Last Updated: January 24, 2025

What is the ACT Test?

ACT, American College Testing, is a standardized test based on high school courses to assess high school achievements for all four-year college admissions in the U.S. It is conducted by ACT Inc., a non-profit organization. SAT, Scholastic Aptitude Test, is the main competitor of ACT. Most universities accept SAT and ACT scores.

The ACT assessment measures high school students' capability to complete college-level work. It is offered as a computer-based test except at schools that cannot provide it, where it is still conducted in paper format.

Who can Apply for ACT?

The ACT examination has been created for students pursuing their education at 10th, 11th, and 12th-grade levels. Since it is a medium for institutions to recognize merit and provide college admission to suitable candidates, the test is very popular, with small score fluctuations resulting in gaining or losing a coveted college seat. But at the same time, students who are enrolled in 6th, 7th, 8th, and 9th-grade levels are also eligible to apply for the examination as long as they are above 13 years of age. Most students take the Pre-ACT at that age group, after which they decide to take the ACT examination if their scores are satisfactory.

Eligibility Requirements for ACT

Students above 13 may attempt the examination, including those from 8th, 9th, and 10th-grade levels. There is no upper age limit for the examination.

Cost of Taking ACT

All fees are non-refundable unless otherwise noted. The table below shows the fee structure for ACT 2025:

For U.S. Students

Sections included	Fee
ACT (English, Math, Reading)	$65
ACT (with Writing)	+$25
ACT (with Science)*	+$4

*The Science section will be optional for online testing after February 2025.

For Non-U.S. Students

Purpose	Fee
ACT without Writing	$186.50
ACT with Writing	$211.50
Test Option Change	$25

The fee includes test reports for the candidate, the high school, and four colleges if their codes were provided during registration.

In addition, the candidate will have to pay an extra amount for late registration, standby testing, to change the test date or center, and to avail of a 5th or 6th scorecard for other universities (if applicable). The details of the additional charges may vary from time to time and are available on the official ACT website. The details of the additional fee, as of now, are below:

Purpose	Fee
Late Registration	$38
Change Fee	$44
Score Reports to 5th and 6th College choices	$19
Additional Score Reports	$19
Standby testing	$69
Test Information Release	$32 If order placed before the test begins $40 If order placed after the test
Score Verification	$61 For either multiple-choice or writing test score verification $122 For both multiple-choice and writing test score verification

How to Register/Apply for ACT?

There are different ways for students or guardians to apply for the ACT examination. The ACT is conducted on 6 National and 7 International dates apart from the District and State Testing dates. Students can apply for the ACT through District Testing, State Testing, and On-Campus Testing Programs, which are largely dependent on the region in which they reside.

District Testing- In this mode, the test will be paid for by the district or the school. Candidates will be able to attend the test on weekdays during school hours.
State Testing- In the absence of District Testing in select localities, the State funds ACT at different schools. It is held during school hours. Further information regarding this mode may be available by contacting the district as it may change according to state.
On Campus Testing-This mode gives colleges the power to conduct and score ACT on campus any time of the week. The scores received through this mode will be valid only within the respective campus.

Students can also apply for the test through the official ACT website, providing their high school course details, a headshot photo, and a credit card or other payment option.

Test Dates for ACT

ACT is conducted seven times a year nationally where the National Test dates apply to the United States, United States territories, and Puerto Rico.

Standby Testing- There is an option to avail standby testing if the candidate has missed the late registration deadline or missed their chance to choose a test date or test center.

The conditions that apply for standby testing are as follows-

Candidates are not guaranteed a seat under standby testing.
Candidates must compulsorily bring a photo identification and printed Standby Ticket.
Ensure that the candidate's name is displayed on the Standby Roster at the test center.
Candidate must pay an additional standby testing fee.
Standby request will be considered valid only after the completion of providing the required information along with the fee payment.
Standbys are admitted into test centers depending on the order in which they arrive.
Standbys may be admitted only based on the availability of seats and test materials after all registered students have been admitted.

Format for ACT Test

The ACT Format consists of a multiple-choice section and an optional writing test. The multiple-choice section comprises 215 questions covering the four subsections of English, Reading, Mathematics, and Science. The optional Writing Test measures skill in planning and writing a short essay. It is graded in 4 domains - Ideas and Analysis; Development and Support; Organization; Language Use and Conventions.

The test duration is 2 hours and 55 minutes(175 minutes) for the multiple-choice test and an additional 40 minutes(total 215 minutes) if one takes the optional writing test.

There will be no long breaks available in between the tests. But a short break will be given after the first two tests where the candidates will not be permitted to use cell phones or other electronic gadgets. Candidates will not be allowed to eat or drink anything in the test room as well.
If the candidate has opted to take the ACT with writing, time will be provided before or after the four sections to relax before the writing section.

Section	# of Questions	Duration
English section	75	45 minutes
Mathematics section	60	60 minutes
Reading section	40	35 minutes
Science section	40	35 minutes
Writing section	1	40 minutes

ACT Online Test vs Paper-Based Test

ACT is offered online at designated locations in the U.S. and on paper. Students have the flexibility to choose how they want to test. Students can check if the online ACT is available in their area and then register for the exam. There are a few important aspects to keep in mind when it comes to online ACT:

International students can only take the online ACT, as the paper pencil ACT is unavailable. However, in the US, students can choose to take the test online or on paper.
The cost for both the Online ACT and the paper-pencil test is the same.
Students can transition from the traditional paper and pencil method to the online option, provided it is accessible in their respective regions.
The time limit, exam format, score range, and content covered in the online ACT remain the same as the paper-pencil ACT.
Starting April 2025, Science will be an optional section for the online test takers.

Changes in 2025

Beginning in April 2025, students opting for national online testing will enjoy increased flexibility and options, a shorter test duration, and extended time to answer each question. The improvements will be implemented for national paper-based tests from September 2025 onwards. Schools and districts can make these choices starting in spring 2026. The forthcoming enhancements are set to be implemented.

The ACT will be offered online and in paper/pencil format.
The number of questions will be decreased by 44.
The duration will be shortened from 195 minutes to 125 minutes.
- English section- 35-minute section with 50 questions
- Math- 50-minute section with 45 items
- Reading- 40-minute section with 36 items
- Science- 40-minute section with 40 questions
- Writing- 40-minute section with one writing prompt
The number of answer options for math questions will be reduced from 5 to 4.
The Science section will be optional.
The new ACT Composite score calculation will be based on English, mathematics, and reading scores. However, the Composite score will include the science score if students choose to complete the science section.
The Writing section will continue to be optional.

Calculating ACT Score

One point is awarded for every correct answer among the multiple-choice questions, and there is no negative marking for a wrong answer. Each of the four sections(English, Mathematics, Reading, and Science) has a raw score, a scaled score, and a composite score.

The raw score is the number of questions answered correctly by the student. This raw score is converted into a scaled score between 1 and 36.

The composite score is calculated by taking the average of the four scaled scores of each section. Hence, it is in the range of 1 to 36. All the scores are rounded off to the nearest integer.

The multiple-choice section and writing test are graded separately, which implies that the score obtained in the optional writing test does not affect the score received in the multiple-choice section.

The score in the written test ranges between 1 and 36. 2 readers grade the written essay in four domains(Ideas and Analysis, Development and Support, Organization, Language Use, and Conventions), and each domain is graded between 1 and 6 by each reader. The scores of both readers are then added per domain to obtain a score between 2 and 12 per domain. The overall writing score is calculated from the domain scores and ranges between 1 and 36. A third reader is required if there is a difference of more than 1 point in both the reader's scores. Usually, 0 is reserved for blank or near-blank essays and 1 for off-topic essays.

Based on the above scores, ACT also reports two other scores: STEM and ELA. STEM is an average of Mathematics and Science scores. ELA is an average of English, Reading, and Writing scores. Although the optional writing score does not affect the student's composite score, the ELA score is not reported if the student does not take the optional writing test.

The student can retake the test to improve their scores and choose which score they want to send to the universities. For more details regarding ACT Scoring, click here.

Reporting Categories in ACT

The reporting categories are benchmarks with which an examiner can assess a student's performance in a test through each grade. Knowing the reporting category of each subsection allows the candidate to focus on learning and better one's performance after the trials.

Firstly, in English, they look at the production of writing, knowledge of writing, and conventions of Standard English.
Secondly, Math includes numbers and quantities, algebra, functions, geometry, statistics, probability, and an overall skill to integrate essential aspects.
Thirdly, Reading focuses on critical reading and details, craft and structure, and integration of knowledge and ideas.
Fourthly, in Science, they look for an interpretation of data, scientific investigation, evaluation of models, inferences, and experimental results.

Retaking ACT test

Candidates may retake the test as many times as required. The scorecard will be issued separately for each test; hence, the candidate can choose the score they want to present in college.

Section Retesting- ACT now permits students to retake individual test sections/subjects according to the section they want to improve their score in instead of the full test. Candidates may take a retest as many times as required. The retest will be offered on the National ACT dates and conducted seven times yearly.

The conditions to avail of this are as follows-

Candidates must have taken a full ACT before applying for a Section Retest.
Candidates must have a valid composite score on file.