About the ACT--American College Test

The ACT is timed test used for admission to 4 year universities and colleges in the US. In some states, (such as Michigan, Kentucky, Wyoming, Colorado, Illinois, Ohio, Texas, and Florida) the ACT is also administered by high schools to measure the academic skills of graduating seniors.

High school seniors who are applying to college can take either the ACT or the SAT when applying to universities, since almost every college will accept scores from either test. Before taking the ACT, you should learn the key facts about the exam, and study with the best test prep material available. You can also check out a comparison of the ACT and SAT.

ACT Structure

The ACT consists of an English section with 75 grammar questions based on 5 passages, a math section with 60 questions covering high school math up to pre-calculus, a reading section with 40 questions based on 4 passages, a science section with 40 questions based on short passages that describe experiments, and an optional essay section that consists of 1 essay. As for timing, you have 45 minutes for English, 60 minutes for math, 35 minutes each for reading and science, and 30 minutes for the essay. Including the break after the math section, the entire test takes about 4 hours.

The entire ACT is multiple choice with 4 answer choices for each question, except for the math questions which have 5 answer choices, and the essay which is written.

Test takers with disabilities may apply to have extended time. Although the essay is optional, most colleges require that you write the essay, unless you also take the SAT, which has a non-optional essay.

ACT Scoring

Each section (except the essay) is scored from 0 to 36. The ACT composite score is the average score of the 4 sections, rounded to the nearest whole number. The essay is scored from 2 to 12. (It is read by two ACT essay graders, each of whom gives the essay a score from 1 to 6. The two scores are then added.

There is no penalty for guessing, ie, a choosing the wrong answer choice is not penalized more than leaving a question blank. Therefore, you should answer every ACT question, even if you must guess on some of the questions.

The national average score for each section hovers right around 21, and the average composite score is also about 21.

Who can help you succeed on the ACT?

There are many books and courses that can help you ace the ACT. Here are three particularly easy to use and effective ACT prep books:

• Kaplan ACT 2010 Premier Program strategies and tricks for answering tough questions plus a thorough review of test topics
  
• Real ACT Prep Guide contains 3 real ACT exams
• Cracking the ACT, 2009 Edition
  one of the most trusted ACT test prep books

The key to getting a good score on the ACT is taking lots of practices tests, and doing many sample questions. The ACT does not test every English, math, and science concept learned in high school, so when you study, you should focus only on topics that will appear on the exam.

For live classroom courses, you can enroll in a Kaplan ACT course if you have a Kaplan center in your area.

ACT Retake Policies

You can retake the ACT to get a higher score, and you can choose the scores that colleges receive. Keep in mind your various college application deadlines when retaking the ACT. Also understand the the ACT and SAT are made by different companies, so if you score low on the ACT and decide to take the SAT instead to get a higher score, no one has to know about your ACT scores.

ACT Sample Questions

English
The following ACT sample English questions are based on this passage. ACT English questions test grammar and word choice.

Samuel Langhorne Clemens, better known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American novelist, essayist, and humorist. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn are among his most notable literary works [1]. His keen wit and incisive satire earned him praise from both critics and peers, and he became a prominent national figure. During his lifetime, Twain befriended American heads of state, artists, and business tycoons.

Because his writing was financially successful, and because his wife was heir to a large fortune [2] Mark Twain became something of a business tycoon himself. Unfortunately, he lost a substantial portion of his wealth by making bad investments. Twain sustained his first major loss as the financial backer of the Paige typesetting machine, a new invention that was made obsolete a few years after its development. Twain then lost money when the publishing firm he owned, Charles Webster & Co., went broke. Eventually, Twain had recouped [3] his losses by writing prolifically in the following years.

Question [1]
(a) NO CHANGE
(b) works of literature
(c) literature works
(d) literary works he composed

Question [2]
(f) NO CHANGE
(g) fortune,
(h) fortune;
(j) fortune, then

Question [3]
(a) NO CHANGE
(b) could recoup
(c) has recouped
(d) recouped

Math
The following ACT sample math questions test algebra, geometry, and mathematical reasoning. Calculators are allowed on the math portion of the ACT exam.

[4] A rectangular box with no top has a height of 8 inches, a volume of 800 cubic inches, and a square bottom. What is the surface area of the box in square inches?
(a) 500
(b) 480
(c) 420
(d) 400
(e) 320

[5] If 2x + y = 50 and xy = 190, what is the value of x² + y²/4 ?
(f) 435
(g) 570
(h) 592.25
(j) 760
(k) 1740

[6] A bag has 2 red marbles, 2 green marbles and 2 black marbles. If 3 are selected from the bag randomly, what is the probability of drawing one marble of each color?
(a) 1/2
(b) 1/3
(c) 2/3
(d) 8/15
(e) 2/5

Science
The following ACT sample science questions test students' ability to analyze scientific data and interpret patterns found in charts and graphs. Calculators are not allowed on the science portion of the ACT exam.


The figure above shows a phase diagram for Substance A at various temperatures and pressure levels. Use the figure to answer the following questions.

[7] What is the phase of Substance A at a temperature of 60 and a pressure level of 6?
(a) solid
(b) liquid
(c) gas
(d) cannot be determined

[8] What is the lowest pressure level at which Substance A can remain a liquid?
(f) 1
(g) 2
(h) 3.3
(j) 25

[9] "Sublimation" means passing directly from a solid state to a gaseous state. Which of the following scenarios depicts sublimation?
(a) Substance A remains at a constant temperature of 70, while the pressure level increases from 2 to 4.
(b) Substance A remains at a constant temperature of 15, while the pressure level decreases from 4 to 2.
(c) Substance A remains at a constant pressure level of 6, while the temperature increases from 20 to 40.
(d) Substance A remains at a constant pressure level of 2.5, while the temperature decreases from 20 to 0.

Reading
These ACT sample reading questions are based on the following passage. ACT reading questions test students' understanding of written material.

The Mariana Trench is the deepest known part of the world's oceans, and the lowest known elevation of the surface of the Earth's crust. It is located in the western Pacific Ocean to the east of the Mariana Islands. The trench is crescent-shaped, and about 2,550 kilometers long with an average width of 70 kilometers. At the Challenger Deep, a small slot-shaped valley at the southern end, the Mariana Trench reaches a maximum depth of about 11,000 meters. If Mount Everest, the highest mountain on Earth, was set in the deepest part of the Mariana Trench, there would be 2,100 meters of water left above it.

As part of the Izu-Bonin-Mariana Arc system, the trench forms part of the boundary between two tectonic plates: the Pacific plate and Mariana plate. At the bottom of the trench, where the western edge of the Pacific Plate is subducted beneath the Mariana Plate, the water column above exerts a pressure of 108.6 megapascals. Few creatures can live at these depths, but angler fish have been spotted in these waters.

[10] Which of the following statements is best supported by the passage?
(a) The Izu Trench is formed where the Mariana plate is subducted beneath the Pacific plate.
(b) Angler fish cannot survive outside the Mariana Trench.
(c) No part of the Mariana Trench is narrower than 70 meters.
(d) The Mariana Trench is deeper than Mount Everest is tall.

[11] All of the following are supported by the passage EXCEPT:
(f) Angler fish can withstand higher levels of water pressure than can other kinds of fish.
(g) The Mariana Islands are on the Pacific plate.
(h) Mount Everest is over 8000 meters high.
(j) Water pressure increases with depth.

[12] Where is the deepest part of the Mariana Trench?
(a) at its southern end
(b) west of the Mariana Islands
(c) underneath the Pacific plate
(d) at its western end


~~~answers~~~
a, g, d, c, f, e, b, h, b, d, g, a