The American College Testing exam (ACT) is a standardized test required by many American colleges and universities during the admission process. Administered by ACT, Inc. , the ACT is a pencil-and-paper, multiple-choice exam that consists of 4 required sections and 1 optional essay: English Math Reading Science Writing (1 optional prompt) A strong score on the ACT can help open doors to more competitive colleges and universities. However, admissions boards review ACT scores alongside other parts of a college application, including GPA, performance in extracurricular activities, application essays, letters of recommendation, admissions interviews, and scores from other standardized tests (like the SAT ).

What is the ACT?

The American College Testing exam (ACT) is a standardized test required by many American colleges and universities during the admission process. Administered by ACT, Inc., the ACT is a pencil-and-paper, multiple-choice exam that consists of 4 required sections and 1 optional essay:

English
Math
Reading
Science
Writing (1 optional prompt)

A strong score on the ACT can help open doors to more competitive colleges and universities. However, admissions boards review ACT scores alongside other parts of a college application, including GPA, performance in extracurricular activities, application essays, letters of recommendation, admissions interviews, and scores from other standardized tests (like the SAT).

By MK Chapman|2021-10-03T10:31:18-05:00October 3rd, 2021|ACT Test|

About the Author: MK Chapman

MK holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Bennington College and a BA in English from Rice University. A native Texan, she lived in Houston for over a decade before moving to Germany in 2019.