The ACT (American College Testing) examination is the second most popular standardized test among applicants to undergraduate higher education institutions in the United States, after the SAT. ACT scores are accepted by more than 3,000 universities worldwide, including all those in the US and its territories. All high school students can appear for the test, and the syllabus is mainly based on middle school topics in English, Mathematics, and Scientific Reasoning. Over one million students attempt the ACT every year.
Overall, the ACT is held to be slightly easier than the SAT, but the time allotted per question is significantly lower, adding to the perceived difficulty of achieving a perfect score of 36. All questions are multiple choice, and there are four compulsory sections in the multiple choice pen and paper or computer-based test: English, Mathematics, Reading, and Science. Many candidates opt to appear for the optional Writing test as well.
| Exam Name | ACT (American College Testing) |
| Governing Organization | ACT, Incorporated |
| Official Website | https://www.act.org/content/act/en.html |
| Registration Date | (for exam date October 28, 2023) September 29, 2023 (one month in advance, or two weeks for late registration) |
| Registration Fee | (Without Writing Test) $181.50 (These are international test costs) |
| Mode of Exam | Offline (pen and paper) Offline (computer-based test; limited so far; format in testing) |
| Accepted in | All Universities in the USA + 200+ non-US Institutions of Higher Education |
| Exam Frequency | Seven times a year |
| Exam Duration | 175 minutes |
| Total Questions | 215 |
Most test takers choose to register for the ACT online.
Students can also register via mail. The first step is to submit a request on the ACT website; after this, the authorities send a physical application package to the candidate’s address; this must be filled up and mailed back to the ACT head office.
There are two main categories of eligibility criteria for ACT test takers. First, they should be enrolled in a (middle or high) school program anywhere in the world. Second, they should be in the sixth (or higher) grade at the time of enrolment for the examination. Secondary school graduates can also take the test during a gap year after their Year 12 exam.
The ACT has four sections for all candidates, with an optional fifth Writing section that is taken by those whose undergraduate colleges require it. It is one of the few examinations that gives test takers less than one minute to solve each question, on average. Therefore, it is a test of both speed and accuracy.
| Sections | Time (Minutes) | Questions/Tasks |
| English | 45 | 75 |
| Mathematics | 60 | 60 |
| Reading | 35 | 40 |
| Science | 35 | 40 |
| (Optional) Writing | 40 | 1 |
| Total | 175 (+40) | 215 (+1) |
All questions in the first four sections are multiple choice; they usually take the format of a statement, passage, or graph, based on which the candidate has to choose from among the given options. The final score range is based on overall performance, and ranges between 1 and 36, with 36 being the highest possible score.
The ACT Syllabus is largely similar to that of the SAT, with question types often being simplified in order to fit the reduced exam time.
The English section of the ACT tests several different abilities: improving a short piece of text, understanding the overall meaning of a medium length passage, and editing essays to increase their impact. The overall difficulty is slightly lower than that of the SAT, but the time allotted per question is also lower. Candidates should aim to master the word list and understand common grammatical mistakes in order to maximize their chances of success.
The ACT Mathematics Section presents candidates with questions based on fundamental primary and middle school concepts, from fractions to percentages to ratios and geometrical shapes. However, the question types are heavily application-based, and candidates should solve ACT mock tests to be prepared for the different formats of questions. It is also the ACT section with the lowest time pressure, with an average of one minute allotted per multiple choice question. Test takers should refer to elementary secondary school textbooks to refresh their concepts, and practice questions to improve their accuracy and speed of solution.
The Reading section of the ACT tests the ability of candidates to understand simple and complex passages, and reason and make deductions based on logical statements. This section contains many options that can easily be confused for each other, and the only way to improve one's score is to solve ACT sample papers, as there is no set syllabus. Test takers who have prepared for Logical Reasoning and Reading Comprehension papers within other entrance examinations will be able to perform better.
The ACT Science Section tests the candidate’s ability to interpret data and use the scientific method. It is more a test of aptitude in science than of scientific knowledge and facts. It has three sections: Data Interpretation, Scientific Investigation, and Evaluation of Models & Experimental Results. Candidates must interpret textual and chart data, and draw the correct logical conclusions from it. The main obstacle in this section is speed, with test takers given an average of 52 seconds per question; therefore, preparation should focus on solving sample questions.
The Writing Section of the ACT is optional, and has a single essay to be submitted based on a given topic, within a time period of 40 minutes. Candidates will be judged on their ability to write error free sentences and to maintain a coherent thread throughout the entire passage. While preparing for this section, candidates should focus on writing simple sentences and note recurring grammatical and spelling errors in their written work, so that they can be eliminated in the final ACT examination.
The first step of registration for the ACT is to choose an exam date. The test is held seven times per year.
| ACT Test Date | Last Date for Registration | Deadline for Changes, Regular Cancellation, and Late Registration |
| September 8-9, 2023 | August 11, 2023 | August 25, 2023 |
| October 27-28, 2023 | September 29, 2023 | October 13, 2023 |
| December 1-2, 2023 | November 3, 2023 | November 17, 2023 |
| February 23-24, 2024 | January 26, 2024 | February 9, 2024 |
| April 12-13, 2024 | March 15, 2024 | March 29, 2024 |
| June 7-8, 2024 | May 10, 2024 | May 24, 2024 |
| July 12-13, 2024 | June 14, 2024 | June 28, 2024 |
The ACT website has a test center location app, through which candidates can find the exam location closest to their hometown. Most countries in the world have multiple test centers, with India alone being home to more than fifteen locations. Seat availability depends on both the chosen test date and center; therefore, candidates should register for the exam within the initial application period, and not wait to sign up with a late fee.
ACT Inc. charges differential registration fees within the US and internationally. There are also additional charges for test center change requests, late registration, and sending reports to colleges over and above the first four included in the registration fee.
| Service | ACT Exam Fees |
| Registration Fee (within USA, without Writing) | $63 |
| Registration Fee (within USA, with Writing) | $88 |
| Registration Fee (outside USA, without Writing) | $181.50 (international surcharge of $108.50) |
| Registration Fee (outside USA, with Writing) | $206.50 |
| Registration Fee (Writing module alone) | $25 |
| Late Registration Fee (within the period allowed) | $36 |
| Fee for Change of Test Center or Exam Date | $42 |
| Score Report for fifth / sixth Colleges (first four are free) | $16 per Institution |
| Score Report for seventh College (and additional Universities beyond that) | $18 per Institution |
The ACT is highly competitive, and only 0.25% of all test takers achieve a perfect score of 36. Therefore, it is important to solve several mock tests before the exam date, and revise all the important topics until there are no doubts in any concepts. The Science and Reading sections require the most preparation, as they have no fixed syllabus, and instead test English comprehension, analysis, and data interpretation skills.
Sample papers can be found on the ACT website; candidates should solve these in order to understand question formats and improve their speed. For additional sample papers, candidates can check this website or join a coaching class. Test takers should aim to attempt at least seven full mock tests before their scheduled ACT date in order to have the highest possible chance of success.
The information on the final ACT score report must tally exactly with that on the candidate’s identity and academic documents. If there is a mismatch, and this is not corrected even after the exam, the test taker must contact the ACT authorities directly, and request an edit. The authorities will grant the request on a case by case basis. The appeal process can take time, and it is therefore important that the initial information uploaded is checked thoroughly. The list of colleges can be edited for up to a week after the exam date with no extra fee payable.
The ACT College Report has six pieces of information:
Test takers must bring the following to the ACT venue:
These three materials are optional, and may be carried to the ACT center:
It is recommended that candidates create a list of colleges to apply to even before they register for the ACT. After this step, they should check the eligibility criteria for their courses of interest. Most creative writing courses, and some humanities courses, require an ACT writing score in order to evaluate the applicant's ability to express himself/herself in clear, coherent, error-free English. If even one of the programs of interest requires ACT Writing, the test taker must sign up for this. It carries an additional fee, so most candidates do not choose it unless required.
The first step in the timeline is to compile a list of the application deadlines for all the colleges to which the student is applying. Next, the earliest of these deadlines should be identified. The ACT test date chosen should be at least two months before this earliest deadline, so that the scores are sure to reach every college in time. Therefore, the corresponding early registration date is at least a month before the desired exam date. In practice, candidates should give themselves at least a three month window before the expected earliest college deadline.
In 2023, ACT has started testing the online exam option. This is equivalent to a computer-based test at a center. Candidates who see this option in their myACT account can choose it, and they will receive further instructions about how to take the test. ACT provides the computer terminals, and everything stays the same as the pen and paper test except for the exam mode. Only 5,000 out of more than 1.3 million test takers in 2023 are expected to be offered this pilot facility; however, it will scale up in the future. Currently, there are no plans to introduce a completely online ACT testing option from home.
