should I take the act with writing

If you’re about to begin your ACT journey, you’re probably wondering, “Should I take the ACT with Writing?” As a student approaching college, you know that the ACT is important, and that a good ACT score can bolster your college applications. But, does it matter if those ACT stats in your application includes a score from the optional ACT essay? Here’s what you need to know about this portion of the 2025 Enhanced ACT, including how it’s scored and the reasons why you should (or shouldn’t) take it.

What is the Writing Portion of the ACT? 

The ACT Writing Test is an optional fifth and final section of the ACT college admissions exam. Students are allotted 40 minutes to write an argumentative essay based on a controversial topic and 3 different points of views. The ACT Writing Test differs from the rest of the ACT in three important ways:

  1. It is optional. Like the ACT Science portion, the essay is not a mandatory part of the ACT. If you know that the postsecondary institutions to which you are applying do not require ACT writing scores, you can choose to opt out. Otherwise, it is highly recommended that you take the ACT Writing Test.
  2. It is a written test. Unlike the other sections of the ACT, which are multiple-choice, the writing test requires you to produce a handwritten essay. Exceptions are available only for approved students with diagnosed disabilities.
  3. It is scored differently.  Unlike multiple-choice questions, which have right and wrong answers, written essays are scored using a rubric. Because the ACT Writing portion is optional and it is scored differently from the other sections and does not affect your ACT composite score (out of 36). This means that if you’ve been wondering, “Can the ACT Writing hurt your score,” you can rest easy: the answer is no.

What is the ACT Essay Task?

The ACT essay task is always the same, across every ACT. You’ll need to write an essay describing different perspectives on a controversial issue and arguing in favor of a position. The ACT essay prompt, however, is always different.

The prompt includes several lines of text explaining the topic of the ACT essay. Then, it provides three perspectives on the given topic. When you face your own ACT essay, you will need to decide what perspective you would like to defend. After you consider the given perspectives, you have a few options:

  1. You can choose a given perspective and write in favor of it.
  2. You can partially defend one or more of the given perspectives.
  3. You can completely disregard the given perspectives, and write about your own.

When you are done writing, the essay should be around four hundred words. If you have trouble visualizing this, you’re not alone. To see examples, check out these ACT sample essays from past exams:

How is the ACT Essay Scored?

Since the ACT essay is a writing test, it is also scored differently than the rest of the ACT. Instead of being marked as “correct” or  “incorrect”, your essay is scored along a rubric. The rubric considers your:

  • Ideas and analysis of the subject, or how you come up with useful ideas and work with multiple perspectives.
  • Development and support of your ideas, or if you are able to discuss different ideas, while still offering your reasons behind these ideas.
  • Organization, or how you organize your ideas clearly and with a purpose.
  • Language use and conventions, or how well you use language to convey arguments clearly.

Each ACT writing test is graded by two different readers, who give the essay a score between 1 and 6 in four areas. The two readers’ scores are combined, and the test receives a final score between 2 and 12. Thus, a 2 is the lowest score you can get on the ACT essay, while 12 is the highest. In 2024, the average ACT essay score was a 6.1.

Do You Need to Take the ACT with Writing?

Even knowing this information, you may still not be sure whether you should sign up for the ACT Writing test add-on. The truth is, it depends on your strengths and weaknesses, and what your goals are. In some cases, it may make sense to choose an ACT test option without the writing test included. But, on balance, it’s usually a good idea to take the writing portion. It can’t really hurt your college prospects, but it can help show admissions offices that you’re a capable writer.

Below, we’ve collected some of the main considerations to help you decide if it makes more sense to take the ACT with or without the writing section. By weighing these considerations, you will hopefully arrive at your own personal answer to: “Should I take the ACT with Writing?”

Reasons Not to Take the ACT Writing Portion

We think it’s almost always advisable to take the ACT with Writing—if you’re considering not taking the ACT with Writing, it may be for these reasons.

  1. The ACT essay has an additional cost. The test without the essay is $68, while the test with the essay is $93 (and $97 when you add the optional Science portion). If that extra $25 poses a financial imposition, you may decide not to take the writing section, but consider that ACT offers fee waivers that cover the cost of the base ACT plus the Writing and Science portions.
  2. Taking the ACT with Writing will not improve your composite score. If you are confident that you will score highly on the ACT multiple-choice sections but are a weak writer, you may prefer to skip this section. But the reverse is also true: if you are a very good writer, a strong ACT writing score can wow admissions officers and serve to downplay an underwhelming ACT composite score.
  3. Writing is not one of your strengths. If this is so, you may not feel up to taking the ACT with Writing. (If you have the option, you may in fact want to take the SAT, which no longer includes an essay option, instead.) If you decide that it isn’t worth the cost and effort, make sure to build up your college applications in other ways, such as through letters of recommendation, a high GPA, a record of taking advanced courses, or a portfolio of meaningful volunteer work.

Why You Should Take the ACT with Writing

The benefits of taking the ACT with Writing often outweigh the costs, and the consequences of a bad ACT Writing score aren’t worth stressing over much. Here’s why most ACT-takers should opt-in for the writing portion:

College Requirements

The most obvious reason to take the ACT with writing is that certain colleges require an essay score in their college applications. Currently, there are only eight schools in the entire United States that still have this requirement. The eight colleges that require ACT writing are:

  • Martin Luther College
  • Molloy College
  • Soka University of America
  • University of Mary Hardin-Baylor
  • University of Montana Western
  • Wyoming Catholic College
  • Yellowstone Christian College

If you plan to apply to one of these schools, you absolutely need to include the ACT essay in your college application. It’s very likely that the colleges you’re applying to don’t require an ACT Writing score. Still, the fact that you took the writing portion (especially if you got a good score) presents you as a well-rounded student who isn’t afraid to articulate themselves.

State Requirements

If you need an ACT Writing score to graduate high school, it’s obvious that you should definitely take this ACT add-on. These states require their high school graduates to take the ACT essay:

  • Alabama
  • Hawaii
  • Illinois
  • Montana
  • Nebraska
  • Nevada
  • Oklahoma
  • Wisconsin

Even if you don’t live in one of these states, your school district may still require you to take the ACT with Writing.

Having a Well-Rounded College Application

As we’ve mentioned above, just having an ACT Writing score in your college applications shows college admissions offices that you didn’t opt-out of an optional test; that you’re willing to go above and beyond the basic requirements.

Taking the ACT with Writing also tells colleges that you’re not afraid of writing an essay, something that can help you stand out ahead of the crowd. It’s especially beneficial if you get a good score and successfully highlight your writing skills. (A good ACT Writing score may also help you be eligible for more college tuition scholarships.) Maximize your chances by practicing the essay ahead of time!

Improve your ACT Essay Score with Piqosity!

If you were wondering, “Should I take the ACT with Writing?”, we hope this article has helped you reach your answer! While taking the writing portion adds a $25 fee and 40 minutes to your ACT test, the cost of that time and money is generally worth it—especially if you’re interested in a high-ranking university.

Whether you’re definitely signing up for the ACT with Writing or leaning towards just taking the base exam, we still recommend you take a full enhanced ACT practice test before registering for either: that way, you’ll see what your ACT score would look like without any studying.

If you’re looking for affordable resources to help you on your ACT journey, study for the ACT online with Piqosity! Along with our full-length, online ELA and Math courses for grades 5-11, we offer full SAT, ACT, and ISEE test prep courses, each of which includes 12+ practice exams, dozens of concept lessons, personalized practice software, and more.

For the new 2025 ACT, we’ve created an enhanced ACT course that includes 12 ACT practice tests! Our free community account allows you to access to try out all of Piqosity’s features—no credit card required! When you’re ready to upgrade, Piqosity’s year-long accounts start at only $89.

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