The ACT Test: Format, Timing & Question Types
The ACT is a college entrance exam that many colleges and universities in the United States use as part of the college admissions process. Looking for basic information about the ACT test format? We've got it!
ACT Basics
The ACT is a standardized test that measures a student's skills in five core areas: English, math, reading, science, and writing (optional). Students in grades 11 and 12 take the ACT so that they can submit their scores to colleges as part of the college application process.
ACT Format
The ACT is composed of four multiple-choice sections-English, Math, Reading, and Science-and one optional essay section-Writing. Total testing time is 2 hours and 5 minutes for the base ACT without Writing or Science. The Optional Science and Writing Sections each add 40 minutes to the total testing time. The breakdown of each section is as follows:
Section
of Questions & Time Limit
- Content/Skills Covered
- Question Types
- English
- 50 questions in 35 min.
- grammar & usage, punctuation, sentence structure, strategy, organization, and style
- four-choice, multiple-choice usage/mechanics and rhetorical skills questions
- Math
- 45 questions in 50 min.
- pre-algebra, elementary algebra, intermediate algebra, coordinate geometry, plane geometry, and trigonometry
- five-choice, multiple-choice questions
- Reading
- 36 questions in 40 min.
- reading comprehension of what is directly stated or implied
- four-choice, multiple-choice referring and reasoning questions
- Science (optional)
- 40 questions in 40 min.
- interpretation, analysis, evaluation, reasoning, and problem solving
- four-choice, multiple-choice data representation, research summaries, and conflicting viewpoints questions
- Writing (optional)
- 1 essay in 40 min.
- writing skills
- essay prompt
Related Topics
For more specific information about the ACT English section, visit our ACT English page.
For more specific information about the ACT Writing section, visit our ACT Writing page.
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