ACT®
ACT offers solutions and products for improving the college and career readiness of students. One of the most popular services offered by the administrative body is the ACT college readiness assessment which is a curriculum and standards-based educational and career planning tool that assesses students’ academic readiness for college studies, to be precise for college admissions in the US. The ACT test scores gauge a student’s learning throughout high school; provide colleges and universities with information for recruiting, advising, placement and retention. Rather than being an IQ test, the ACT is more of an exam whose questions are directly related to what students have learnt in high school courses. The ACT is and always has been a curriculum-based achievement test, measuring what a student has learnt in school. The ACT is offered four to six times a year, depending on the state. In the USA, it is conducted in the months of September, October, December, February,April, and June. The test can also be taken in other countries but the availability of ACT test centres as well as test dates is much less as compared to the USA centres. .
ACT Syllabus and Exam Pattern
The ACT exam consists of multiple-choice questions pertaining to four subjects,namely English, Mathematics, Reading and Science. The averages of the scores inthese four subjects make the composite ACT exam score. The student is given anoption to take the ACT Writing test which does not add to the composite score. Anycandidate across the world is allowed to take the ACT up to 12 times.ACT Preparation Tips
Take as many practice tests possible; preferably under conditions similar to the testday. As the total duration of the four multiple choice tests is 2 hours 55 minutes, prospectivetest takers should solve them in order, in one sitting with a 10 – 15 minutesbreak between Tests 2 and 3. The instructions are printed on the first page of eachmultiple-choice test sets; read them well before answering the paper. If a candidatedecides to use the permitted calculator, use the same for practice. It is important to maintain the pattern of the practice days on the test day. This will ease the exam.the ACT test pattern
| Subjects | Number of Questions | Time | Score Range | Score Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English | 75 | 45 | 1–36 | Usage/mechanics and rhetorical skills |
| Mathematics | 60 | 60 | 1–36 | Pre-algebra, elementaryalgebra, Intermediate algebra, coordinate geometry ,geometry, elementary trigonometry, reasoning, and problem solving |
| Reading | 40 | 35 | 1–36 | Reading comprehension |
| Science | 40 | 35 | 1–36 | Interpretation, analysis, evaluation, reasoning, and problem-solving |
| Optional Writing Test (not included in composite score) | 1 essay prompt | 40 | 1–12 | Writing skills |
| Composite | 1–36 | Average (mean) of all section scores except Writing | ||
| Total | 215+1(Essay) | 2 hours and 55 minutes(+40 for the essay) |