ACT

What is the ACT?

ACT means American College Testing. Many colleges require scores from the ACT or SAT tests as a part of the admissions process. Your ACT score is a key component of your college applications.

About the ACT

The ACT is an entrance exam used by most colleges and universities to make admissions decisions. It is a multiple-choice, pencil-and-paper test administered by ACT, Inc. 

The purpose of the ACT test is to measure a high school student’s readiness for college, and provide colleges with one common data point that can be used to compare all applicants. College admissions officers will review standardized test scores alongside your high school GPA, the classes you took in high school, letters of recommendation from teachers or mentors, extracurricular activities, admissions interviews, and personal essays. How important ACT scores are in the college application process varies from school to school. 

Overall, the higher you score on the ACT and/or SAT, the more options for attending and paying for college will be available to you.

When should I take the ACT?

Most high school students take the ACT, SAT, or both during the spring of their junior year or fall of their senior year. It’s important to leave time to re-take the test if you need to raise your score before you apply to college. The ACT exam is offered nationally every year in September, October, December, February*, April, June, and July*.

What is on the ACT?

The ACT includes the following ACT sections: English, Reading, Math and Science, as well as an optional Writing Test. Some schools may require the Writing Test, so be sure to ask before you register for the ACT. There are a total of 215 multiple-choice questions on the ACT test.

OVERVIEW OF ACT TEST SECTIONS 

• 75 multiple–choice questions
• 45 minutes
• Tests grammar, punctuation, sentence structure and rhetorical skills

Math

• 60 multiple–choice questions
• 60 minutes
• Algebra I and II, geometry, and some trigonometry

Reading

• 40 multiple–choice questions
• 35 minutes
• Four passages (prose fiction, social studies, humanities, and natural sciences) with 10 questions per passage

Science

• 40 multiple–choice questions
• 35 minutes
• Questions on science-based passages presented with graphs, charts, tables and research summaries

Writing

• Writing test is optional ^*
• 1 essay
• 40 minutes

How long is the ACT?

The ACT is 2 hours and 55 minutes long. If you choose to take the ACT with Essay, the test will be 3 hours and 35 minutes long.

How is the ACT scored?

ACT Composite Score

Colleges will usually primarily look at your ACT Composite scores when deciding whether to admit you or not. It is the average of the subject area scores, rounded up to the nearest whole number. It is scored between 1 and 36, and is the first score you see on the top left of your score report.

How are the Individual Test Sections Scored?

Raw Scores

Each section of the ACT (English, math, reading, and science) is given a scaled score between 1 and 36. This score is derived from your raw score on each subject. Your raw score is the total number of questions you answered correctly in each section. You are not penalized for incorrect answers, so you should try to answer every question.

Scaled Scores

The ACT converts the raw scores into scaled scores. The ACT uses scaled scores to account for the small differences in the different forms of the tests. Scaled scores are what you will see on your ACT Score Report.

Below is an example of the raw to scaled score converter:

How is the ACT Writing Section Scored? 

Each ACT essay is scored by two different readers, on a scale of 1 – 6, in four different domains. Each domain will receive a total score of 12, and all of these domain scores are then averaged to your total ACT writing score, out of 12.

The Domains are: Ideas & Analysis, Development & Support, Organization, and Language Use & Conventions.

1. Ideas and Analysis. This score reflects your ability to come up with productive ideas and engage with multiple perspectives on the prompt’s issue.
2. Development and Support. After you’ve developed the idea, this score determines if you are able to coherently support your rationale and defend an argument.
3. Organization. This score reflects your ability to organize an essay into a cohesive structure with clarity and purpose.
4. Language Use. Your score in this section reflects your ability to use standard written language to convey your ideas. You are tested on grammar, syntax, usage, and mechanics.

Each of these dimensions is scored individually, so your writing scores will vary based on your strengths in each area.

College Readiness Benchmarks

The ACT is designed to determine your college readiness. This is why you will see College Readiness Benchmarks on your score report.

The first thing on your score report is this box:

Notice the purple lines. These represent the scores that are the benchmark for college readiness. If your score is above the line, the ACT has determined that you should be able to pass an entry-level college course of the same subject. If your score is below the purple line, you should further prepare that specific subject, especially if you plan to take the test again.

So, What is A Good ACT Score? 

That depends. A good ACT score is any score that, in combination with your GPA, extracurriculars, and application essay, gets you into your chosen school. For an Ivy League school, you will most likely need a score above 30. For some public universities, a score in the high teens may be enough. Some schools will guarantee admission to anyone with a certain score, no matter what the rest of the application package looks like. And some schools may not even require a standardized test score.

The average ACT score is 20. So, about half of students get below 20 and about half get above 20. Anything above a 20 could be considered a good score. Anything above a 28 (the 91st percentile) would make you a competitive applicant at most schools, and anything above a 30 would open the door to most institutions in the country.

But, what really makes a good ACT score is the score that makes you competitive at the schools you want to go to. If your GPA is near perfect, and you have excellent entrance essays and extracurriculars, you may have a little more wiggle room on your ACT score.

Take a look at the chart below to determine how different scores compare among test takers between 2016 and 2018:

You can also take a look at your score report for information on how you rank, compared to other test takers in the US and in your state:

How Do I Know if My Score Is Good Enough For My Dream School? 

Most colleges publish the average ACT scores of their incoming classes. You should compare your score to the range of scores accepted by your school.

Obviously, there are other factors that go into the admissions decisions, including your GPA, your extracurricular activities, and letters of recommendation. But, scoring at the top of the range for your dream school gives you a good chance of being accepted.

While the ACT composite score is usually the most important score, some schools prioritize higher scores in certain subject sections. This makes the overall percentiles for ACT scores somewhat misleading.

If, in your application package, you indicate a desire to pursue a certain career path or major, and excel in that area on your ACT, the college may weigh that score a little higher than the composite or the other subject areas. For example, if you apply to a liberal arts college with a renown literature department, and you excel in the reading and writing sections, you may have priority over a student with the same composite score but with a higher math section score.

When Do ACT Scores Come Out?

After you take the ACT, your score report is available online, at act.org, two to eight weeks after the test date.  If you did not take the writing test, it will usually only take two to five weeks. If you did take the writing part, it will take five to eight weeks. Yes, that does seem like a long time, but over 2 million students take the test each year, and ACT, Inc. wants to make sure they are fair and thorough in scoring the ACT.

Sending Your Scores:

Most colleges require at least one standardized test score, and want an official score report sent directly from the test administrator. When you register for the exam, you can choose four schools to send your ACT scores to. ACT will send them directly, for free. You can send scores to additional schools, by visiting the ACT score site.

The ACT Score Report

Several weeks after you take the ACT, you will receive an email letting you know that your scores are available. The email will not have your scores attached. Instead, you need to log into the ACT Web Account, using the login that you set up when you first signed up for the test. From there, you have access to your ACT Score Report.

At first glance, the ACT Score Report seems overwhelming. There is a lot of information, beyond just your overall (or composite) score. But, all of that information can be useful insight into your ACT performance.

The ACT Score Breakdown

You will see the following scores and statistics on your ACT score report:

Steps to a Good ACT Score:

1. Start with either a practice test or the actual ACT: From there, you will be able to determine how much of an improvement you need in order to get your ACT target score.
2. Stick to a study schedule: It is near impossible to get a good ACT score without studying. Yes, there are students who take the ACT without ever practicing or studying, and get a near perfect score. This is extremely rare and usually involves students who have been preparing without actually being aware that they are preparing for the ACT.
3. Pay attention to the percentage of questions in each category: If you are struggling in the Math section, try to determine which areas. If you are having a tough time with integrating essential skills in the math section (40% of the math section’s score), devote a significant amount time to studying it. However, if you are struggling with the number and quantity questions (7 – 10% of the math section’s problems), you may be better off working on something else. Don’t try to perfect the areas that aren’t as well tested.
4. Find high quality test prep and practice materials: The ACT tests skills you already have, but asks questions in a trickier way than you may be used to. The only way to succeed is to learn the patterns.
5. Practice, practice, practice: There is no substitute for preparation when it comes to the ACT. Take as many practice tests as you can, while trying to simulate the real test as much as possible. Build practice tests into your study plan.
6. Review your mistakes: The only way to improve is to figure out where your weaknesses are, and why you are struggling. Figure out where you are making mistakes early on, and then learn from them.