ACT® — The ACT college admissions test
The shorter, enhanced ACT — English, Math and Reading for your Composite, with optional Science and Writing.
About the exam
The ACT is a college admissions test taken mostly by high-school juniors and seniors. Many colleges accept it for admission and scholarships, and some states give it free during the school day. There are no eligibility requirements — you register through MyACT.
The enhanced ACT is shorter than the old test. The core is English (50 questions in 35 minutes), Math (45 questions in 50 minutes) and Reading (36 questions in 40 minutes), and those three make up your 1–36 Composite. Science (40 questions in 40 minutes) is optional and is reported separately as part of a STEM score; the Writing essay is optional too. Every question has four answer choices, and some questions in each section are unscored field-test items.
Our practice covers every reporting category with original passage sets and questions in the real ACT formats — underlined-portion English passages, four-choice math, paired reading passages and science data sets — plus flashcards, worked walkthrough case studies, illustrated guides, and timed practice tests that give an estimated Composite.
How we track your progress
Every blueprint domain moves through five levels as you study:
- Not startedNo questions answered in this domain yet.
- Getting startedFirst questions answered — not enough yet to judge.
- DevelopingAt least 5 answered and 50% or better on your recent questions.
- ProficientAt least 15 answered and 70% or better on your recent questions.
- Exam readyAt least 25 answered, 80% or better recently, and holding up on hard questions.
The exam blueprint
Enhanced ACT — national online testing from April 2025, paper from September 2025, and state and district school-day testing from spring 2026; current for the 2026–27 test dates. — English, Math and Reading make up the Composite; Science and Writing are optional. Tap a domain to see its topics.
1 English 50 questions, 35 minutes of the exam
125 practice questions in this domain so far
2 Math 45 questions, 50 minutes of the exam
125 practice questions in this domain so far
3 Reading 36 questions, 40 minutes of the exam
100 practice questions in this domain so far
4 Science 40 questions, 40 minutes (optional) of the exam
110 practice questions in this domain so far
What you get when you access this exam
Free with your QuizMe account.
Questions built on the official reporting categories
Every question is tagged to an ACT section and reporting category — original passage sets with underlined-portion English, four-choice math, paired reading and science data sets.
Hints that teach
Reveal the grammar rule, formula or reading strategy behind the question when you're stuck. Every answer comes with the full rationale.
Adaptive practice
Questions steer toward your weakest areas, weighted like the real test, and get harder as you get stronger.
Timed practice tests
English, Math, Reading and Science at the real pace — 171 questions in 2 hours 45 minutes — with a pacing indicator, full review and an estimated Composite.
Flashcards, walkthroughs and guides
Flashcards for grammar rules and formulas, worked walkthrough case studies that show each step of a passage or problem, and interactive illustrated guides you explore hotspot by hotspot.
Progress in every section
Each section moves from Not started to Exam ready, so you know exactly what to study next.
Test at home or at a center
Register for a national test date in your MyACT account, or take the ACT free at school if your state or district offers it. You choose whether to add Science and Writing.
At a test center — online or paper
- National Saturday test dates through the year; many centers test on computer, others on paper.
- Bring your admission ticket and acceptable photo ID.
- A permitted calculator is allowed on Math only — not Science. Online testing also has an on-screen Desmos calculator.
- CAS calculators (such as TI-89 or TI-Nspire CAS), phones and laptops are not allowed.
School-day testing
- Many states and districts give the ACT during the school day, often at no cost to students.
- Your school handles registration and tells you which sections are included.
- Same test content and 1–36 scoring as a national test date.
- Ask your counselor whether your school offers it and when.
Exam-day game plan
How to walk in ready — and how to pace 171 questions in 2 hours 45 minutes (Science included).
Pacing checkpoints
Our timed test runs English, Math, Reading and Science back to back in one 171-question, 165-minute block without the real breaks. The real test times each section separately (English 35, Math 50, Reading 40, Science 40 minutes), and the optional Writing essay isn't included.
The week before
- Take one full timed practice test 4–7 days out, then shorter sets and rest.
- Review punctuation and agreement rules — they come up again and again in English.
- Practice with the calculator you'll bring and check it isn't a banned CAS model.
- Print your admission ticket, check your ID and plan your route to the test center.
During the test
- English: read the whole sentence around the underline; pick NO CHANGE only when nothing improves it.
- Math: you have about 67 seconds a question — skip a time sink and come back.
- Reading: get the main idea of each passage first, then answer from the text.
- Science: go straight to the tables and graphs; most answers are in the data, not outside knowledge.
- Answer every question — there's no penalty for guessing.
Keep your head
- A few nerves sharpen focus. If you freeze, take three slow breaths and reread the question.
- Some questions are unscored field-test items, so one strange question won't sink you.
- You can retake and superscore, so one test day doesn't decide everything.
After you test
- Most scores appear in MyACT within 1–4 weeks; Writing takes longer, and colleges get scores only once every part is scored.
- Your registration includes score reports to up to four colleges; extra reports cost $20 each, and you choose which test date or superscore to send.
- You can retake the ACT on later test dates, and superscoring combines your best section scores across attempts.
Official sources and further reading
- ACT — Test enhancements ↗Section lengths, optional Science and Writing, and the Composite change.
- ACT — Preparing for the ACT (PDF) ↗Content descriptions, reporting categories and sample questions.
- ACT — Fees ↗Current fees, add-ons and fee waivers.
Ready to start?
460 questions and scenarios across the blueprint — and growing.
ACT® is a registered trademark of ACT Education Corp. QuizMe is not affiliated with or endorsed by ACT Education Corp. All questions are original. Details are summarized from official ACT pages and the Preparing for the ACT guide; fees and policies change — always confirm at act.org. Estimated scores are rough guides, not official conversions.