EXAMS

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ACT Basics

The ACT is a standardized test that measures a student's skills in five core areas: English, math, reading, science, and writing (optional). Students in grades 11 and 12 take the ACT so that they can submit their scores to colleges as part of the college application process.

ACT Format

The ACT is composed of four multiple-choice sections-English, Math, Reading, and Science-and one optional essay section-Writing. Total testing time is 2 hours and 55 minutes for the ACT without Writing and 3 hours and 35 minutes for the ACT with Writing. The breakdown of each section is as follows:

• English >  75 questions in 45 min >  grammar & usage, punctuation, sentence structure, strategy, organization, and style >  four-choice, multiple-choice usage/mechanics and rhetorical skills questions
•  Math >  60 questions in 60 min >  pre-algebra, elementary algebra, intermediate algebra, coordinate geometry, plane geometry, and trigonometry >  five-choice, multiple-choice questions
•  Reading >  40 questions in 35 min >  interpretation, analysis, evaluation, reasoning, and problem solving >  four-choice, multiple-choice data representation, research summaries, and conflicting viewpoints questions
•  Writing (optional) >  1 essay in 40 min > writing skills >  essay prompt