Facts About the ACT

Get Started. Whether you are a high school junior, or have been out in the work force for a number of years, taking the ACT (American College Testing) college entrance exam can be nerve-wracking. Especially if you don't know what to expect. Getting more information now is the best place to start.

Created by ACT International Corporation, the exam is supposed to indicate a student's level of "readiness" for college courses. The test takes about three hours, but add another half hour for breaks between the sections. Made up of 215 multiple choice questions, expect to see topics that remind you of your high school classes, since that is what they are based on.

When and Where? The ACT is a standardized test that is given only on six dates each year, and only at specific testing sites. The dates and places are set far ahead, and can be found on the ACT website, or by asking a high school or college admissions counselor. There is likely to be a designated ACT testing site in your region at a local high school or university.

The earliest you should plan to take the ACT is during your junior year, at which point you will have taken most of the classes reflected in the exam. Some students wait until their senior year, and of course some are returning adult students. The rule of thumb is to take the ACT at least two months prior to the application deadline for the college(s) you are interested in.

You must register ahead of time, either online or through the mail. You will need to pay a basic registration fee of $32 at the time you register. It is possible to have the fee waived for significant economic hardship. If you register online you will be instructed to print off and keep an admission ticket, or one will be mailed to you if you send in the registration packet. You will need this on the day of testing while you are filling out your information for the test. If you do not have it, you will still be able to take the test as long as you have a proper identification, however your results will be delayed. Check here for a complete list of IDs that will, and will not, suffice.

What will I be tested on? Your potential ability to do college-level work and overall educational development are being measured. The four categories for the ACT are; English (45 minutes of punctuation, grammar, sentence structure), Math (60 minutes of algebra, geometry, trigonometry). Reading (35 minutes of reading comprehension on topics of social studies, science, fiction, and humanities) and Science (35 minutes of Earth Science, and biology). There is an optional fifth test for essay writing which requires special registration and is not usually needed for most college admissions.

How should I study? Your best line of defense in studying for the SAT is to become familiar with the style of testing that will be used. There are free practice tests available through numerous organizations, including the College Board. Taking as many practice tests as possible and reviewing study guides will allow you to familiarize yourself with the types of questions that will be asked and the format that you will be tested in. While there are many study packages and classes available for a price, you can definitely prepare well without spending any money.

There are many ACT prep seminars, workshops, classes, books and study programs on CD. All of these can cost a lot of money, and if you believe the advertising for them are necessary to get a good score. However, you are likely to do just as well without spending any money. There are already some very reliable free study guides available by the makers of the test. Start there, and take as many practice tests as you can.Even though the practice questions and free study guides will not give you the exact questions that you will have on your test, they will be very similar. This will create for you the best understanding of what to expect in the way the test is laid out and run on the big day, giving you your greatest advantage.

What do my scores mean? Each of the four subtests has a score of 1 to 36. Your composite score is the average of all four subtests. Each section is given a "raw" score, that is the number of answers you got right (no penalty for wrong answers), which is converted to a "scaled" score, from 1 to 36. While scaled scores are somewhat confusing, this method allows for the differences between different versions of the same test. When you receive your score report you will also see your score compared to "national ranks", or where your scores fell in comparison to other students taking the test around the same time. This will allow you to get some perspective on your performance in relation to other scores.

Once the test is over and the scores are in, they will go out to up to four colleges or universities that you had designated when you registered. Some colleges and universities do not require the ACT as part of their admissions criteria, although they are accepted at all four-year colleges in the U.S. Remember, the ACT scores are only one variable in making decisions for admissions.