PreACT®/ACT®
PreACT/ACT Instruction
More students now take the ACT than the SAT. The best way to determine whether the ACT is better suited to your student’s abilities is to call us and have a conversation. We can also administer free SAT and ACT diagnostic tests to help find which one is a better fit. Today, the tests are very similar and most students score similarly on both, though there are serious exceptions to that rule. Our industry-leading ACT/SAT textbook can be purchased on Amazon here.
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The ACT tests a student’s college-readiness across four multiple-choice sections and three domains: English, Mathematics, Reading, and Science. There is also an optional essay (“Writing”) component. Nonetheless, students can achieve great scores without completing sections on time. Each of the four multiple-choice sections is based on a 1–36 point scale, and a composite score is calculated as the average of the four section scores rounded to the nearest whole number value.
If you have ACT related questions, visit out PreACT/ACT FAQ page or contact us directly!
What You Need to Know
What
The ACT is a college entrance exam accepted by all American colleges and universities, as well as many foreign schools. It tests a student’s college-readiness across four domains: English, Mathematics, Reading, and Science. It also includes an optional essay component.
When
Most students take the ACT in the winter and spring of their junior year, though many retake the exam the summer before or fall of senior year. The ACT is administered nationally 7 times a year: February, April, June, July, September, October, and December. Click here for a list of upcoming test dates and registration deadlines.
How
Students can register for a National ACT test date by creating an account with the ACT.
Test Format
Section
Questions
Time Limit
English
45 multiple-choice questions
45 minutes
Math
60 multiple-choice questions
60 minutes
Reading
40 multiple-choice questions
35 minutes
Science
40 multiple-choice questions
35 minutes
Experimental
Varies
20 minutes
ACT Essay (optional)
1 prompt
40 minutes
Total: 2 hours, 55 minutes
(3 hours, 35 minutes including ACT Writing)
Description of Test Sections
The ACT consists of four multiple-choice sections (called “Tests”) and an optional essay (referred to as the “ACT Writing Test”). These four multiple-choice sections (and essay) always appear in the same order: English, Math, Reading, and Science. The ACT Writing Test is always administered last.
- English Test
- Measures students’ knowledge of the rules of punctuation, grammar, style, and usage
- 45 minutes, 5 passages, 75 questions
- Math Test
- Measures students’ conceptual math knowledge and problem-solving skills
- 60 minutes, 60 questions
- Graphing calculator allowed
- Questions ordered from easiest to most difficult
- Content ranges from pre-algebra and number theory through pre-calculus
- Reading Test
- Measures students’ ability to efficiently read and comprehend college-level texts
- 35 minutes, 4 passages, 40 passage-based questions
- Usually includes one comparative reading exercise, consisting of 2 passages (labeled “Passage A” and “Passage B”)
- Passages are always in the same order: Literary Narrative/Prose Fiction, Social Sciences, Humanities, Natural Science
- Science Test
- Measures students’ ability to process and evaluate scientific concepts and information
- Involves interpretation of provided information (text, graphs, tables, and charts): relatively little outside knowledge of scientific principles is required
- 35 minutes, typically 6 or 7 passages, 40 questions
- Experimental Section
- 20 minutes
- Questions can be drawn from any of the test sections
- Does not count towards students’ composite scores
- ACT Writing Essay
- Measures students’ writing, analytical, and critical thinking skills
- 40 minutes, 1 prompt
- Three perspectives on an issue are provided, and students must address and analyze each perspective while advancing their own perspective
Scoring & Accommodations
Scoring
- Each of these four multiple-choice Tests is scored on a 1–36 point scale, where a raw score counting up questions correctly answered translates to a score on that 1–36 scale. The four Test scores are then averaged and rounded to the nearest whole number to calculate a composite score. Tests are slightly curved based on difficulty, so raw scores don’t always translate to the same scale score. Roughly, however, the percentage of questions answered correctly on any given section translate to that same percentage of 36 (e.g., 45 correct answers out of 60 questions on the Math Test usually translates to a score close to 27).
- The optional ACT Writing Test does not affect a student’s composite ACT score but rather is scored separately on four domains: Ideas and Analysis, Development and Support, Organization, and Language Use and Conventions. Two readers score each domain on a 1–6 scale, and the domain score is the sum of the two readers’ scores. The domain scores are combined and averaged to yield an overall Writing score, also on a 2–12 scale.
Testing Accommodations
Students with documents learning differences may receive testing accommodations, including extra time. To request ACT testing accommodations, students must first create an account with the ACT and register for a test date.
2023 ACT Test Dates & Deadlines
National Test Date
Registration Deadline
Late Registration Deadline
Photo Upload/Stdby
September 9, 2023
August 4, 2023
August 18, 2023
September 1, 2023
October 28, 2023
September 22, 2023
October 6, 2023
October 20, 2023
December 9, 2023
November 3, 2023
November 17, 2023
December 1, 2023
February 10, 2024
January 5, 2024
January 19, 2024
February 2, 2024
April 13, 2024
March 8, 2024
March 22, 2024
April 5, 2024
June 8, 2024
May 3, 2024
May 17, 2024
May 31, 2024
July 13, 2024
June 7, 2024
June 21, 2024
July 5, 2024
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