ACT

ACT

ACT Test Format

The ACT is a 2 hour 55 min exam (3 hour 30 min including breaks) with four sections: English, math, reading, and science. The scoring ranges from 1 to 36 with no penalty for wrong answers.

  • English - 45 minutes, 75 questions
  • Math - 60 minutes, 60 questions
  • Reading - 35 minutes, 40 questions
  • Science - 35 minutes, 40 questions

How to study?

I would recommend doing practice exams from past ACTs. Make sure to do each section in one sitting (eg. set aside 45 min for English) and then score yourself. For the questions you got wrong, make sure you understand why that happened. Additionally, act.org offers a lot of free practice resources (linked in the 'what did I use to study').

Interested in ACT tutoring?

Find more information through the tutoring page on my website.

Does the ACT matter?

Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic, many schools have gone test-optional, no longer requiring standardized tests like the SAT/ACT. However, it still doesn't hurt to take this exam, with some schools becoming test required again. If you score well on it, you'll get a boost to your college application. If you don't score well on it, just don't submit your score (if the school doesn't require it). Note that some highly competitive schools like MIT still require the SAT/ACT, so if you're looking to apply to those kind of schools I would still highly recommend taking the SAT/ACT.