ACT

Overview

The ACT is a US college-admissions test owned by ACT, Inc. Since September 2025, ACT administers the "enhanced ACT": a shorter test with multiple-choice sections in English, Math and Reading, an optional Science section, and a separate optional Writing (essay) test. The enhanced format replaced the previous ("legacy") ACT, cutting total testing time and question count for the three core sections and making Science optional rather than compulsory.

Who can apply

There is no fixed age or grade requirement to register. Most students take the ACT in grade 11 or 12, once they have covered most of the tested coursework, though students may take it earlier (as early as grade 9) for practice or talent-identification purposes, or later after high school graduation.

Exam pattern

English, Math and Reading together make up 131 questions in 2 hours 5 minutes. Math questions now carry four answer choices instead of the five used on the legacy test. A student can add Science, Writing, both, or neither, to the required English/Math/Reading core.

Syllabus

• English: grammar, usage, punctuation, sentence structure, and rhetorical skills (organisation, style) based on passages.

• Math: topics from pre-algebra through to trigonometry, including algebra, functions, geometry, statistics and probability.

• Reading: comprehension of passages drawn from areas such as literary narrative, social studies, humanities and natural science.

• Science (optional): interpretation, analysis, evaluation, reasoning and problem-solving in biology, chemistry, earth/space science and physics, presented as data, research summaries and conflicting viewpoints.

• Writing (optional essay): a single prompt asking the student to evaluate perspectives on an issue and present a position, measuring skills taught in high-school English and entry-level college composition.

Marking and results

There is no penalty for wrong answers on the multiple-choice sections — only correct answers count. Each section's raw score is converted to a scale score of 1–36. The Composite score (1–36) is the average of the English, Math and Reading scale scores, rounded to the nearest whole number (half or more rounds up). Since the enhanced ACT, Science no longer contributes to the Composite; a student who takes Science instead receives a separate score and, together with the Math score, a STEM score, both also on a 1–36 scale. The Writing essay is scored separately on a 2–12 scale (a single writing score plus four 2–12 domain scores: Ideas and Analysis, Development and Support, Organization, and Language Use and Conventions) and does not affect the Composite.

Scores for the required sections are typically available within about 2 weeks of the test date; students who also took Writing usually see their full report, including the essay score, within 5–8 weeks, since it is released only once every score is ready.

ACT also offers superscoring: a Superscore averages a student's highest English, Math and Reading scores across different test dates (legacy or enhanced), which many colleges accept for admissions purposes.

Important dates

For the 2026–2027 US national testing year, test dates and registration deadlines (midnight Central Time) include:

Fees

For the 2026 cycle, the base ACT registration fee is $70, with an optional Science add-on of$5 and an optional Writing add-on of $25. Registering or changing a test date during the late window adds a$42 late fee. Standby testing (for a student who missed the late deadline, or needs a test-date/centre change) costs $75, refunded if the student is denied admission at the centre or the registration is cancelled for lack of a valid photo. Fee waivers are available for eligible low-income US students, covering the base fee and other associated costs.

How to apply

Students register online through a free MyACT account at act.org, choosing a test date, centre and the optional Science/Writing add-ons. Registration requires uploading a recent, unedited, full face-and-shoulders photo (JPG, JPEG, PNG or BMP, at least 640×480 pixels, under 5 MB) by the photo deadline for the chosen test date; missing this deadline cancels the registration. ACT is offered as a paper test and, at many centres, as an online test (including a bring-your-own-device option).

After the exam

Once released, scores can be viewed through the student's MyACT account. The registration fee includes sending score reports to the student, their high school, and up to four colleges chosen at or shortly after registration; additional score reports can be ordered separately. ACT advises taking the test at least two months before the earliest college or scholarship deadline so scores arrive in time.

Preparation tips

Since the Composite score now rests only on English, Math and Reading, students planning to send only the Composite can focus preparation there; those targeting STEM programmes should weigh whether the optional Science section's separate score and STEM score are useful to their target colleges before paying the add-on. Because there is no penalty for a wrong answer, attempt every question rather than leaving any blank.