ACT Frequently Asked Questions
Click on a FAQ for a quick answer:
What is the ACT?
The ACT is a test that measures your achievement in several academic subjects. It is not an intelligence or aptitude test, and it doesn't test your memory. It measures abilities that you have developed over time, throughout years of academic preparation, and it tests your problem-solving skills.
The ACT Assessment is required by many colleges and universities as part of the process of applying for admission. Your test scores help compare you to other students across the country who have also taken the ACT. Your results on the assessment are one way colleges can tell how well you will be able to do in college. The ACT can also help you determine appropriate career choices and educational options.
What subjects are covered on the ACT?
The ACT covers four subjects: English, Math, Reading, and Science Reasoning. The subjects covered in each section are based on the curriculum studied by high school students across the country. The questions on the ACT focus on skills, rather than knowledge.
- The English test measures how well you understand concepts including punctuation, grammar and sentence structure. It also asks you to make the kinds of decisions that good writers make about style and organization. In the English test you will read five passages of text and answer a total of 75 questions.
- The Math test focuses on solving practical quantitative problems. It does not test your knowledge of formulas or how well you can perform computations. The Math test has a total of 60 questions, including material on algebra, geometry, and trigonometry. Math questions may include diagrams or concepts, or may be in the form of a story. You may use a calculator on this test if you wish, but all the problems can be solved without a calculator.
- The Reading test measures reading comprehension and your skills in reasoning. Reasoning is your ability to find meaning in text passages by drawing conclusions and making comparisons based on what the passage explicitly states. The Reading test has 40 questions in 4 text passages. The nature of the passages is typical of what you would find in college textbooks, and the subjects include prose fiction, humanities, the social sciences and the natural sciences.
- The Science Reasoning test measures how well you can interpret, analyze, evaluate, reason, and solve problems in the natural sciences. It contains seven sets of scientific information and questions about each of those sets. It may contain graphs, tables, research results from experiments, or hypotheses and opinions. The questions may come from biology, physical science, chemistry or physics. Calculators are not permitted on the Science test.
Am I required to take the Writing Test?
- The writing test is OPTIONAL.
- Some colleges and universities will require or recommend their applicants to submit scores from the ACT Writing Test for admission and/or course placement.
- You will have 30 minutes to write an essay.
- The essay is to be hand written - be sure to write (or print) clearly.
- You must use the lined pages provided in the answer folder for the final draft of the essay.
- Corrections or additions can be written neatly and clearly between the lines of your essay.
Your essay will be evaluated on the evidence provided of your ability to:
- express judgments by taking a position on the issue in the writing prompt
- maintain a focus on the topic throughout the essay
- develop a position by using logical reasoning and by supporting your ideas
- organize ideas in a logical way
- use language clearly and effectively according to the conventions of standard written English
How is the Writing Test scored?
Your Writing Test results do not affect your composite score. Two trained raters will score each essay on a scale from 1 (low) to 6 (high). The scores given by the two raters are added together, yielding the score range 2-12. The sum of the two scores and the English Test score will be used to calculate an English/Writing score. The score guidelines along with sample essays can be found in the preparation booklet of the ACT registration packet.
Is it okay to guess on questions when I do not know the answer?
Yes! On the ACT test, your score is based on how many questions you answer correctly - so the questions you get wrong do not affect your score. This means that it is in your best interest to answer every single question on the test - you just might guess correctly. Here are some strategies for guessing well:
- See if you can narrow down the choices. If you know two of the four choices are wrong, then guess between the remaining two. This will increase your chances of guessing correctly from 25% to 50%.
- If a question is impossible, don't waste your time on it. Guess and move on to the next question.
- See if the answer is hiding among the choices. Are you supposed to find the "correct" answer or the "best" answer? Remember that more than one answer could be correct, but only one is the best.
If you have any questions about planning and financing a college education or selecting a career, please call 800.986.4322 (toll-free) or email us at collegeplanning@esfweb.com. If you wish to visit a College Planning Center, please call for an appointment to ensure that a counselor is available.
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