US Students
District Testing
ACT Exam Format, Sections, and Structure
Overview of the ACT
The ACT test consists of four multiple-choice sections—English, mathematics, reading, and science—with an optional writing section. Some colleges and universities require or accept ACT writing scores, so you may consider taking the writing section.
After the science test you should expect to take a shorter, multiple-choice test covering one of the previous subject areas. The results of the fifth test help develop future test questions and will not be reflected on your scores, so please try your best.
| Test | Questions | Minutes per Test |
|---|---|---|
| English | 75 | 45 |
| Mathematics | 60 | 60 |
| Reading | 40 | 35 |
| Science | 40 | 35 |
| Writing (Optional) | 1 essay | 40 |
How to Prepare for ACT Exam Subjects
Get familiar with the content of the sections.
Review the information in this document. Note which content areas make up a large proportion of the sections. The topics included in each content area are examples of possible topics; they do not include all possibilities.
Update your knowledge and skills in the content areas.
Review content areas that you have studied but are not fresh in your mind. Refresh your knowledge in the content areas that make up
large portions of the test.
Study content areas you are not familiar with.
If some content areas of the ACT are unfamiliar to you, consider taking coursework in those areas before you take the test.
Tips for Taking the Multiple-Choice Sections
Pace yourself.
It is important that you have enough time to read the passages/questions and figure out your responses. For each section, subtract the number of minutes you estimate you will spend skimming the passages or reading the information provided, then divide the total number of remaining minutes allowed by the number of questions to determine the estimated time you should spend on each question. If possible, spend less time on each question and use the remaining time allowed for a section to review your work and return to the questions in that section that were most difficult for you.
The time limits set for each section give nearly everyone enough time to finish all questions. However, you will want to pace yourself to avoid spending too much time on one passage or puzzling over an answer to a specific problem. Go on to other questions and come back if there is time.
Read the directions carefully.
Before you begin each section, read the directions carefully.
- The English, reading, and science sections ask for the best answer. Read and consider all of the answer choices and choose the answer that best responds to the question.
- The mathematics section asks for the correct answer. You may want to work out the answer you feel is correct and look for it among the choices given. If your answer is not among the choices provided, reread the question and consider all the answer choices.
Read each question carefully.
You need to understand exactly what each question asks. Some questions will require you to go through several steps to
find the correct or best answer, while others can be answered more quickly.
Answer the easy questions first.
A good strategy is to answer the easy questions and skip the questions you find difficult. After answering the easy questions, go back and answer the more difficult questions if you have time.
Use logic on more difficult questions.
When you return to the more difficult questions, try to use logic to eliminate incorrect answers. Compare the answer choices to each other and note how they differ. Such differences may provide clues as to what the question requires. Eliminate as many incorrect answers as you can, then make an educated guess from the remaining answers.
Answer every question.
Your scores in the sections will be based only on the number of questions that you answer correctly; there is no penalty for guessing. Try to answer every question within the time allowed for each section.
Review your work.
If there is time left after you have answered every question in a section, go back and check your work. You will not be allowed to go back to any other section or mark responses to a section after time has been called in that section.
Tips for Taking the English Section
Be aware of the writing style used in each passage.
The passages cover a variety of topics and are written in a variety of styles. It is important that you take into account the writing style used in each passage. When responding to a question, be sure to understand the context of the question. Consider how the sentence containing an underlined or highlighted portion fits in with the surrounding sentences and into the passage as a whole.
Examine the underlined or highlighted portions of the passage.
Before responding to a question with an underlined or highlighted portion, carefully examine what is underlined or highlighted in the text. Consider the elements of writing included in each underlined or highlighted portion.
- Some questions will ask you to base your decision on some specific element of writing, such as the tone or emphasis the text should convey.
- Some questions will ask you to choose the alternative to the underlined or highlighted portion that is NOT or LEAST acceptable.
The answer choices for each question will contain changes in one or more of those elements of writing.
Be aware of questions with no underlined portions.
You will be asked some questions about a section of the passage or about the passage as a whole, in light of a given rhetorical situation. Questions of this type are often identified by a question number in a box located at the appropriate point in the passage or by a highlighted asterisk in brackets.
Questions about the entire passage are placed at the end of the passage. For paper testing, these questions are introduced by a horizontal box enclosing the following instruction: “Questions __ and __ ask about the preceding passage as a whole.” For online testing, similar instructions will appear above the individual questions.
Note the differences in the answer choices.
Many of the questions in the section will involve more than one aspect of writing. Examine each answer choice and how it differs from the others. Be careful not to choose an answer that corrects one error but causes a different error.
Determine the best answer.
When a question asks you to choose the best alternative to an underlined or highlighted portion, consider the following approach:
- Decide how the underlined or highlighted portion might best be phrased in standard written English or in terms of the particular question posed.
- If the underlined or highlighted portion is the best answer, select “NO CHANGE.”
- If not, check to see whether your phrasing is one of the other answer choices. If you do not find your phrasing, choose the best of the answers presented.
- For questions cued by a number in a box or a highlighted asterisk in brackets, decide which choice is most appropriate in terms of the question posed or the stated rhetorical situation.
- Reread the sentence, using your selected answer. Once you have selected the answer you feel is best, reread the corresponding sentence(s) of the passage, inserting your selected answer at the appropriate place in the text to make sure it is the best answer within the context of the passage.
Tips for Taking the Mathematics Section
If you use a calculator, use it wisely.
All of the mathematics problems can be solved without a calculator. Many of the problems are best done without a calculator. Use good judgment in deciding when, and when not, to use a calculator. For example, for some problems you may wish to do scratch work to clarify your thoughts on the question before you begin using a calculator to do computations.
Solve the problem.
To work out solutions to the problems, you will usually do scratch work. You may wish to glance over the answer choices after reading the questions. However, working backwards from all five answer choices can take a lot of time and may not be effective.
Find your solution among the answer choices.
Once you have solved the problem, look for your answer among the choices. If your answer is not included among the choices, carefully reread the problem to see whether you missed important information. Pay careful attention to the question being asked. If an equation is to be selected, check to see whether the equation you think is best can be transformed into one of the answer choices provided.
Make sure you answer the question.
The solutions to many questions will involve several steps. Make sure your answer accounts for all the necessary steps. Frequently, an answer choice is an intermediate result, not the final answer.
Make sure your answer is reasonable.
Sometimes an error in computation will result in an answer that is not practically possible for the situation described. Always think about your answer to determine whether it is reasonable.
Check your answer.
You may arrive at an incorrect solution by making common errors in the problem-solving process. If there is time remaining before the end of the mathematics section, it is important that you reread the questions and check your answers to make sure they are correct.
Tips for Taking the Reading Section
Read each passage carefully.
Before you begin answering a question, read all of the content carefully. Be conscious of relationships between or among ideas. Take
note about important ideas in the passages.
Refer to the passages when answering the questions.
Answers to some of the questions will be found by referring to what is explicitly stated in the text of the passages. Other questions will require you to determine implicit meanings and to draw conclusions, comparisons, and generalizations. Consider the text before you answer any question.
Tips for Taking the Science Section
Read the passage carefully.
Before you begin answering a question, read the scientific material provided. It is important that you read the entire text and examine any tables, graphs, or figures. You may take notes about important ideas. Some of the information sets will describe experiments. You should consider the experimental design, including the controls and variables, because questions are likely to address this component of scientific research.
Note the different viewpoints in passages.
Some material will present conflicting viewpoints, and the questions will ask you to distinguish among them. It may be helpful for you to take notes summarizing each viewpoint about specific portions of the section.
Tips for Taking the Writing Section
Pace yourself.
Budget your time based on your experience in taking essay tests in school or when you have done writing within a time limit. It is unlikely that you will have time to draft, revise, and recopy your essay.
Plan.
Before writing, carefully read and consider all prompt material. Be sure you understand the issue, the different perspectives on the issue, and your essay task.
Planning questions are included with the prompt that will help you analyze the different perspectives and develop your own. Use these
questions to think critically about the prompt and generate an effective response. How would you best organize and support your ideas in a written argument. Spend time structuring or outlining your response.
Note: The planning questions are optional and are not scored.
Write.
Establish the focus of your essay by making clear your argument and its main ideas.
- Explain and illustrate your ideas with sound reasoning and meaningful examples.
- Discuss the significance of your ideas: what are the implications of what you have to say, and why is your argument important to consider?
As you write, ask yourself if your logic is clear, if you have supported your claims, and if you have chosen precise words to communicate your ideas.
Review your essay.
Try to make your essay as polished as you can. Take a few minutes before time is called to read over your essay and correct any mistakes. If you take the ACT on paper, be sure to write your essay legibly. If you find words that are hard to read, recopy them. Make corrections and revisions neatly, between the lines. Do not write in the margins, if applicable.
Practice.
There are many ways to prepare for the writing section. Read newspapers and magazines, watch/listen to news analyses online, on TV, or on radio, or participate in discussions and debates, thinking carefully about other perspectives in relation to your own.
One good way to prepare for the writing section is to practice writing with different purposes for different audiences. The writing you do in your classes will help you, as will writing a personal journal, stories, essays, editorials, or other writing you do on your own.
It is also a good idea to practice writing within a time limit. Taking the practice writing test will give you a sense of how much additional practice you may need. You might want to take the practice writing section even if you do not plan to take the ACT with writing. It will help you build skills that are important in college-level learning and the world of work.