ACT 2024 Exam

Outside of the United States, the ACT is a computer-based test. The ACT consists of four primary tests: English, Math, Reading, and Science. The ACT also has an optional Writing (Essay) section.

The ACT English test is a passage-based test that assesses grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, and persuasive skills. The reading test includes four passages from prose fiction, social studies, humanities, and natural sciences. Algebra, Arithmetic, Data Analysis, some Geometry, and Trigonometry are the key topics covered in the math test. The science test assesses comprehension and data interpretation based on science passages; no prior knowledge of science is required for this test.

The following table summarises the upcoming ACT test dates for 2023, along with the registration deadlines and the last date for late fee acceptance to appear for n ACT:

Students willing to appear for the ACT exam in 2023, will have to upload their headshot pictures in order to complete the application form. The photo uploading is a part of the security check which acts as an integral part to complete the security check of the applicant while they appear for the ACT exam. The photo upload deadlines for the ACT exam 2023 are as follows:

The ACT exam is held across various cities in the country. Candidates are required to register online for the ACT exam and are required to pay an ACT Registration Fee for the same. Candidates can check out the latest ACT Exam Syllabus 2023 before beginning to prepare and register for the exam. Candidates looking to perform well in their exams are advised to practice multiple ACT Sample papers for their benefit. Candidates can expect their ACT Results to be declared within 8 weeks from the day of the exam.

• Usually, multiple-choice scores are available within two weeks; however, at times it can take up to eight weeks.
• Normally, Writing scores are available two weeks after multiple-choice scores.
• The ACT Results are valid for a total of 5 years from the exam year.

As per the guidelines regarding eligibility criteria of ACT, people of all grade levels are eligible to appear in the ACT 2023. Even the students in grades 6, 7, 8, 9 and high schools are also eligible to appear in the test.
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No, there is no age limit for appearing in the ACT 2023. Candidates from all age groups are eligible to appear in the college entrance test.

Generally, the ACT 2023 is taken by high school graduates in the USA and those above the age of 13 years.

The ACT exam syllabus covers Reading, Mathematics, English, and Science as mandatory. This exam, however, has an optional writing section as well. Given below is an idea of how the syllabus of the ACT exam goes section-wise:

The ACT English section tests the student's ability to understand the language basics and the ability to comprehend it too. These topics are broadly tested in ACT for the English section:

Usage/Mechanics

• Punctuation – These questions test your knowledge of internal and ‘end of sentence’ punctuation, with a focus on the relationship of punctuation to meaning.
• Grammar and Usage – These questions test your understanding of the agreement between pronoun and antecedent, between subject and verb, and between modifiers and the word modified; pronoun case; verb formation; idiomatic usage; and formation of comparative and superlative adjectives and adverbs.
• Sentence Structure – These questions test your understanding of relationships between and among clauses, shifts in construction, and placement of modifiers.

Rhetorical Skills in ACT

• Strategy – These questions test how well you develop a topic by choosing appropriate expressions to an essay's purpose and audience; judging the effect of adding, deleting, or revising supporting material; and testing the relevance of statements in context.
• Organization – These questions test how well you organize ideas, as well as how you choose an effective opening, transitional, and closing sentence.
• Style – These questions test how well you choose appropriate words and images, manage sentence elements, maintain the level of style and tone, and avoid ambiguous pronouns.

The mathematics section tested in the ACT is also divided into two broad categories:

1. Pre-Algebra/Elementary Algebra: This section holds a weightage of 57-60% and aims to understand the applicant's knowledge in the areas of understanding of these topics at large. 

• Pre-Algebra – Candidates have to answer questions based on operations like whole numbers, decimals, place value; the concept of exponents; square roots and approximations; fractions, linear equations in one variable; and integers; scientific notation; factors; ratio, proportion, data collection, representation, and interpretation; and percent; and understanding descriptive statistics.
• Elementary Algebra – Candidates have to solve questions based on solving quadratic equations, multiplying binomials, solving linear equations, inequalities, substitution, and simplifying expressions.

2. Plane Geometry/Trigonometry: The weightage of this section is between 12-15% and how students apply their knowledge is the basic catch here.

• Plane Geometry – The questions are related to 3-D geometry, triangles, parallelograms, lines and angles, volume, polygons, and properties of circles, triangles, and parallelograms.
• Trigonometry – The questions are based on trigonometric identities and graphs, graphing trigonometric functions, and triangles, and solving trigonometric equations.

The weightage of the reading section in the ACT exam is divided into three categories - Key Ideas & Details which holds a weightage of 52–60%, Craft & Structure which holds a weightage of 25–30% and Integration of Knowledge & Ideas holding a weightage of 13–23%. The students are assessed in the following areas of study:

• Social Studies – These questions are based on passages in the areas of biography, anthropology, business, economics, psychology, history, archaeology, geography, political science, education, and sociology.
• Natural Sciences -- These questions are based on passages in the areas of meteorology, astronomy, biology, botany, natural history, ecology, geology, physics, medicine, microbiology, anatomy, physiology, technology, chemistry, and zoology.
• Literary Narrative or Prose Fiction – These questions are based on passages from novels, memoirs, short stories, and personal essays. Questions in the Prose Fiction section are based on passages from novels and short stories.
• Humanities – These questions are based on passages in the areas of art, dance, film, language, radio, literary criticism, philosophy, music, television, ethics, architecture, and theatre.

The weightage in the ACT's Science section is divided based on the subsections. Read on for more details:

• Data Representation (25-30%) – This section has Graphic and tabular material similar to those in science journals and texts. The questions associated with this format measures skills like graph reading, interpretation of the information presented in tables, and interpretation of scatterplots.
• Research Summaries (45-60%) - This section provides descriptions of experiments. The questions focus on the design of experiments and the explanation of results.
• Conflicting Viewpoints (15-20%) - This section presents several hypotheses or views that might be based on differing premises or incomplete data, and are inconsistent with one another. The questions focus on the analysis, understanding, and comparison of alternative hypotheses.

The ACT consists of 4 tests (English, Math, Reading, and Science) and an optional Writing test (Essay). The duration of the ACT is 3 hours 35 minutes with the essay and 2 hours 55 minutes without the essay. There are two breaks in the test. A short break is provided after the second test. The second break is after the fourth test. This is only for those who are taking the optional Writing test.

The ACT exam application process is online and requires certain steps to be followed. To get to the ACT application, students have to sign up first, then register and get access to the application in the third step.

The following steps must be followed to apply for the ACT exam online by prospective students:

Step 1: Create a MyACT account on the official website of ACT. Register and create a new account by signing up. Create your profile and sign in. The details of the ACT Registration will be sent to your registered email id. 

Step 2: You will see an option to Register for the ACT exam, click on the button and the following dialogue box will open up with these instructions that the student would require in order to apply for the ACT exam:

Step 3: After reading the instructions and going through the materials needed for registering for the ACT exam, students will now have to select their preferences for testing. If you are an Indian student, then you can select the following options already selected for you before proceeding towards the completion of the ACT exam application:

Step 4: Select a test date and the ACT test centre according to your convenience. Deadlines for registration are usually three to four weeks after the test date. Make sure you make a choice for appearing for the ACT exam and apply accordingly so that you don't have to come back and make modifications to the application later on. 

Step 5: Once the basic details up to step 4 are captured, the ACT application form will be accessible to the students. There are six steps in the Demographic Section further to complete the ACT exam application. Students will have to:

• Upload their headshot photograph to complete the first step of registration and add the educational details of themselves and their parents.
• Secondly, they must select up to four colleges to which they wish to send their ACT test scores.
• Thirdly, they must choose their preference for sending their ACT score to chosen colleges.
• Lastly, students must be able to complete the ACT application and submit the required documentation to confirm registering for the ACT. 

Step 6: Pay the exam fee of USD 171.50 to complete your registration (if you select the non-writing option). You can pay the fee through a debit/credit card or make an online payment. The fee for ACT with the writing section and without the writing section will be different.
 

The ACT exam fee varies with what options the students choose. Those who choose a writing test will have to pay a separate fee, those not choosing a writing test will have a separate fee and so on and so forth. The following table addresses the overall ACT application fee, which varies with each option:

An additional fee is charged to students who modify their ACT applications in order to make changes in the following areas: 

*Note: The above given additional fee for the ACT exam, excludes requests for Test Centre Change fees.