The ACT is a standardized test used for college admissions in the United States. The test is divided into four mandatory sections: English, Math, Reading, and Science, each of which is scored on a scale of 1 to 36. In addition to these sections, there is an optional Writing section that is scored separately on a scale of 2 to 12.
Here’s a breakdown of the structure of each section:
- English (45 minutes, 75 questions): The English section tests a student’s understanding of standard written English, including grammar, punctuation, and usage. It also includes questions that test a student’s ability to revise and edit written passages.
- Math (60 minutes, 60 questions): The Math section covers algebra, geometry, trigonometry, and basic math concepts. It includes both multiple-choice and student-produced response questions.
- Reading (35 minutes, 40 questions): The Reading section measures a student’s ability to understand and analyze written passages from various subjects, including social studies, natural sciences, and humanities.
- Science (35 minutes, 40 questions): The Science section tests a student’s ability to interpret and analyze scientific data, graphs, and charts. It includes questions related to biology, chemistry, physics, and earth/space sciences.
- Writing (40 minutes, 1 essay): The optional Writing section measures a student’s ability to write an essay in response to a given prompt. The essay is scored on a scale of 2 to 12 and is not factored into the composite score. Some colleges require the Writing section, while others do not.
A brief description of each ACT subject can be found below:
ACT English: This section contains 5 passages for a total of 75 multiple-choice questions. The questions pertain to a particular paragraph or the whole passage, in terms of detail or overall idea/big picture. ACT English consists of two sections, Usage and Mechanics and the second is Rhetorical Skills. Usage and Mechanics require fine-tuned punctuation and grammar knowledge. Rhetorical Skills focus on your comprehension of the passage as a whole and your ability to maximize the passage’s organization and style. Below are some tables that provide a better visual guide:
Table 1: ACT English Format
| No. of Questions | Question Type | Time Limit | Time/Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| 75 | Multiple-choice with 4 answer choices | 45 Minutes | 36 Seconds |
Table 2: English Subsection 1 (Usage/Mechanics)- Distribution of questions
| Question Types | Skills | Distribution of Questions (approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| Grammar and Usage | Identifying and correcting subject-verb agreement errors Identifying and correcting pronoun errors (such as incorrect antecedents or case errors) Identifying and correcting verb tense errors-identifying and correcting modifier errors (such as misplaced or dangling modifiers) Identifying and correcting parallel structure errors | 12-15 questions (15 to 20%) |
| Sentence Structure | Understanding sentence types (simple, compound, complex) Identifying and correcting sentence fragments and run-on sentences-identifying and correcting comma splices and other punctuation errors-understanding and using correct sentence formation and syntax | 15-19 questions (20 to 25%) |
| Organization and Style | Understanding and using correct word choice and phrasing-recognizing and correcting errors in sentence clarity and coherence-understanding and applying correct style and tone-identifying and correcting errors in paragraph structure and organization-identifying and correcting errors in the overall structure and organization of a passage | 7-12 questions (10 to 15%) |
Table 3: English Subsection 2 (Rhetorical Skills)
| Question Types | Skills | Distribution of Questions (approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| Organization | Understanding the structure of the passage-identifying the author’s purpose-outlining the passage | 7-12 questions (10 to 15%) |
| Style | Understanding figurative language-recognizing tone and mood analyzing sentence structure | 12-15 questions (15 to 20%) |
| Strategy | Identifying persuasive techniques analyzing evidence-identifying logical fallacies | 12-15 questions (15 to 20%) |
Tip: To prepare for the ACT English test, it’s important to review these key topics and practice answering sample questions to get a sense of the format and types of questions you can expect to encounter.
ACT Math: The ACT Math Subject Test is a standardized test that measures your mathematical skills and knowledge. The test consists of 60 multiple-choice questions that you need to answer within a 60-minute time limit. The ACT Math test is designed to assess your knowledge of topics, as described in Table 5, and your ability to apply them in problem-solving situations. The test questions are designed to be challenging, so it’s important to have a solid understanding of the underlying concepts and to practice solving similar problems. Scoring well on the ACT Math test can help you demonstrate your readiness for college-level math courses and improve your overall ACT score. Below are some tables that provide a better visual guide:
Table 4: ACT Math Format
| No. of Questions | Question Type | Time Limit | Time/Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60 | Multiple-choice with 4 answer choices | 60 Minutes | 1 Minute |
Table 5: Distribution of question types and skills you can expect to encounter on the ACT Mathematics test
| Question Types | Skills | Question Distribution (approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-Algebra | This includes basic arithmetic, fractions, decimals, and percents. | 12-15 questions (20 to 25%) |
| Elementary Algebra | This includes solving linear equations and inequalities, factoring, and simplifying algebraic expressions. | 9-12 questions (15 to 20%) |
| Intermediate Algebra | This includes more advanced algebraic concepts such as quadratic equations, systems of equations, and functions. | 9-12 questions (15 to 20%) |
| Coordinate Geometry | This includes the study of geometric shapes and figures in two-dimensional coordinate systems. | 9-12 questions (15 to 20%) |
| Plane Geometry | This includes the study of angles, lines, triangles, circles, and other two-dimensional shapes. | 12-15 questions (20 to 25%) |
| Trigonometry | This includes the study of trigonometric functions, identities, and applications. | 3-6 questions (5 to 10%) |
Tip: To prepare for the ACT Mathematics test, it’s essential to review these key topics and practice solving problems similar to those you will encounter on the test. Practice and familiarity with the formulas and equations used in the various topics can also be helpful.
ACT Reading: The Reading section of the ACT is designed to evaluate a student’s ability to read and comprehend college-level texts. The test consists of 40 multiple-choice questions that must be answered in 35 minutes. The passages used in the test cover a range of topics, including natural sciences, social sciences, humanities, and literary fiction.
The ACT Reading test measures a student’s ability to understand the main idea of a passage, interpret the meaning of words in context, make inferences and draw conclusions, analyze the author’s tone and purpose, identify literary techniques, and compare and contrast information from multiple sources.
In ACT Reading, there are four subsections. Below is an overview of each of them:
- Literary narrative & prose fiction
- Social science
- Humanities
- Natural science
To perform well on the ACT Reading test, students need to have strong reading comprehension skills and the ability to quickly and accurately analyze and interpret written material. Additionally, effective time management and test-taking strategies are essential for success in this section of the ACT. Below are some tables that provide a better visual guide:
Table 6: ACT Reading Format
| No. of Questions | Question Type | Time Limit | Time/Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| 40 | Multiple-choice with 4 answer choices | 35 Minutes | 52 Seconds |
Table 7: Question types and skills you can expect to encounter on the ACT Reading test
| Question Types | Skills | Question Distribution (approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| Big Picture Questions | This section will ask you to identify the main theme or the author’s perspective, thus providing the “big picture” of the passage. | 4 questions (8 to 10%) |
| Vocabulary in Context | Usually, you will be asked to describe a word from a passage using synonyms that pertain to the passage’s context. | 4 questions (8 to 10%) |
| Detail Questions | This question asks you to identify the small details of the passages instead of asking you about the main theme. Pay attention to the details in these passages. | 15 questions (30% to 38%) |
| Development and Function | Your rhetorical skills will be tested by analyzing specific passages. There will be questions about ideas’ structure, function, and development. | 9 questions (20% to 22%) |
| Inference | Based on the information provided in each passage, you will be asked to determine the most logical conclusion. | 8 questions (15% to 20%) |
Tip: To prepare for the ACT Reading test, it’s important to practice reading and analyzing different types of texts and to develop strong comprehension and analytical skills. Practicing reading passages from various subject areas can be helpful, as can developing note-taking and summarizing strategies.
ACT Science: The Science section of the ACT is designed to evaluate a student’s ability to understand and analyze scientific information presented in a variety of formats, including data representations, research summaries, and conflicting viewpoints. The test consists of 40 multiple-choice questions that must be answered in 35 minutes.
The Science test does not measure specific scientific knowledge or skills but rather focuses on the student’s ability to use scientific reasoning and critical thinking skills to solve problems and draw conclusions from experimental data.
The topics covered in the Science section include biology, chemistry, physics, and Earth/space sciences. Students are required to interpret graphs and charts, analyze experimental data, and make conclusions based on scientific evidence. Below are some tables that provide a better visual guide:
Table 8: ACT Science Format
| No. of Questions | Question Type | Time Limit | Time/Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| 40 | Multiple-choice with 4 answer choices | 35 Minutes | 52 Seconds |
Table 9: Question types and skills you can expect to encounter on the ACT Science test
| Question Types | Skills | Question Distribution (approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| Data Representation | Graphs, tables, and charts will be presented for you to interpret and evaluate. | 15 questions (about 38% of the test) |
| Research Summaries | There will be at least one experiment for you to evaluate and analyze. | 18 questions (about 45% of the test) |
| Conflicting Viewpoints | There will be a requirement for you to evaluate and comprehend conflicting opinions, hypotheses, and theories. | 7 questions (about 17% of the test) |
Tip: To prepare for the ACT Science test, it’s important to practice interpreting and analyzing different types of scientific data and to develop strong critical thinking and analytical skills. Reading and understanding scientific passages can be helpful, as can reviewing basic scientific concepts and principles from various subjects.
Here are steps to ace the ACT test:
- Check your college’s list of expected ACT score ranges.
- Accordingly, set your target score.
- From the “Official ACT Prep Guide”, take the full 3-hour test.
- You can grade the test manually or with online tools like Scorato
- Also, you can access diagnostics for tests like ACT online.
- Also, check your score.
- Calculate the difference between your target score and the score achieved in the test.
- Based on your score, list your strong and weak subjects
- Identify areas where you can improve the score by performing a topic analysis.
- Practice related questions or section tests related to those topics.
- It is recommended that you retake the full test in a couple of weeks.
- Compare the score.
- Repeat the exercise until you achieve the target score.
Download ACT’s free e-book to learn more about the ACT. For a comprehensive diagnostic report, students can also grade ACT practice test bubble sheets online using Socrato’s test grading software.
