About the ACT

What is the ACT?
When should I take the ACT?
What is covered on the ACT?
Are there penalties for guessing on the ACT?
How many times can I take the ACT?
How can I prepare for the ACT?

What is the ACT?
The ACT or American College Testing Assessment Test is a 3-hourcollege admissions exam given five times a year in October, December, February, April, and June (as well as in September, in a certain number of states).

When should I take the ACT?
Most students take the ACT during the winter/spring of their junior year, saving the fall of their senior year for retesting, if necessary, However, you should take it whenever you're most prepared to take it. You should figure out the best dates for you based on when you will have the time to prepare for it. For instance, if you have more time to prepare in the summer before your junior year, you should consider taking it in the fall of your junior year. If you won't be able to prepare in the summertime and want to study during the school year, a spring test date may be better for you.

There are several ways to register for the ACT. Whichever way you use, be sure to register early to insure the best choice for test location and to avoid late fees.

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What's covered on the ACT?
The ACT is a four-section test. The sections are always in the same order:

  • Section 1 is English (75 questions in 45 minutes)
  • Section 2 is Math (60 questions in 60 minutes)
  • Section 3 is Reading (40 questions in 35 minutes)
  • Section 4 is Science reasoning (40 questions in 35 minutes)

The English section will have five passages in it, each with about 15 questions. The questions will test your knowledge of grammar, punctuation, structure, and style. Your job is to look at the underlined portions and decide whether they are correct. If they contain errors, you'll be asked to fix them by choosing the answer choice that is correct. Remember, though, that 25 percent of underlined portions are correct as written!

The math section tests algebra, geometry and trigonometry. There is no calculus on the ACT. There are also only four trigonometry questions, so you won't want to spend a lot of time studying trig. Most of the math you will have finished studying in the tenth grade. Be sure to review the basics.

The reading section consists of four long passages (about 100 lines long apiece) accompanied by ten questions each. The passages have short blurbs that describe their contents, and they always appear in this order: prose fiction, social science, humanities, and natural science.

The science section reasoning section consists of seven passages: three charts and graphs with 5 questions each; three experiments with 6 questions each; and one "Fighting Scientists" with 7 questions. They can be on a variety of topics, including biology, physics, and earth sciences. The important thing to remember is that you do not need to know anything about science to answer the questions. Everything you need to know will be included in the passage or the graphs.

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Are there penalties for guessing?
Unlike the SAT, the ACT does not have a guessing penalty. So, you should never leave any questions unanswered on the ACT. While working through a section, if you come to a question you cannot figure out, use POE to eliminate as many answer choices as possible, then guess from the remaining ones.  If you cannot finish the section before time runs out, spend the last minute filling in answers for the remaining questions. Do not leave any questions blank on the ACT!

One good way to attack problems on the ACT strategy is the Two-Pass System. Since the questions on the ACT are not arranged in order of difficulty, you should go through every section twice. The first time through, answer all of the easy- and medium-level questions. Skip any questions that seem time-consuming, confusing, or too difficult. When you reach the end of the section, go back to the beginning and start your second pass through the section. This time you want to do those harder questions you skipped the first time. If you find yourself running out of time, spend the last minute or two filling in answers for the questions you didn't get to.

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How many times can I take the ACT?
Students can take the ACT as many times as they like. The ACT has one advantage over the SAT in that you can choose which ACT scores you want to send. ACT does not send every score with every score report; they only send the scores you request.

To take advantage of this option, simply leave the college code boxes blank when you sign up for the ACT. Later on you can request ACT scores to be sent to colleges, and you can specify which scores you wish sent.

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How can I prepare for the ACT?
The ACT measures the knowledge, understanding, and skills that you have acquired up to now. Although the sum total of this knowledge cannot easily be changed, your performance in a specific subject matter area can be affected by adequate preparation, especially if it has been some time since you have taken a course in that area.

Many of the following resources include actual ACT tests.

  • Preparing for the ACT Assessment—A free booklet available through most high schools and colleges which includes valuable information about the test and a full practice test with scoring key
  • ACTive Prep®—The only official electronic test prep for the ACT Assessment
  • Getting into the ACT—An authoritative book featuring two complete exams with detailed analyses
  • Sample ACT Assessment Test Booklets—Additional complete tests you can use for practice
  • There are also a number of Books and CDs available  

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