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ACT FORMAT AND TEST DATES

WHAT IS THE ACT?

The ACT (American College Testing) is a standardized exam used for college admission. The ACT consists of four sections: English, Reading, Math, and Science. There is also an optional Writing portion of the exam.

ACT FORMAT

The ACT is a 3 hour and 30 minute exam consisting of four multiple-choice tests: English, Mathematics, Reading, Science, and an optional writing section. The breakdown of each section is as follows:

ACT Test Section # of Questions Content Timing
ENGLISH 75 questions Punctuation
Grammar and usage
Sentence structure
Rhetorical skills
45 minutes
MATHEMATICS 60 questions Pre-Algebra/Elementary Algebra
Intermediate Algebra/Coordinate Geometry
Plane Geometry/Trigonometry
60 minutes
READING 40 questions Social Studies
Natural Sciences
Prose Fiction
Humanities
35 minutes
SCIENCE 40 questions Data Representation
Research Summaries
Conflicting Viewpoints
35 minutes
WRITING (OPTIONAL)  1 prompt Ideas & Analysis
Development & Support
Organization
Language Use & Conventions
40 minutes

ACT TEST DATES

Below are official test dates for the ACT’s 2023-2024 season. Check out our 2023-2024 downloadable flyer here: Official ACT Test Dates. 2023-2024 score release dates are estimates only. Please be advised these dates are subject to change. To view ACT’s official release of test dates, please reference this link.

2023-2024 Test Dates Registration Deadline Late Registration Deadline Estimated Score Release
September 9, 2023 August 4, 2023 August 18, 2023 September 19 – October 3, 2023
October 28, 2023 September 22, 2023 October 6, 2023 November 8 – November 22, 2023
December 9, 2023 November 3, 2023 November 17, 2023 December 19, 2023 – January 2, 2024
February 10, 2024 January 5, 2024 January 19, 2024 February 20 – March 6, 2024
April 13, 2024 March 8, 2024 March 22, 2024 April 23- May 7, 2024
June 8, 2024 May 3, 2024 May 17, 2024 June 22 – July 6, 2024
July 13, 2024* June 7, 2024 June 21, 2024 July 23 – August 6, 2024

*July test dates are not available in New York

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Don’t stop here! Check out our blog for new posts about preparing for the ACT. Below are a few posts you may find useful.

HOW TO DETERMINE YOUR TARGET SCORE

Though it’s tempting to simply say you want to score “as high as possible” on your college admissions exam, a target score will help you determine how much of your limited time and energy you devote to test preparations. So how should you determine you target score? There are several factors to consider… READ MORE

HOW TO GET A PERFECT SCORE ON THE ACT!

Over one million students take the ACT every year. On average, less than one-tenth of one percent of these students earn a perfect score on the exam. So how can you score a 36 on the ACT? It’s not impossible to get a perfect score, but it does require hard work… READ MORE

FIVE TEST-TAKING SECRETS FOR THE ACT

So you’ve taken a class, or even had a private tutor help you prepare for your test. Is there anything else you can do? While private tutoring remains the most efficient way to improve your score… READ MORE