The ACT Writing Test provides information to complement that already provided by the ACT English Test. The combined results from both tests provide information about students' understanding of the conventions of standard written English and their ability to produce a direct sample of writing.
| Scores and Comments | Sample Essays |
The ACT Writing Test:
- collects a writing sample under standardized testing conditions as part of the regular ACT administration.
- complements the ACT English Test.
- provides information about students' ability to express judgments by taking a position on an issue, developing and organizing their ideas, and using language clearly and effectively to express their ideas in English.
- can be scored with a high degree of accuracy and reliability.
- provides both a Writing Test subscore and a combined score with the ACT English Test (in addition to the English score).
- offers students positive and constructive feedback on their essays in the form of reader comments.
- provides you with online access to images of the essays written by students who report their scores to your institution.
Some colleges require the Writing Test; others do not.
| See What Colleges Have Decided about the Writing Test. |
Students who register to take the ACT should decide whether to include the Writing Test based on the requirements of the institutions to which they are applying.