Fast Facts

The Details

Information and descriptions were sourced from ACT.org's "Preparing for the ACT"

What is assessed?

Your understanding of English in the areas of production of writing, knowledge of language skills, and conventions of standard English.

• Production of Writing (29–32%) 

This category requires you to apply your understanding of the purpose and focus of a piece of writing. 

• • Topic Development: Demonstrate an understanding of, and control over, the rhetorical aspects of texts. Identify the purposes of parts of texts, determine whether a text or part of a text has met its intended goal, and evaluate the relevance of material in terms of a text’s focus. 

  • Organization, Unity, and Cohesion: Use various strategies to ensure that a text is logically organized, flows smoothly, and has an effective introduction and conclusion. 

• Knowledge of Language (15–17%)

These questions require you to demonstrate effective language use through ensuring precise and concise word choice and maintaining consistency in style and tone. 

• Conventions of Standard English (52–55%) 

These questions require you to apply an understanding of the conventions of standard English grammar, usage, and mechanics to revise and edit text.

• Sentence Structure and Formation: Apply understanding of sentence structure and formation in a text and make revisions to improve the writing. 

• Punctuation: Recognize common problems with standard English punctuation and make revisions to improve the writing. 

• Usage: Recognize common problems with standard English usage in a text and make revisions to improve the writing. 

Below are some examples of what the English assessment may look like.

What is assessed?

• Preparing for Higher Math (57–60%) 

This category covers the more recent mathematics that students are learning, starting when they began using algebra as a general way of expressing and solving equations. This category is divided into five subcategories: 

• Number and Quantity (7–10%): Demonstrate knowledge of real and complex number systems. Reason with numerical quantities in many forms, including expressions with integer and rational exponents and vectors and matrices. 

• Algebra (12–15%): Solve, graph, and model multiple types of expressions. Interpret and use many different kinds of equations, such as linear, polynomial, radical, and exponential relationships. Find solutions to systems of equations, even when represented by a simple matrix equation, and apply results to real-world contexts. 

• Functions (12–15%): Demonstrate knowledge of function: definition, notation, representation, and application. Use functions including linear, radical, piecewise, polynomial, exponential, and logarithmic. Manipulate and translate functions, as well as interpret and use important features of graphs. 

• Geometry (12–15%): Apply your knowledge of shapes and solids, using concepts such as congruence and similarity relationships or surface area and volume measurements. Apply your understanding to composite objects and solve for missing values in triangles, circles, and other figures. Use trigonometric ratios and equations of conic sections. 

• Statistics & Probability (8–12%): Describe center and spread of distributions. Apply and analyze data collection methods. Understand and model relationships in bivariate data. Calculate probabilities by recognizing the related sample spaces. 

• Integrating Essential Skills (40–43%) This category focuses on measuring how well you can synthesize and apply your understandings and skills to solve more complex problems. The questions ask you to address concepts such as: 

  • • rates and percentages 

    • proportional relationships 

    • area, surface area, and volume 

    • average and median 

    • expressing numbers in different ways

You will solve non-routine problems that involve combining skills in chains of steps, applying skills in varied contexts, understanding connections, and demonstrating fluency. 

• Modeling 

This category represents all questions that involve producing, interpreting, understanding, evaluating, and improving models. Each question is also counted in other appropriate reporting mathematics categories. This category is an overall measure of how well you use modeling skills across mathematical topics. 

Below are some examples of what the Math assessment may look like. 

***Note, beginning in 2026 there will be four multiple choice options instead of five.

What is assessed?

The reading section measures your ability to read closely, reason logically about texts using evidence, and integrate information from multiple sources. 

The questions focus on the mutually supportive skills that readers must bring to bear in studying written materials across a range of subject areas. Specifically, questions will ask you to: 

• determine main ideas and 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 

• analyze the author’s or narrator’s voice and method 

• analyze claims and evidence in arguments 

• integrate information from multiple texts 

Key Ideas & Details (52–60%) 

This category requires you to read texts closely to determine central ideas and themes; summarize information and ideas accurately; and show an understanding of relationships and draw logical inferences and conclusions, including understanding sequential, comparative, and cause-effect relationships. 

Craft & Structure (25–30%)

These questions ask you to: 

• determine word and phrase meanings 

• analyze an author’s word choice rhetorically 

• analyze text structure 

• understand the author’s purpose and perspective 

• analyze characters’ points of view 

• interpret authorial decisions rhetorically 

• differentiate between various perspectives and sources of information 

Integration of Knowledge & Ideas (13–23%) 

This category requires you to understand authors’ claims, differentiate between facts and opinions, and use evidence to make connections between different texts that are related by topic. Some questions will require you to analyze how authors construct arguments and to evaluate reasoning and evidence from various sources. 

Visual and Quantitative Information in the Reading Section 

One passage may be accompanied by an element like a graph, figure, or table that contains information relevant to the reading task. In the passage containing these visual and quantitative elements, some of the questions will ask you to identify or interpret information from the graphic or integrate the information from the passage and graphic to determine the best answer. 

Below are some examples of what the English assessment may look like.

What is assessed?

The content includes biology, chemistry, Earth/space sciences (e.g., geology, astronomy, and meteorology), 9 and physics. Advanced knowledge in these areas is not required, but background knowledge acquired in general, introductory science courses may be needed to correctly answer some of the questions. 

The science section focuses on multidimensional assessment, with questions that assess science content in concert with science skills and practices. 

The questions require you to: 

• recognize and understand the basic features of, and concepts related to, the provided information 

• examine critically the relationship between the information provided and the conclusions drawn or hypotheses developed 

• generalize from given information to gain new information, draw conclusions, or make predictions 

Interpretation of Data (40–50%) 

This category asks you to manipulate and analyze scientific data presented in scientific tables, graphs, and diagrams (e.g., recognize trends in data, translate tabular data into graphs, interpolate and extrapolate, and reason mathematically). 

Scientific Investigation (20–30%) 

This category requires you to understand experimental tools, procedures, and design (e.g., identify controls and variables) and compare, extend, and modify experiments (e.g., predict the results of additional trials). 

Evaluation of Models, Inferences, & Experimental Results (25–35%)

These questions ask you to judge the validity of scientific information and formulate conclusions and predictions based on that information (e.g., determine which explanation for a scientific phenomenon is supported by new findings). 

The science section presents information in three formats: 

• Data Representation (25–35%): This format presents graphic and tabular material similar to that found in science journals and texts. The questions associated with this format measure skills such as recognizing relationships among data in tables and graphs; interpolation and extrapolation; and translating tabular data into graphs. 

• Research Summaries (45–60%): This format provides descriptions and results of one or more related experiments. The questions focus on the design of the experiments and the interpretation of experimental results. 

• Conflicting Viewpoints (15–20%): This format presents two or more explanations for the same scientific phenomena that, because they are based on differing premises or incomplete data, are inconsistent with one another. The questions focus on the understanding, analysis, and comparison of alternative viewpoints or hypotheses. 

Below are some examples of what the English assessment may look like.

What is assessed?

The section consists of one writing prompt that describes a complex issue and provides three different perspectives on the issue. You are asked to read the prompt and write an essay in which you develop your own perspective on the issue. Your essay must analyze the relationship between your own perspective and one or more other perspectives. You may adopt one of the perspectives given in the prompt as your own, or you may introduce one that is completely different from those given. Your score will not be affected by the perspective you take on the issue. 

Five scores are reported for the writing section: a single subject-level writing score reported on a scale of 2–12 and four domain scores that are based on an analytic scoring rubric. The subject score is the rounded average of the four domain scores. The four writing domains are: 

• Ideas and Analysis 

  • Scores in this domain reflect the ability to generate productive ideas and engage critically with multiple perspectives on the given issue. Competent writers understand the issue they are invited to address, the purpose for writing, and the audience. They generate ideas that are relevant to the situation. 

• Development and Support 

  • Scores in this domain reflect the ability to discuss ideas, offer rationale, and bolster an argument. Competent writers explain and explore their ideas, discuss implications, and illustrate through examples. They help the reader understand their thinking about the issue. 

• Organization 

  • Scores in this domain reflect the ability to organize ideas with clarity and purpose. Organizational choices are integral to effective writing. Competent writers arrange their essay in a way that clearly shows the relationship between ideas, and they guide the reader through their discussion. 

• Language Use and Conventions 

  • Scores in this domain reflect the ability to use written language to convey arguments with clarity. Competent writers make use of the conventions of grammar, syntax, word usage, and mechanics. They are also aware of their audience and adjust the style and tone of their writing to communicate effectively.

Below are some examples of what the English assessment may look like.