FAQs: ACT

The ACT test assesses high school students’ general educational development and their ability to complete college-level work.

• The multiple-choice tests cover four skill areas: English, mathematics, reading, and science.
• The Writing Test, which is optional, measures skill in planning and writing a short essay.

NOTE: Although the writing section is optional, several schools do require an essay score and will factor it in to the admissions decision.

The required portion of the ACT is divided into four multiple choice subject tests: English, mathematics, reading, and science reasoning. Subject test scores range from 1 to 36; all scores are natural numbers. The English, mathematics, and reading tests also have subscores ranging from 1 to 18. (The subject score is not the sum of the subscores.) The “composite score” is the average of all four tests. In addition, students taking the writing test receive a writing score ranging from 2 to 12, a “combined English/writing score” ranging from 1 to 36 (based on the writing score and English score), and one to four comments on the essay from the essay scorers. The writing score does not affect the composite score. Sometimes the test includes an experimental section that may be a short version of any of the four major sections.

Nearly every college in Midwestern and Southern United States accepts the ACT as a part of its admissions process. That’s why nearly 1.5 million students take the ACT every year!

The ACT is a national college admissions examination that consists of subject area tests in: English, Mathematics, Reading and Science. Plus a 30-minute Writing test if you choose to write the ACT Plus Writing test.

ACT results are accepted by all colleges and universities in the United States.

The ACT includes 215 multiple-choice questions and takes approximately 3 hours and 30 minutes to complete, including a short break (or just over four hours if you are taking the ACT Plus Writing). Actual testing time is 2 hours and 55 minutes (plus 30 minutes if you are taking the ACT Plus Writing).

The ACT test assesses high school students’ general educational development and their ability to complete college-level work.

• The multiple-choice tests cover four skill areas: English, mathematics, reading, and science.
• The Writing Test, which is optional, measures skill in planning and writing a short essay.

NOTE: Although the writing section is optional, several schools do require an essay score and will factor it in to the admissions decision.

All registration must be done through the ACT, Inc. the makers of the ACT. You can register for the Official test online at actstudent.org.

Visit Canadian ACT Test Dates for more details.

English Section

The first section is the 45 minute English test covering usage/mechanics and rhetorical skills. The 75 question test consists of a few passages with various sections underlined on one side of the page and options to correct the underlined portions on the other side of the page. There are also a few questions asking about the order of sentences in a paragraph and paragraphs in a passage and the author’s tone in a section of text.

Math Section

The second section is the 60 minute, 60 question math test with 14 covering pre-algebra, 10 elementary algebra, 9 intermediate algebra, 14 plane geometry, 9 coordinate geometry, and 4 elementary trigonometry. Calculators are permitted in this section only. The calculator requirements are stricter than the SAT’s in that computer algebra systems are not allowed; however, the ACT permits calculators with paper tapes, that make noise, that have wireless capabilities, and that have power cords with certified “modifications” (disabling the mentioned features), which the SAT does not allow. Also, this is the only section that has five instead of four answer choices.

Reading Section

The 35 minute, 40 question reading section measures reading comprehension in four passages (taken and edited from books and magazines) one about prose fiction (short stories and novels), one about social science (history, economics, psychology, political science, and anthropology), one about humanities (art, music, architecture, dance), and one about natural science (biology, chemistry, physics, and the physical sciences), in that order.

Science Reasoning Section

The science reasoning test is a 35 minute, 40 question test. There are seven passages each followed by five to seven questions. There are three Data Representation passages with 5 questions following each passage, 3 Research Summary passage with six questions each, and one Conflicting Viewpoints passage with 7 questions.

Writing Section

The optional writing section, which is always administered at the end of the test, is 30 minutes long. All essays must be in response to a given prompt. The prompts are about a social issue applicable to high school students. No particular essay structure is required. Two trained readers assign each essay a score between 1 and 6, where a score of 0 is reserved for essays that are blank, off-topic, non-English, not written with no. 2 pencil, or considered illegible after several attempts at reading. The scores are summed to produce a final score from 2 to 12 (or 0). If the two readers’ scores differ by more than one point, then a senior third reader decides.

Although the writing section is optional, several schools do require an essay score and will factor it in to the admissions decision.

Score reports are available on the ACT, Inc’s website (actstudent.org) approximately 2½ weeks after the test date. Score reports are usually mailed to your home within 3 to 8 weeks after the test date.

The required portion of the ACT is divided into four multiple choice subject tests: English, mathematics, reading, and science reasoning.

Subject test scores range from 1 to 36; all scores are natural numbers. The English, mathematics, and reading tests also have subscores ranging from 1 to 18. (The subject score is not the sum of the subscores.) The “composite score” is the average of all four tests. In addition, students taking the writing test receive a writing score ranging from 2 to 12, a “combined English/writing score” ranging from 1 to 36 (based on the writing score and English score), and one to four comments on the essay from the essay scorers. The writing score does not affect the composite score. Sometimes the test includes an experimental section that may be a short version of any of the four major sections.

For a complete list of schools and their respective ACT score ranges, see USUniversities.ca.

We recommend that students take the ACT in the spring of their junior year, and possibly again in the fall of their senior year. The test is administered several times a year and the ACT can be taken multiple times with no penalty. If you test more than once, you can determine which set of scores are sent to colleges and scholarship programs.

The ACT takes place in Canada five times every year (June, October, December, February, and April). Check the ACT website to find a test centre near you.

More Information about the American College Test, including registration and policies can be found at act.org.

PREPSKILLS^® can help you prepare for your American College Test, please call 416-200-7728 or Toll Free 1-866-973-PREP (7737) for more details, consulting and pricing.

The ACT test assesses high school students’ general educational development and their ability to complete college-level work.

• The multiple-choice tests cover four skill areas: English, mathematics, reading, and science.
• The Writing Test, which is optional, measures skill in planning and writing a short essay.

NOTE: Although the writing section is optional, several schools do require an essay score and will factor it in to the admissions decision.

The required portion of the ACT is divided into four multiple choice subject tests: English, mathematics, reading, and science reasoning. Subject test scores range from 1 to 36; all scores are natural numbers. The English, mathematics, and reading tests also have subscores ranging from 1 to 18. (The subject score is not the sum of the subscores.) The “composite score” is the average of all four tests. In addition, students taking the writing test receive a writing score ranging from 2 to 12, a “combined English/writing score” ranging from 1 to 36 (based on the writing score and English score), and one to four comments on the essay from the essay scorers. The writing score does not affect the composite score. Sometimes the test includes an experimental section that may be a short version of any of the four major sections.

Colleges that accept the ACT tend not to require SAT Subject Tests, or at least not as many. You should contact the college’s admissions office to find out their policy.

Yes, the ACT offers an optional essay.