Evidence
The questions in this category assess your ability to validate information and establish conclusions and predictions based on that information.
The Science section is focused on the natural sciences, and it assumes that you have completed (or are close to completing) three years of high school science classes, including one in biology and one in either a physical science or an Earth science.
5. Writing
Some colleges and universities require applicants to take the optional ACT Writing test. Many people register for and take the Writing test even though their intended schools don’t require it, just in case they later change their mind and apply to one or more schools that do require it.
If you choose to take the optional Writing test, you will be given 40 minutes to write an essay that outlines your perspective on an issue presented in a given writing prompt. Your score on this test is calculated separately from the other parts of the ACT, so it does not negatively affect your overall ACT score if you perform poorly.
Your essay is evaluated in four areas:
- Ideas and Analysis: How well you develop your own perspective and engage with other perspectives on the issue.
- Development and Support: How effectively you explain your ideas and support them with reasoning and examples.
- Organization: How clearly and logically you arrange your ideas and connect them throughout your essay.
- Language Use and Conventions: How effectively you use grammar, sentence structure, word choice, and other conventions of written English.
You will receive a Writing score from 2 to 12, along with a score from 2 to 12 for each of the four domains. Your overall Writing score is the rounded average of your four domain scores.
If you take the Writing section, ACT will also report an English Language Arts (ELA) score, which is based on your English, Reading, and Writing results.
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Registration
To register for a National ACT test date, create or sign in to your MyACT account and complete the registration process online. During registration, you’ll choose your test date and test center, select your test options, upload a photo, and pay the applicable fees.
If you miss the late registration deadline, you may be able to request standby testing through MyACT. Standby admission is not guaranteed and depends on available seats, testing materials, and staff at the test center.
Test Dates
The ACT is given nationwide at thousands of locations, seven times a year: February, April, June, July, September, October, and December. Most locations are a public school or a local college or university. National ACT test dates are generally scheduled on Saturdays, although non-Saturday testing may be available for students who cannot test on Saturday because of religious convictions.
Test Day
You must report to your assigned testing site by the time that is noted on your admission ticket, which you should bring with you. A late arrival will result in your test being canceled.
What to Bring
Along with your admission ticket, you should also bring an acceptable form of photo ID and at least one sharpened No. 2 pencil. You are also allowed to bring snacks, a watch to keep track of time limits, and a calculator.
You are not allowed to bring any books, study materials, notes, scratch paper, highlighters, white-out, or colored pencils/pens. If you do bring any of these, you will be asked to leave them outside of the testing room.
If you registered for online testing with the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) option, you must also bring your fully charged laptop and charger and complete ACT’s required device setup before test day.
Taking the Test
Before the test begins, you will be assigned a seat and given specific test-taking directions and information. Once all of the rules and information have been presented, the test will begin.
A break will be scheduled after the second test, during which you can relax but cannot use your cell phone or any other electronic devices.
Once the full test is over, you will be dismissed.
ACT Scores and Benchmarks
Every person who takes the ACT receives multiple scores:
Individual Scores
You will receive a score from 1–36 for each core section (English, math, and reading), as well as the science section if you choose to take it.
Composite Score
The Composite score is what most people mean when they talk about their ACT score. This score, which ranges from 1–36, is the average of your individual test scores, rounded to the nearest whole number (your science score is not included). This is the main number colleges and universities are concerned with.
Your score report will include reporting categories, which show the percentage of points you earned in specific areas. These categories don’t impact your Composite, but they can be very helpful for identifying specific strengths and weaknesses.
ACT Superscore
If you take the ACT more than once, you will automatically receive an official superscore. The superscore is the average of your highest English, math, and reading scores across ACT test dates, rounded to the nearest whole number.
For example, say you took the test in April and then again in June. In April, you did great on the math section but poorly on the reading section, and in June you did much better on the reading section but a lot worse on the math section. The superscore will combine your April math score with your June reading score, so only your best scores are considered!
Not every college accepts the ACT superscore, but the list of those that do is growing. Check with your school’s test score policy to see if they accept superscores.
Average ACT Score
It’s easy to find the average ACT score of students at colleges and universities you’re considering. Many schools publish this information right on their website.
According to ACT, the current average ACT composite test score is 19.4 out of 36 possible points.
The chart below compares the national average score for each subject with ACT’s College Readiness Benchmark for that subject.
ACT College Readiness Benchmarks represent the scores associated with a 50% chance of earning a B or higher and approximately a 75%–80% chance of earning a C or higher in corresponding first-year college courses.
When Do ACT Scores Come Out?
ACT scores are typically released within a few weeks after your test date, with more than 97% of scores available online within 1–4 weeks. Online test scores are usually available sooner than paper test scores. If you take the optional Writing test, your complete score report may take longer because your scores are not reported until all scores from that test date are available.
Retaking the Test
If you would like, you can take the ACT again to try for a higher score. You get to choose which scores are sent to schools, and you can even combine scores from different test dates to create a new composite score.
ACT vs. SAT vs. PSAT
The ACT, SAT, and PSAT are each used to help you get into college, but there are some notable differences among them. Wondering which test is right for you?
Take a look at the details of each exam here:
| Testing Time | ||
|---|---|---|
| ACT | SAT | PSAT |
2 hours and 5 minutes | 2 hours and 14 minutes | 2 hours and 14 minutes |
| Question Count | ||
|---|---|---|
| ACT | SAT | PSAT |
131 | 98 | 98 |
| Test Structure | ||
|---|---|---|
| ACT | SAT | PSAT |
Sections: 3 required, plus 2 optional add-ons
| Sections: 2
| Sections: 2
|
| Testing and Registration | ||
|---|---|---|
| ACT | SAT | PSAT |
Typical test months:
Registration: Online through MyACT | Test dates: Set by the College Board Registration: Online | Test dates: Annually in October Registration: Handled by the school |
| Cost | ||
|---|---|---|
| ACT | SAT | PSAT |
Fee: $70 (+$25 for writing, +$5 for science) Fee waiver: Yes | Fee: $68 Fee waiver: Subject to region | Fee: $18 Fee waiver: Yes, for eligible low-income students |
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FAQs
Q
What is a good ACT score?
A
A good ACT score is any score over 20.
Q
How long is the ACT?
A
The ACT is timed at about 2 hours and 5 minutes.
Q
What is the highest ACT score?
A
The highest score on the ACT is 36.
Q
How many questions are on the ACT?
A
The ACT contains 131 multiple-choice questions (171 if you include the science section).
ACT® is a registered trademark belonging to ACT Education Corp. (“ACT”). ACT is not involved with or affiliated with Mometrix Media LLC, nor does ACT endorse or sponsor any of the products or services offered by Mometrix Media LLC.
