ACT format
What each section asks, and how the questions are weighted
- 3
- core sections
- 131
- questions
- 125
- minutes
The enhanced ACT has three required sections. They always come in the same order, and once a section's time is up you cannot return to it. Within a section you can move between questions freely.
What changed from the legacy test
| Test | Legacy ACT | Enhanced ACT |
|---|---|---|
| English | 75 questions, 45 min | 50 questions, 35 min |
| Math | 60 questions, 60 min, 5 choices | 45 questions, 50 min, 4 choices |
| Reading | 40 questions, 35 min | 36 questions, 40 min |
| Science | 40 questions, 35 min, required | 40 questions, 40 min, optional |
| Composite | Average of four sections | Average of English, Math, Reading |
English: 50 questions in 35 minutes
English is made of passages with portions marked for you to judge. You decide whether the wording is the best available, and where it is not, which replacement fixes it. About 42 seconds a question leaves little room to reread. The test is weighted more evenly between grammar and rhetoric than the legacy test was.
| Reporting category | Share of questions |
|---|---|
| Production of Writing | 38 to 43% |
| Knowledge of Language | 18 to 23% |
| Conventions of Standard English | 38 to 43% |
Mathematics: 45 questions in 50 minutes
Math questions run roughly from easiest to hardest, and every one has four choices. Most of the test sits in the Preparing for Higher Math category, which is split across five content areas. The rest asks you to combine skills from earlier grades, and a modeling strand cuts across both.
| Reporting category | Share of questions |
|---|---|
| Preparing for Higher Math | 80% |
| Number and Quantity | 10 to 12% |
| Algebra | 17 to 20% |
| Functions | 17 to 20% |
| Geometry | 17 to 20% |
| Statistics and Probability | 12 to 15% |
| Integrating Essential Skills | 20% |
Reading: 36 questions in 40 minutes
Reading has four passages with nine questions each: literary narrative, social science, humanities and natural science. About a minute and seven seconds per question sounds generous until the passage itself has been read.
| Reporting category | Share of questions |
|---|---|
| Key Ideas and Details | 44 to 52% |
| Craft and Structure | 26 to 33% |
| Integration of Knowledge and Ideas | 19 to 26% |
Optional sections
Science (40 questions, 40 minutes) and Writing (one essay prompt, 40 minutes) are add-ons. Neither counts towards the Composite, and the practice test on this site leaves both out. How the Composite is calculated.
All three sections at real length and timing, with original passages and an explanation for every answer. Free, with an account.
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