Jeff Tompkins is a writer and teacher of English as a Second Language living in New York City. He was born in Hartford, Connecticut, in 1967 and was educated at Brown University and University College London. His articles and reviews have appeared in.
Jeff Tompkins ContributorJeff Tompkins is a writer and teacher of English as a Second Language living in New York City. He was born in Hartford, Connecticut, in 1967 and was educated at Brown University and University College London. His articles and reviews have appeared in.
Written By Jeff Tompkins ContributorJeff Tompkins is a writer and teacher of English as a Second Language living in New York City. He was born in Hartford, Connecticut, in 1967 and was educated at Brown University and University College London. His articles and reviews have appeared in.
Jeff Tompkins ContributorJeff Tompkins is a writer and teacher of English as a Second Language living in New York City. He was born in Hartford, Connecticut, in 1967 and was educated at Brown University and University College London. His articles and reviews have appeared in.
Contributor Brenna Swanston Deputy EditorBrenna Swanston is an education-focused editor and writer with a particular interest in education equity and alternative educational paths. As a newswriter in her early career, Brenna's education reporting earned national awards and state-level accol.
Brenna Swanston Deputy EditorBrenna Swanston is an education-focused editor and writer with a particular interest in education equity and alternative educational paths. As a newswriter in her early career, Brenna's education reporting earned national awards and state-level accol.
Brenna Swanston Deputy EditorBrenna Swanston is an education-focused editor and writer with a particular interest in education equity and alternative educational paths. As a newswriter in her early career, Brenna's education reporting earned national awards and state-level accol.
Brenna Swanston Deputy EditorBrenna Swanston is an education-focused editor and writer with a particular interest in education equity and alternative educational paths. As a newswriter in her early career, Brenna's education reporting earned national awards and state-level accol.
Updated: Jul 29, 2024, 4:06am
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If you’re anywhere near getting ready to apply to college, you may already be contemplating whether to take the ACT®, or American College Test. For more than a half-century, the ACT has been one of the two main standardized tests used for deciding higher-education admissions in the U.S. (the other being the SAT®).
There are several reasons to consider the ACT. For one thing, you can take it more than once, secure in the knowledge that the schools you apply to will weigh only your highest scores. Below, we distill the most practical information concerning the ACT—information that will help you decide whether to take it and, once you’ve made that decision, how you can prepare for it most effectively.
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The ACT is a standardized, multiple-choice test used primarily for college admissions in the U.S. It provides colleges with a common data point that can be used to compare all applicants and is offered seven times a year, from September through July. Most students take the test in the spring of their junior year of high school or the fall of their senior year.
The ACT’s four mandatory sections and one optional section test on the following subject areas:
In the optional writing section, students are given an essay prompt that presents an issue and asks them to respond to it with a coherent, well-reasoned argument supported by persuasive evidence.
The ACT and the SAT are the two standardized exams used for college admission and merit-based scholarships in the U.S. Confident writers can turn the ACT to their advantage with the optional written essay section, and students who are strong in science can demonstrate their abilities in the ACT’s dedicated science section. (The SAT doesn’t have an equivalent science section, which is one of several key respects in which it differs from the SAT.)
To help get you started, here are some basic differences between the two exams as of mid-2024.
ACT
SAT
As you consider the above differences, remember that some people choose to take both the ACT and SAT. They then submit either the one with the better score or both scores to their prospective schools.
Students can choose among self-paced courses, live group sessions and one-on-one tutoring, all at different cost levels. Click here for information on the full suite of Kaplan’s ACT offerings.
ACT publishes several books that can help users prepare for the test, from the Official ACT Prep Guide, which boasts nine full-length ACT practice tests, to individual subject guides that drill down into the four required subject areas with dozens of practice questions, test-taking strategies and other advice.
Just a handful of straightforward ACT pointers can give you a shot at a better score. Here are some basic suggestions:
Each of the ACT’s four sections is scored on a scale from one to 36. Those scores are supplemented by a composite score that averages all four section scores and a STEM score that combines the results in math and science.
According to ACT, the following scores rank in the 90th percentile of high school graduates who took the exam from 2021 to 2023:
What qualifies as a “good” ACT score? The answer is complicated because it depends, in part, on which college you want to attend. Ivy League schools expect some of the highest composite scores: Brown and Harvard, for example, admit applicants with a range of 34 to 36.
Note that if you take the ACT more than once, many schools will “superscore” your highest individual scores by calculating a new composite score based on all your test dates. To confirm whether a school superscores the ACT, look for its policy on test score use, which is usually a part of the admissions requirements listed on its website.
Follow these steps to register for and take the ACT test.
Visit the official ACT website, click on “Register for the ACT” and create a free ACT account. Next, find ACT test dates for a location near you. Decide whether you want to take the ACT with the optional writing section or without. This is also when you can choose to send your scores to up to four colleges, for no additional fee. Upload a photo to be used to ID you on the day of the test.
Pay the registration fee with a credit or debit card.
You can check to see whether you qualify for a fee waiver, which can cover the cost of the test and certain ancillary fees. The registration deadline usually falls more than a month before the actual test date.
Take advantage of the study materials, both free and paid, that are available through the official ACT website. ACT practice tests are essential for familiarizing yourself with the test format and identifying your weaker areas. You might also consider enrolling in an online ACT prep course, either self-guided or live.
Bring your admission ticket (printed from your ACT account), a valid photo ID (driver’s license, school ID or passport) and No. 2 pencils (not mechanical pencils). Depending on personal preference, you may also want to bring an approved calculator for the mathematics section and snacks and water for the break(s).
Arrive at the test center early to give yourself time for check-in and seating, listen carefully to the instructions and try to manage your time effectively for each section. After the test, scores usually become available online, via your ACT account, within two to eight weeks.
The ACT takes two hours and 55 minutes. If you decide to take the optional writing section, the ACT will take three hours and 35 minutes.
The ACT and SAT are the standardized tests that determine college admissions in the U.S. The ACT includes sections on English, mathematics, reading and science, with an optional writing section, while the SAT has sections on evidence-based reading and writing, math and an optional essay.
There’s no objective answer to this question because every student has a different test-taking style and level of comprehension for each subject area. Taking a practice test for both the ACT and SAT may help you decide which of the two better suits you.
Colleges and universities rely on ACT scores in their admissions process to gauge applicants’ academic qualifications and potential.
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ContributorJeff Tompkins is a writer and teacher of English as a Second Language living in New York City. He was born in Hartford, Connecticut, in 1967 and was educated at Brown University and University College London. His articles and reviews have appeared in CHA Review of Books and Films, the Brooklyn Rail, the Chicago Review of Books, PopMatters, Words Without Borders, and other outlets.
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