ACT

The ACT (originally an abbreviation of American College Testing) is a standardized test used for college admissions in the United States.
It is currently administered by ACT, a nonprofit organization of the same name.
The ACT test covers four academic skill areas: English, mathematics, reading, and scientific reasoning.
It also offers an optional direct writing test.
It is accepted by all four-year colleges and universities in the United States as well as more than 225 universities outside of the U.S.

Test Structure

The ACT takes 2 hours, 55 minutes (without the essay writing test) or 3 hours, 35 minutes (with the essay writing test):

(1) English Test
(2) Math Test
(3) Reading Test

(4) Science Test
(5) Writing Test (optional)

The four sections of English, mathematics, reading and science are multiple-choice tests.

There is no penalty for guessing – no deduction of any points for incorrect answers.
The essay writing test is optional and will not affect your composite score.

English Test:

The English Test measures your ability to make decisions to revise and edit short texts and essays in different genres.

The test contains 75 questions to be answered in 45 minutes.

Math Test (Arithmetic, Algebra I & II, Geometry, Trigonometry, and Probability & Statistics):

The Math Test measures the mathematical skills you have typically acquired in courses up to the beginning of grade 12.
The test contains 60 questions to be answered in 60 minutes.
You can use a calculator on all math questions although you are not required to use a calculator and all the problems can be solved without a calculator.

Reading Test:

The Reading Test measures your ability to read closely, reason logically about texts using evidence, and integrate information from multiple resources.
The test contains 40 questions to be answered in 35 minutes.

Science Test:

The Science Test measures interpretation, analysis, evaluation, reasoning and problem-solving skills required in biology, chemistry, earth/space sciences and physics, testing your critical thinking skills (not your specific science knowledge).
The test contains 40 questions to be answered in 35 minutes.
You are NOT permitted to use a calculator on this test.

Writing Test (optional):

The optional writing section measures writing skills taught in high school English classes and in entry-level college composition courses.

The section consists of one writing prompt that describes a complex issue and provides three different perspectives on the issue.
You are asked to read the prompt and write an essay in which you develop your own perspective on the issue.
Your essay must analyze the relationship between your own perspective and one or more other perspectives.
You may adopt one of the perspectives given in the prompt as your own, or you may introduce one that is completely different from those given.
Your score will not be affected by the perspective you take on the issue.
You are given 40 minutes to complete this section.

How Scores Are Calculated:

Your number of correct answers converts to a score that ranges from 1 to 36 for each of the four tests – English, mathematics, reading, and science.

Then the composite score is the average of your four test scores, rounded to the nearest whole number.
For the optional writing section, five scores are reported: a single subject-level writing score reported on a scale of 2–12, and four domain scores, also 2-12, that are based on an analytic scoring rubric. The subject score is the rounded average of the four domain scores. The four writing domains are: (1) Ideas and Analysis, (2) Development and Support, (3) Organization, and (4) Language Use and Conventions.

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