Editing ACT (test) (section)

===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
 |}