The Basics of the ACT Test

Like the SAT, the ACT test is accepted at all colleges across the country and is an important component in your college admissions process. However, the ACT is considered to be more straightforward and content-based than the SAT. The ACT test has four multiple-choice sections: English, Math, Reading, Science, and an optional essay section – Writing. These sections first test your critical thinking and basic skill level and, second, test your knowledge of basic concepts.

Basic Structure

Test Number	Questions	Skills / Content	Time	Time per Question/Passage
English	75 multiple-choice questions with four answer choices	grammar & usage, sentence structure, punctuation, strategy, organization, and style	45 minutes	8 minutes 30 seconds per passage
Math	60 multiple-choice questions with five answer choices	pre-algebra, elementary algebra, intermediate algebra, coordinate geometry, plane geometry, and trigonometry	60 minutes	1 minute per question
Reading	40 multiple-choice questions with four answer choices	reading comprehension of what is directly stated or implied	35 minutes	8 minutes 45 seconds per passage
Science	40 multiple-choice questions with four answer choices	interpretation, analysis, evaluation, reasoning, and problem solving	35 minutes	52 seconds per question
Essay (optional)	1 prompt	writing skills	40 minutes	40 minutes
Total	215 questions             (w/o prompt)		2 hours and 55 minutes for the ACT without Writing and3 hours and 35 minutes for the ACT with Writing

Basic Strategies

• Always Eliminate! When approaching any ACT question, remember to eliminate all wrong answers first. If you look for the first right answer, you’ll probably fall for a trap answer. The general rule of thumb is, “Look for what’s wrong, not what’s right!” Simply following this one strategy will dramatically increase your performance.
• Guessing on the ACT Answer every question. Your scores on the multiple-choice tests are based on the number of questions you answer correctly. There is no penalty for guessing. Having said that, there are still some key strategies to consider in making “smart guesses” versus not-so-smart guesses. To make sure the odds are in your favor, always eliminate as many answers as possible before guessing. Smart elimination greatly increases your chances of getting the right answer. But here’s the greatest pitfall to avoid when guessing. When you decide to guess, don’t try to pick an answer that “looks right.” That’s a great way to fall for a “trap answer.” If you can’t gain more than 50% certainty about the correctness of an answer choice, go with the random selection “A,” or whichever letter you like. Just make sure it’s genuinely random. Make it a rule to answer “A” on every guess, or “B” if “A” has been eliminated.

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