Editing ACT (test) (section)

==Format==
The required portion of the ACT is divided into four multiple-choice subject tests: [[English studies|English]], [[mathematics]], [[Reading (process)|reading]], and science [[reasoning]]. Subject test scores range from 1 to 36; all scores are [[integers]]. The English, mathematics, and reading tests also have subscores ranging from 1 to 18 (the subject score is not the sum of the subscores). In addition, students taking the optional writing test receive a writing score ranging from 2 to 12 (this is a change from the previous 1–36 score range); the writing score does not affect the composite score. Prior to September 2015, there was a Combined English/Writing score, which was a 36-point combination of the 36-point English Test score and the 12-point Writing subscore.<ref>{{cite web |title=Writing Test Scores |url=https://www.act.org/content/act/en/products-and-services/the-act/scores/writing-test-scores.html |website=ACT |access-date=May 3, 2021}}</ref> The ACT has eliminated the Combined English/writing score and has added two new combined scores: ELA (an average of the English, Reading, and Writing scores) and STEM (an average of the Math and Science scores).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.act.org/actnext/faq.html|title=What's Next for the ACT – Test Updates and Enhancements|access-date=July 29, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150729083221/http://www.act.org/actnext/faq.html|archive-date=July 29, 2015|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref name="actstudent.org">{{cite web|url=http://www.actstudent.org/writing/writing-scores.html|title=The ACT Test for Students|website=ACT|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160217162357/http://www.actstudent.org/writing/writing-scores.html|archive-date=February 17, 2016}}</ref> These changes for the writing, ELA, and STEM scores were effective starting with the September 2015 test.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.act.org/newsroom/act-will-offer-enhancements-to-act-test-to-improve-readiness-and-help-students-plan-for-success/|title=Newsroom – Press Kit, Digital Media Library, and Press Releases|access-date=July 29, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150729055656/http://www.act.org/newsroom/act-will-offer-enhancements-to-act-test-to-improve-readiness-and-help-students-plan-for-success/|archive-date=July 29, 2015|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

Each question answered correctly is worth one raw point, and there is no penalty for marking incorrect answers on the multiple-choice parts of the test; a student can answer all questions without a decrease in their score due to incorrect answers. This is parallel to several AP Tests eliminating the penalties for incorrect answers. To improve the result, students can retake the test: 55% of students who retake the ACT improve their scores, 22% score the same, and 23% see their scores decrease.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.actstudent.org/regist/retake.html|title=The ACT-Getting Ready for Test Day}}</ref>

===English===
The first section is the 45-minute English test covering [[usage]]/mechanics, [[sentence structure]], and [[rhetoric]]al skills. The 75-question test consists of five passages with various sections underlined on one side of the page and options to correct the underlined portions on the other side of the page. Specifically, questions focus on usage and mechanics – issues such as commas, apostrophes, (misplaced/dangling) modifiers, colons, and fragments and run-ons – as well as on rhetorical skills – style (clarity and brevity), strategy, transitions, and organization (sentences in a paragraph and paragraphs in a passage) – and sentence structure – constructing sentences in a stylistically and [[Grammar|grammatically]] correct manner.

===Math===
The second section is a 60-minute, 60-question math test with the usual distribution of questions being approximately 14 covering [[pre-algebra]], 10 elementary [[algebra]], 9 intermediate algebra, 14 [[Euclidean geometry|plane geometry]], 9 [[coordinate geometry]], and 4 elementary [[trigonometry]] questions.<ref>{{cite book |author= Geoff Martz |title= Cracking The ACT |edition= 2007 |publisher= The Princeton Review |isbn= 978-0-375-76585-8 |pages= 94 |chapter= Chapter 10 |author2=Kim Magloire |author3=Theodore Silver. |year= 2007}}</ref> However, the distribution of question topics varies from test to test. The difficulty of questions usually increases as a test taker moves on to higher question numbers. Calculators are permitted in this section only. The calculator requirements are stricter than the SAT's in that [[computer algebra system]]s (such as the [[TI-89]]) are not allowed; however, the ACT permits [[adding machine|calculators with paper tapes]], that make noise (but must be disabled), or that have power cords with certain "modifications" (i.e., disabling the mentioned features), which the SAT does not allow.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.actstudent.org/faq/answers/calculator.html |title=ACT FAQ: Can I use a calculator? |access-date=September 8, 2007 |publisher=ACT Inc. |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070820161453/http://www.actstudent.org/faq/answers/calculator.html |archive-date=August 20, 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Standard [[graphing calculator]]s, such as the TI-83 and TI-84, are allowed. Within the [[TI-Nspire]] family, the standard and CX versions are allowed while the CX CAS is not. This is the only section that has five answer choices per question instead of four.

===Reading===

The reading section is a 35-minute, 40-question test that consists of four sections, three of which contain one long prose passage and one which contains two shorter prose passages. The passages are representative of the levels and kinds of text commonly encountered in first-year college [[curriculum]]. This reading test assesses skills in three general categories: key ideas and details, craft and structure, and integration of knowledge and ideas. Test questions will usually ask students to derive meaning from texts referring to what is explicitly stated or by reasoning to determine implicit meanings. Specifically, questions will ask students to use referring and reasoning skills to determine main ideas; locate and interpret significant details; understand sequences of events; make comparisons; comprehend cause-effect relationships; determine the meaning of context-dependent words, phrases, and statements; draw generalizations; and analyze the author's or narrator's voice and method.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.act.org/content/act/en/products-and-services/the-act/test-preparation/description-of-reading-test.html|title=Description of Reading Test|website=ACT|language=en|access-date=2017-08-18}}</ref>

===Science===
The optional science section is a 35-minute, 40-question test. There are seven passages each followed by five to seven questions. The passages have three different formats: Data Representation, Research Summary, and Conflicting Viewpoints. While the format used to be very predictable (i.e. there were always three Data Representation passages with 5 questions following each, 3 Research Summary passages with six questions each, and one Conflicting Viewpoints passage with 7 questions),<ref>{{cite book |author= Geoff Martz|title= Cracking The ACT |edition= 2007 |publisher= The Princeton Review|isbn= 978-0-375-76585-8|pages=307|chapter= Chapter 20 |author2= Kim Magloire|author3=Theodore Silver. |year= 2007}}</ref> when the number of passages was reduced from 7 to 6, more variability in the number of each passage type started to appear. But so far, there is still always only one Conflicting Viewpoints passage. These changes are very recent, and the only reference to them so far is in the recently released practice test on the ACT website.<ref>{{cite web|title=Preparing for the ACT Test |publisher=ACT, Inc. |url=https://www.act.org/content/dam/act/unsecured/documents/Preparing-for-the-ACT.pdf |accessdate=March 18, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220311223355/https://www.act.org/content/dam/act/unsecured/documents/Preparing-for-the-ACT.pdf |url-status=live |archive-date=March 11, 2022 }}</ref>

The science section was mandatory until 2024, when it was made optional with the goal of giving students additional flexibility when taking the ACT exam.<ref name="ACT Science Section Now Optional">{{cite web |title=The ACT Test Is Evolving |url=https://leadershipblog.act.org/2024/07/test-enhancements.html#:~:text=The%20new%20core%20test%20willto%20answer%20each%20question%20thoughtfully |website=ACT |publisher=ACT Newsroom and Blog |access-date=25 July 2024}}</ref>

===Writing===
The optional writing section, which is always administered at the end of the test, is 40 minutes (increasing from the original 30-minute time limit on the September 2015 test). While no particular '''essay structure''' is required, the essays must be in response to a given prompt; the prompts are about broad social issues (changing from the old prompts which were directly applicable to teenagers), and students must analyze three different perspectives given and show how their opinion relates to these perspectives. The essay does not affect the composite score or the English section score; it is only given as a separate writing score and is included in the ELA score. Two trained readers assign each essay subscores between 1 and 6 in four different categories: Ideas and Analysis, Development and Support, Organization, Language Use and Conventions. Scores of 0 are reserved for essays that are blank, off-topic, non-English, not written with a no. 2 pencil, or considered illegible after several attempts at reading. The subscores from the two different readers are summed to produce final domain scores from 2 to 12 (or 0) in each of the four categories. If the two readers' subscores differ by more than one point, then a senior third reader makes the final decision on the score. The four domain scores are combined through a process that has not been described to create a writing section score between 1 and 36. Note that the domain scores are not added to create the writing section score.<ref name="actstudent.org"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.actstudent.org/writing/|title=The ACT Test for Students|website=ACT|access-date=July 27, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150809072145/http://www.actstudent.org/writing/|archive-date=August 9, 2015|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref>
 
Although the writing section is optional, many colleges require an essay score and will factor it into the admissions decision (but fewer than half of all colleges have this requirement).<ref>{{cite web |first=Brian |last=Cavner |url=http://acceptedtocollege.com/tests/satoract/ |title=Comparison Between the SAT and ACT: Requirements differences between the two college admissions standardized tests |access-date=February 3, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080215071919/http://acceptedtocollege.com/tests/satoract/ |archive-date=February 15, 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

===Averages===
[[File:Historical Average ACT Scores.svg|thumb|400px|alt=A chart of average ACT scores since 1970.|Historical average ACT scores of college-bound seniors]]
[[File:Average ACT Composite Scores by State (2014).pdf|thumb|400px|This map shows the mean ACT composite scores of students within the United States in 2014.]]

For the "enhanced" version of the ACT introduced in 1989, the mean score of each of the four tests, as well as the mean composite score, was scaled to be 18, with an intended [[standard error|standard error of measurement]] of 2 for the four test scores and 1 for the composite score.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED338714.pdf |title=Preliminary Technical Manual for the Enhanced ACT Assessment |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=October 1989 |website=Education Resources Information Center |page=28 |publisher=ACT, Inc. |access-date=June 27, 2021 }}</ref> These statistics vary from year to year for current populations of ACT takers.

The chart below summarizes each section and the average test score based on graduating high school seniors in 2024.<ref name=NationalReport>{{cite web |url=https://www.act.org/content/dam/act/unsecured/documents/2024-act-national-graduating-class-profile-report.pdf |title=The ACT Profile Report – National, Graduating Class 2024|access-date=February 8, 2025 |publisher=ACT, Inc.}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.actstudent.org/testprep/descriptions/index.html |title=ACT Prep:Description of the ACT Assessment |access-date=June 29, 2007 |publisher=ACT Inc. |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20070630071223/http://www.actstudent.org/testprep/descriptions/index.html| archive-date=June 30, 2007 | url-status= live}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
 ! Section !! Number of questions !! Time (minutes) !! Score Range !! Average score (2024) !! College Readiness Benchmark !!Content
 |-
 | English || 75 || 45 || 1–36 || 18.6 || 18||Usage/mechanics and rhetorical skills
 |-
 | Mathematics || 60 || 60 || 1–36 || 19.0 || 22||Pre-algebra, elementary algebra, intermediate algebra, coordinate geometry, geometry, elementary trigonometry, reasoning, and problem-solving
 |-
 | Reading || 40 || 35 || 1–36 || 20.1 || 22||Reading comprehension
 |-
 | Optional Science || 40 || 35 || 1–36 || 19.6 || 23||Interpretation, analysis, evaluation, reasoning, and problem-solving
 |-
 | Optional Writing Test (not included in composite score) || 1 essay prompt || 40 || 1–12 || 6.1 || ||Writing skills
 |-
 | Composite ||  ||  || 1–36 || 19.4 ||  || Average (mean) of all section scores except Writing
 |}

===Highest score===
[[File:Percent ACT Composite Scores of 36.svg|thumb|400px|Percent of high school seniors scoring a composite of 36 on their ACT test from 1997 to 2023]]
The table below summarizes how many students achieved a composite score of 36 on the ACT between the years of 1997 and 2024.<ref name="a1">{{cite web |url=http://www.act.org/newsroom/data/ |title=The ACT® Data |access-date=September 15, 2011 |publisher=ACT Inc. |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927173540/http://www.act.org/newsroom/data/ |archive-date=September 27, 2011 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }}</ref><ref name="a4">{{cite web |url=https://www.act.org/content/act/en/research/reports/act-publications.html |access-date=December 19, 2021 |title=ACT Research Publications |publisher=ACT, Inc.}}</ref><ref name="a3">{{cite web |url=https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/university-school-students-receive-perfect-act-score/ |title=University School student receives perfect ACT score |access-date=December 19, 2021 |publisher=Nextstar Media |website=WJHL News Channel 11}}</ref><ref name=NationalReport />

{| class="wikitable sortable"
 ! Year !! Number of students who achieved a composite score of 36 !! Number of students overall!! % of students who achieved a 36
|- align="center"
 | 2024 || 3,041 || 1,374,791 || 0.2212
|- align="center"
 | 2023 || 2,542 || 1,386,335 || 0.1834
|- align="center"
 | 2022 || 3,376 || 1,349,644 || 0.2501
|- align="center"
 | 2021 || 4,055 || 1,295,349 || 0.3130
|- align="center"
 | 2020 || 5,579 || 1,670,497 || 0.3340
|- align="center"
 | 2019 || 4,879 || 1,782,820 || 0.2737
|- align="center"
 | 2018 || 3,741 || 1,914,817 || 0.1954
|- align="center"
 | 2017 || 2,760 || 2,030,038 || 0.1359
|- align="center"
 | 2016 || 2,235 || 2,090,342 || 0.1069
|- align="center"
 | 2015 || 1,598 || 1,924,436 || 0.0830
|- align="center"
 | 2014 || 1,407 || 1,845,787 || 0.07622
 |- align="center"
 | 2013 || 1,162 || 1,799,243 || 0.06458
 |- align="center"
 | 2012 || 781 || 1,666,017 || 0.04687
 |- align="center"
 | 2011 || 704 || 1,623,112 || 0.04337
 |- align="center"
 | 2010 || 588 || 1,568,835 || 0.03748
 |- align="center"
 | 2009 || 638 || 1,480,469 || 0.04309
 |- align="center"
 | 2008 || 428 || 1,421,941 || 0.03010
 |- align="center"
 | 2007 || 314 || 1,300,599 || 0.02414
 |- align="center"
 | 2006 || 216 || 1,206,455 || 0.01790
 |- align="center"
 | 2005 || 193 || 1,186,251 || 0.01627
 |- align="center"
 | 2004 || 224 || 1,171,460 || 0.01912
 |- align="center"
 | 2003 || 195 || 1,175,059 || 0.01659
 |- align="center"
 | 2002 || 134 || 1,116,082 || 0.01201
 |- align="center"
 | 2001 || 89 || 1,069,772 || 0.00832
 |- align="center"
 | 2000 || 131 || 1,065,138 || 0.01230
 |- align="center"
 | 1999 || 85 || 1,019,053 || 0.00834
 |- align="center"
 | 1998 || 71 || 995,039 || 0.00714
 |- align="center"
 | 1997 || 74 || 959,301 || 0.00771
|}

===College admissions===

The ACT Assessment Student Report, at ACT.org, provides the typical ACT Composite averages for college and universities admission policies. They caution that "because admission policies vary across colleges, the score ranges should be considered rough guidelines." Following is a list of the average composite scores that typically are accepted at colleges or universities.<ref>American College Test INC. (ACT). Research and Policy Issues-Information Brief 2002–1. (n.d.). "Interpreting act assessment scores: College admissions." Retrieved October 8, 2012, from http://www.act.org/research/researchers/briefs/2002-1.html#UItAIYq5fw {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130120003359/http://www.act.org/research/researchers/briefs/2002-1.html#UItAIYq5fw |date=January 20, 2013 }}</ref>
* '''[[Ivy League|Ivy]] Caliber''' (Schools that as a [[rule of thumb]] have below a 1 in 8 acceptance rate): scores '''32–36'''
* '''Highly selective''' (majority of accepted freshmen in top 10% of high school graduating class): scores '''27–31'''
* '''Selective''' (majority of accepted freshmen in top 25% of high school graduating class): scores '''24–26'''
* '''Traditional''' (majority of accepted freshmen in top 50% of high school graduating class): scores '''21–23'''
* '''Liberal''' (some freshmen from lower half of high school graduating class): scores '''18–20'''
* '''Open''' (all high school graduates accepted, to limit of capacity): scores '''17–20 ''' Any score is likely accepted.