ACT Exam Pattern 2024: Paper Pattern, Duration, Questions

The ACT exam pattern consists of 4 sections in English, maths, science, reading etc. The test also contains an optional writing section. Students usually opt for this writing section based on the college admission requirements. The ACT pattern and the test questions are designed in such a way that the test assesses the college readiness of the students to pursue their undergraduate courses in the USA and other abroad countries.

ACT Exam: Preparation Tips

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This Story also Contains

1. ACT Exam Pattern Highlights 2024
2. ACT Exam Pattern
3. ACT Exam Pattern: Section-wise details
4. ACT Syllabus
5. What time does ACT start?
6. Salient Features Related to the ACT Exam Pattern
7. ACT Caluclator Policy

The questions in the ACT test pattern are in the MCQ format (multiple choice-based questions). A total of 215 MCQ questions are there in the ACT test. In this article, candidates would be able to gather information on the ACT paper pattern like type of questions, duration, scoring pattern, sub-scoring topics, etc.

Aspirants must understand that there is a sharp distinction between SAT and ACT exams. Unlike SAT, ACT is not an aptitude or an IQ test. It is more related to the high school curriculum and questions are directly related to what students have learnt during their high school. The ACT test duration is 4 hours with the writing section and 3 hours without the writing section. The test is designed so that the speed and endurance levels are measured. This is why knowing the ACT pattern is advantageous as it allows students to plan their exam day well in advance.

ACT Exam Pattern Highlights 2024

ACT Exam Pattern

The ACT exam authorities have given the details of the ACT test pattern 2024 for the benefit of candidates. The ACT exam format for the ACT computer-based test pattern and ACT paper pattern both are the same. The details include the subjects, total questions, total marks, duration for each section and more. The detailed table below gives this information.

ACT Exam Pattern 2024 - Overview

There is no negative marking on the ACT test. So you are free to guess the answers. The ACT total marks are measured on a scale of 1-36. The ACT exam total marks is the average of all the individual sections. Candidates are suggested to check previous ACT exam papers which give the example of ACT exam and help them to understand the test format.

ACT Exam Pattern: Section-wise details

Here are the section-wise details of the ACT paper pattern, which include the information like number of questions, question types, test topics and skills assessed.

ACT Test Pattern for English: The section duration is 45 minutes and consists of 75 multiple-choice questions. The English test assumes that the test takers are writers who can make decisions to revise and edit a text. Short texts and essays in different genres are given to provide a variety of rhetorical situations. Passages are chosen to assess writing and language skills while reflecting students’ interests and experiences. Questions will be as follows

• Underlined portions of passages with several alternatives to the underlined portion will be given. Candidates must decide which choice is most appropriate in the context of the given passage.

• Some questions will ask about an underlined portion, a section of the passage, or the passage as a whole. Again test takers have to decide which choice is the best answer to the question posed.

Note: Many questions also offer “NO CHANGE” as one of the choices.

Scores reported for the ACT English test are a total test score based on all 75 questions, and three reporting category scores based on specific knowledge and skills.

Each reporting category with the approximate percentage of the test devoted to is given as follows

1. Production of Writing (29–32%): Candidates are required to apply their understanding of the purpose and focus of a piece of writing. This section includes

• Topic development includes an understanding of, and control over, the rhetorical aspects of texts, identification of the purposes of parts of texts, determination of whether a text or part of a text has met its intended goal, and evaluation of the relevance of the material in terms of a text’s focus.

• Organization, unity, and cohesion: Use various strategies to make sure that a text is logically organized, flows smoothly, and has an effective introduction and conclusion.

2. Knowledge of language (13–19%): Questions in this section showcase effective language usage by ensuring precision in word choice and maintaining consistency in style and tone.

3. Conventions of Standard English (51–56%): This section has questions that require students to apply an understanding of the conventions of standard English grammar, usage, and mechanics to revise and edit text. It has the following parameters:

• Sentence structure and formation: Candidates must apply an understanding of sentence structure and formation in a text and make revisions to improve the writing.

• Punctuation: They must recognize common problems with standard English punctuation and make revisions as needed

• Usage: Recognition of common problems with standard English usage in a text and revisions to improve it

Mathematics: According to the ACT exam pattern, the mathematics section of the ACT test takes 60 minutes to complete 60 questions; a multiple-choice test which assesses a student’s mathematical capability typically acquired in school courses until Grade 12.

Test takers need to use their analytical and reasoning skills to solve practical problems in the mathematics section. Also, candidates need to know and apply the basic formulas and computational skills, and basic knowledge of the subject. Candidates are not expected to know complex formulas and perform extensive computation in the ACT examination. A permitted calculator can be used in the mathematics section alone. It is the responsibility of the test takers to ensure that their calculator is permitted.

Reading: The reading section of the ACT Test is a 35-minute test comprising of 40 multiple-choice questions that evaluate candidates’ ability to solve reading comprehension questions. During the test, aspirants are required to derive meaning from several academic text passages that they are presented by:

• referring to what has been explicitly mentioned

• using their reasoning skills to determine the implicit meaning

Science: The science test, according to the ACT exam pattern measures the candidate's reasoning, interpretation, analysis, evaluation, and problem-solving skills, which are considered a prerequisite for admission in the natural sciences. The entire science section takes 35 minutes to complete and comprises 40 questions. The use of a calculator isn’t allowed during the science test.

Writing (Essay): The 40-minute writing test (or essay test) includes one writing prompt for judging a student’s writing skills –especially those skills that were acquired in high school and in entry-level college composition courses.

The test describes an issue and presents three alternatives before the student. Students are then required to evaluate and analyze these alternatives; come up with their own perspective, and finally to compare their perspective with those given. Also, scores aren’t affected by the nature of the perspective candidates take.

ACT Syllabus

Along with question types and format mentioned in the ACT exam pattern, the concepts considered for the ACT exam syllabus for each subject are mentioned below.

Mathematics - Recent mathematics concepts that students are currently studying which include algebra, functions real & complex number systems, expressions, geometry, etc

English - Concepts like sentence structure and formation, punctuation, essay writing, etc.

Science - The concepts include biology, space sciences, chemistry and physics, etc.

For the overall information, you can download the latest ACT exam syllabus PDF from here.

What time does ACT start?

This table gives a clear idea of the ACT test time breakdown. The duration of ACT English section is around 45 minutes.

ACT Test Timings

Timings of the ACT Test: The ACT starts at 8.30 am and ends at 12.20 pm.

Salient Features Related to the ACT Exam Pattern

• The ACT exam syllabus 2024 and the test pattern is designed based on the high school curriculum to evaluate the academic capability of an aspirant in English, Mathematics, Reading and Science.

• ACT scores are based on the number of correct answers. There is no negative marking for incorrect answers.

• It includes an enhanced scoring pattern for reliable college and career planning insights: STEM Score, ELA Score, Progress Toward Career Readiness Indicator, and Text Complexity Progress Indicator.

The exam conducting body does not specify any ACT eligibility criteria but considering it is a college admission test, it is generally taken by high school graduates across the globe. Typically, students aged above 13 appear for the ACT exam since they are the ones looking forward to admission in US schools for undergraduate studies. ACT exam is conducted over multiple dates and across many centres but candidates need to choose the preferred ACT test date and test centre.

ACT Caluclator Policy

Candidates knowing the ACT exam pattern, must know the details of the on-screen caluclator facilty and caluclator policy in the test. Students taking the ACT exam are allowed to bring caluclators to the test centre on the exam day. Students can bring 4-function, scentific or graphing caluclator to the exam hall. They can use the caluclator for the maths section of the ACT exam. Students who take the test in a computer- based testing environment can use the on-screen caluclator for the test purposes.

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