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The shorter enhanced ACT for US college admissions, with optional Science and Writing.
Set by ACT, Inc.
Free to start · 40 lessons · 2 mock exams · about 59 h of study
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The ACT is one of the two major US college admissions tests. Every four-year college in the United States accepts it, and many universities worldwide use it for admission, merit scholarships and course placement. Since 2025, all national administrations have used the enhanced ACT. Its required core is English, Math and Reading (131 questions in 125 minutes), and Science and Writing are optional add-ons. The Composite (1–36) is the rounded average of English, Math and Reading only. Science is reported separately and feeds a STEM score, and Writing is scored 2–12.
A Composite of 34 or higher is roughly the top 1% of test takers and is at or above the middle range at the most selective universities. The enhanced test has fewer scored questions, so each one weighs more. Near the top of the scale, one or two misses per section can be the difference between a 36 and a 33.
Courselo breaks every ACT reporting category into focused lessons. These run from comma rules and argumentative-essay revision to functions, conics, paired passages and conflicting-viewpoints science. You drill each skill with original ACT-style questions. You also build real ACT pacing (about 42 seconds per English question and about 67 seconds per Math or Reading question) with full-length timed mocks. The mocks are scored on realistic 1–36 curves, so you always know how far you are from 34+.
Format
3 h 25 min in total · 5 sections
50 questions in 35 minutes (40 scored + 10 embedded field-test). You revise and edit essays as if you were the writer. Each form has five scored essays: three longer essays (about 340 words, 10 questions each) and two shorter ones (about 185 words, 5 questions each). They mix informational, narrative and at least one argumentative essay. A field-test unit of one long essay or two short ones brings the total to 6–7 essays. Every question has its own question stem, and most editing items offer NO CHANGE as the first choice. Questions target an underlined portion, a numbered sentence or paragraph, or the essay as a whole.
Scoring
1–36
Perfect score
Needs a section average of at least 35.5, for example 36/36/35. Expect to miss at most one question in total across English, Math and Reading.
Syllabus
14 units · 40 topics · about 59 h of lessons and core practice
≈ 4%1 h 50 min
Add, delete or keep items and writer’s-goal questions. Decide whether text belongs, what it contributes, and whether the essay accomplishes a stated purpose.
Your course
AI-generated · reviewedParts of this course are generated from the official specification the first time they’re needed, then checked and kept.
Lessons
40
One for every syllabus topic, generated from the official specification and checked
Practice questions
Adaptive
Generated for each topic as you practise, checked before you see them, each with an explanation
Mock exams
2
Questions
The enhanced ACT (online from April 2025, all national tests from fall 2025) is shorter: the core is 131 questions in 125 minutes instead of 215 questions in 175 minutes. Science became optional and no longer counts in the Composite. Math now has four answer choices instead of five. English uses shorter and longer essays, including an argumentative one, and every English question has a question stem. Each test also includes unscored field-test items. Writing did not change.
Neither is required, and neither affects the Composite. Take Science if you’re applying for STEM programs, if a college or scholarship asks for it, or if science is a strength you want to show. It adds only 40 minutes and a small fee, and it produces a STEM score. Take Writing only if a college or program on your list requires or recommends it. Few colleges require it now, so check each college’s current policy.
Set a target and a test date. You’ll take a diagnostic, see a predicted score with its range, and get a plan for every week until the exam.
| Reporting category | Scored items | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Production of Writing: topic development; organization, unity and cohesion | 15–17 | 38–43% |
| Knowledge of Language: precision, concision, style and tone | 7–9 | 18–23% |
| Conventions of Standard English: sentence structure and formation, punctuation, usage | 15–17 | 38–43% |
Question types
About 42 seconds per question: about 5 minutes per long essay and 2.5 minutes per short essay. Conventions items were cut to about 40% (from over 50% on the legacy test), and Production of Writing and Knowledge of Language items increased.
45 questions in 50 minutes (41 scored + 4 field-test). Every question is a discrete four-option multiple-choice item, and they run roughly from easier to harder. No formula sheet is provided. About a quarter of the items (24–29%) are set in a real-world context, and about 3 items (about 7%) cover advanced topics such as complex numbers, matrices, conics and trigonometric functions.
| Reporting category | Scored items | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Preparing for Higher Math | 33 | 80% |
| – Number and Quantity | 4–5 | 10–12% |
| – Algebra | 7–8 | 17–20% |
| – Functions | 7–8 | 17–20% |
| – Geometry | 7–8 | 17–20% |
| – Statistics and Probability | 5–6 | 12–15% |
| Integrating Essential Skills (rates, percentages, proportions, area and volume, averages, multistep problems) | 8 | 20% |
| Modeling (overlapping code: these items also count in the categories above) | ≥8 | ≥20% |
Question types
About 67 seconds per question on average. Bank time on the early, easier items for the hard final third. Integrating Essential Skills fell from 40% to 20%, and advanced topics fell from about 6 items to about 3.
36 questions in 40 minutes (27 scored + 9 field-test) in four passage units of 9 questions each (three scored and one field-test). The scored units are one literary narrative (fiction or memoir) and two informational passages drawn from the humanities, social sciences or natural sciences. Passages run about 650–750 words. A unit is either a single passage, a paired passage set of two shorter texts, or a passage with visual or quantitative information (VQI) such as a graph or table. Each form has at least one scored paired or VQI unit.
| Reporting category | Scored items | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Key Ideas and Details | 12–14 | 44–52% |
| Craft and Structure | 7–9 | 26–33% |
| Integration of Knowledge and Ideas | 5–7 | 19–26% |
Question types
About 10 minutes per passage unit (about 67 seconds per question). Key Ideas and Details items decreased slightly compared with the legacy test, and Craft and Structure and Integration of Knowledge and Ideas items increased.
Optional. 40 questions in 40 minutes (34 scored + 6 field-test) across seven passages (six scored and one field-test). Passages present data in graphs, tables and diagrams. Each form has two biology passages, one or two each of chemistry, physics and Earth/space science, and at least one engineering-and-design context. There are three passage formats: Data Representation (2 scored passages, 10–12 items), Research Summaries (3 passages describing one or more experiments or studies, 16–20 items) and Conflicting Viewpoints (1 passage with competing hypotheses or models, 6–7 items). About 15–24% of items require outside science knowledge. No calculator is allowed.
| Reporting category | Scored items | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Interpretation of Data | 13–17 | 38–50% |
| Scientific Investigation | 6–11 | 18–32% |
| Evaluating Scientific Arguments and Models with Evidence | 8–13 | 24–38% |
Science is reported on a 1–36 scale but is not part of the Composite. With Math, it forms the STEM score.
Question types
About 60 seconds per question, or about 5.5 minutes per passage. The reporting category formerly called Evaluation of Models, Inferences and Experimental Results was renamed Evaluating Scientific Arguments and Models with Evidence.
Optional. One essay in 40 minutes. The prompt introduces a contemporary issue and gives three perspectives on it. You write an argumentative essay that states and develops your own perspective and analyzes the relationship between it and at least one other perspective, supported with reasoning and examples. Planning space is provided. Two trained readers score the essay from 1 to 6 in each of four domains: Ideas and Analysis; Development and Support; Organization; Language Use and Conventions. Each domain score is the sum of the two readers’ scores (2–12), and the Writing score (2–12) is the rounded average of the four domain scores. The 2025 enhancements did not change the design, timing or scoring of Writing.
Question types
Writing does not affect the Composite. Taking Writing produces an ELA score, the average of English, Reading and Writing (with Writing converted to the 1–36 scale). Writing scores are usually released after the multiple-choice scores.
Delivery. Online (computer-based at an ACT test center) or paper on national Saturday test dates; school-day administrations through participating states and districts
| Order | Test | Questions (scored + field test) | Time | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | 50 (40 + 10) | 35 min | Core |
| 2 | Math | 45 (41 + 4) | 50 min | Core |
| 3 | Reading | 36 (27 + 9) | 40 min | Core |
| 4 | Science | 40 (34 + 6) | 40 min | Optional |
| 5 | Writing | 1 essay | 40 min | Optional |
| Core total | 131 | 125 min | Composite 1–36 | |
| Maximum | 171 + essay | 205 min |
36
Top marks (Courselo goal)
About the 99th percentile. It typically needs 33–35 in each of English, Math and Reading, which means missing only about 1–2 scored questions per section.
34
Highly selective admissions
Around the middle of the typical middle-50% range at the most selective US universities.
33
Selective admissions and merit scholarships
About the top 5–7%. Competitive at many selective universities and for substantial merit awards.
30
STEM readiness (optional Science)
For STEM applicants, aim for a Science score and STEM score (Math and Science average) of 30 or higher.
30
Strong score
About the 80th percentile.
25
How the real ACT is scored. English, Math and Reading (and Science, if you take it) are each reported on a 1–36 scale. First your number of correct scored answers (the raw score) is counted. ACT then converts it to a scale score with a form-specific equating table, so a hard form needs slightly fewer correct answers for the same score. Embedded field-test items never count, and there is no penalty for wrong answers.
What each miss costs near the top. The enhanced test has only 40, 41, 27 and 34 scored items, so one miss costs about 1 scale point at the very top and 2 points soon after. These are Courselo’s approximate conversions, built from published ACT practice-test tables and legacy-test patterns:
| Scored misses | English (of 40) | Math (of 41) | Reading (of 27) | Science (of 34) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 36 | 36 | 36 | 36 |
| 1 | 35 | 35 | 35 | 35 |
| 2 | 34 | 33 | 33 | 33 |
| 3 | 32 | 32 | 31 | 32 |
| 4 | 31 | 30 | 29 | 30 |
| 6 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 28 |
| 8 | 26 | 27 | 25 | 26 |
| 12 | 22 | 24 | 21 | 23 |
So a 34 Composite means roughly 1–2 misses per core section, a 30 means about 4–5, and a 36 allows at most one miss in total across English, Math and Reading. Real equating tables shift by about ±1 point from form to form.
How Courselo scores mocks. Every question in a Courselo mock counts, including the ones that stand in for field-test items. Your fraction correct in each test is mapped to 1–36 through the curves above, and the Composite is the rounded average of English, Math and Reading. Science and Writing are scored and shown separately. Writing is graded by the ACT-style rubric on 2–12. Treat the diagnostic as an estimate within about ±2 points per section.
Percentiles. On recent ACT norms, a 34 Composite is about the 99th percentile, 30 about the 93rd–94th, 25 about the 78th–80th and 21 about the 58th–60th. The national average is about 19–20. Percentiles shift slightly each year and are shown on your official score report.
| Band | From |
|---|---|
| 36 (perfect)A perfect Composite, earned by well under 1% of test takers. It needs an average of at least 35.5 across English, Math and Reading. | 36+ |
| ≈99th percentileRoughly the top 1%. Courselo's top-marks target, at or above the middle-50% range of the most selective universities. | 34+ |
| ≈97th–98th percentileHighly competitive at very selective universities and for major merit scholarships. | 32+ |
| ≈93rd–96th percentileStrong at selective universities and for most merit awards. | 30+ |
| ≈85th–90th percentileCompetitive at many selective colleges. | 27+ |
| ≈75th–80th percentileWell above the national average. | 24+ |
| ≈55th–65th percentileAbove the national average Composite (about 19–20). | 21+ |
| ≈40th–50th percentile |
≈ 4%1 h 50 min
Transitions, logical sequence, sentence and paragraph placement, and effective introductions, conclusions and transitional sentences.
≈ 2.5%1 h 30 min
Every enhanced English form has at least one argumentative essay. This topic covers the items that target how a claim is stated, supported, qualified and defended.
About 5 h 10 min of study, lessons and core practice
≈ 2.3%1 h
Items where the best answer is usually the shortest one that keeps every necessary meaning. The trap is a short choice that drops meaning or breaks grammar.
≈ 2.8%1 h 20 min
Choosing the exact word, register and phrasing that fits the context and the goal stated in the question stem.
About 2 h 20 min of study, lessons and core practice
≈ 3%1 h 30 min
Recognizing complete sentences and joining clauses correctly. Fragments, run-ons and comma splices are the most frequently tested ACT grammar errors.
≈ 1.8%1 h 20 min
Keeping sentence structure logical: parallel constructions, correctly placed modifiers and consistent tense, voice and person.
≈ 2.8%1 h 40 min
Punctuation inside and between clauses, including the frequent ‘unnecessary comma’ trap and possessive apostrophes.
≈ 1.5%1 h 10 min
Making verbs agree with their true subjects and pronouns agree with clear antecedents in number, person and case.
≈ 1.5%1 h 10 min
Usage conventions: tense and verb forms, adjective and adverb forms, comparatives, idiomatic prepositions and commonly confused words.
About 6 h 50 min of study, lessons and core practice
≈ 3.5%1 h 40 min
Integer properties, exponents and radicals, scientific notation, complex numbers, and the vector and matrix items that appear as advanced topics.
About 1 h 40 min of study, lessons and core practice
≈ 2.3%1 h 30 min
Solving and setting up linear equations, inequalities, absolute value relations and systems of two linear equations.
≈ 1.5%1 h 10 min
Slope, intercepts, forms of a line, parallel and perpendicular lines, and graphs of linear inequalities in the coordinate plane.
≈ 2%1 h 40 min
Manipulating polynomial and rational expressions, and solving quadratic, rational and radical equations and linear–quadratic systems.
About 4 h 20 min of study, lessons and core practice
≈ 1.5%1 h 20 min
Reading and using f(x) notation, domain and range, composition and inverses, and arithmetic and geometric sequences.
≈ 1.5%1 h 30 min
Key features of graphs, transformations of functions, and the behavior of polynomial and rational functions.
≈ 1.5%1 h 30 min
Exponential growth and decay models, and the logarithm rules needed to rewrite and solve exponential equations.
≈ 1.3%1 h 30 min
Radian measure, the unit circle, graphs of sine and cosine, and basic identities. These make up most of the advanced-topic trigonometry items.
About 5 h 50 min of study, lessons and core practice
≈ 1.8%1 h 30 min
Angle relationships, triangle properties, congruence and similarity, the Pythagorean theorem, special right triangles and polygon properties.
≈ 1.5%1 h 30 min
Measurement of plane and solid figures (formulas must be memorized) and circle properties.
≈ 1.3%1 h 20 min
Distance, midpoint, equations of circles and other conics, and transformations of figures in the coordinate plane.
≈ 1.3%1 h 20 min
SOH-CAH-TOA, complementary-angle relationships, and the Law of Sines and Law of Cosines when an item supplies them.
About 5 h 40 min of study, lessons and core practice
≈ 2.3%1 h 30 min
Measures of center and spread, data displays, scatterplots and lines of fit, and what sampling and study design allow you to conclude.
≈ 2%1 h 20 min
Simple, compound and conditional probability, counting techniques and expected value.
About 2 h 50 min of study, lessons and core practice
≈ 3.3%1 h 20 min
Proportional reasoning, percentages, rates and averages, applied in compact, often multistep contexts.
≈ 3%1 h 40 min
Building, interpreting, evaluating and improving mathematical models, and chaining several skills in one problem, as the late, hard items do.
About 3 h of study, lessons and core practice
≈ 5%1 h 50 min
The most common Reading question type. Locate what the text states, and draw only the conclusions it directly supports.
≈ 3%1 h 20 min
Identifying the main idea of a passage or paragraph, the theme of a narrative, and accurate summaries.
≈ 2.5%1 h 10 min
Tracking how events, people and ideas relate across a text: order of events, comparisons and causes.
About 4 h 20 min of study, lessons and core practice
≈ 2.5%1 h 10 min
Vocabulary-in-context and word-choice questions that test meaning as used, not the dictionary’s first definition.
≈ 4%1 h 40 min
Explaining why a part of a text is there, how the text is organized, and whose perspective is being presented.
About 2 h 50 min of study, lessons and core practice
≈ 2%1 h 20 min
Analyzing claims, reasoning and evidence in informational and persuasive texts.
≈ 1.8%1 h 20 min
Two shorter texts on a related topic, with questions on Passage A, then Passage B, then both.
≈ 1.8%1 h 10 min
Informational passages accompanied by a graph, table or chart, with questions that integrate the graphic and the text.
About 3 h 50 min of study, lessons and core practice
≈ 5.5%1 h 50 min
38–50% of scored Science items. Read, compare and extend data in tables, graphs and diagrams, mostly in Data Representation and Research Summaries passages.
≈ 3.5%1 h 40 min
18–32% of scored Science items. Understand how experiments are designed and how they could be modified or extended, including engineering-and-design contexts.
≈ 3.5%1 h 40 min
24–38% of scored Science items. Evaluate hypotheses, models and conclusions against evidence, especially in the Conflicting Viewpoints passage.
≈ 1.5%1 h 30 min
15–24% of scored Science items need outside knowledge at the level of introductory high-school courses. This topic covers the high-frequency facts.
About 6 h 40 min of study, lessons and core practice
≈ 3%1 h 30 min
The Ideas and Analysis domain: understand the issue, analyze the three perspectives, and take a clear, nuanced position.
≈ 3%1 h 40 min
The Development and Support, Organization, and Language Use and Conventions domains: turn a plan into a complete, well-supported, well-written essay in 40 minutes.
About 3 h 10 min of study, lessons and core practice
1 diagnostic · 1 full-length, timed and scored like the real test
Strategy guides
7
Pacing, section strategy and test-day guides
Free to start
Every lesson and guide is free, with 40 practice questions a day and the diagnostic. Pro removes the limits.
Compare plansThe Composite is the average of your English, Math and Reading scale scores (each 1–36), rounded to the nearest whole number, with .5 rounding up. For example, 35, 34 and 33 average to exactly 34. Science is reported separately (and averaged with Math for STEM), and Writing is reported on a 2–12 scale.
No. Your score is based only on the number of scored questions you answer correctly, so answer every question. Before time runs out, fill in a guess for anything left blank, ideally one letter used consistently.
A calculator is allowed only on the Math test. Most four-function, scientific and graphing calculators are permitted, but models with a computer algebra system (CAS) are prohibited, as are devices with internet access or a QWERTY keyboard. The online test has a built-in calculator. Always check ACT’s current calculator policy before test day. There is no formula sheet, so memorize the standard geometry and algebra formulas.
At the most selective US universities, the middle 50% of admitted students who submit the ACT typically score about 33–35. A 34+ places you at or above the middle of that range and is roughly the top 1% of test takers. Many strong universities and merit-scholarship programs look for 30 or higher.
Both formats have the same content, timing and scoring. Choose the one that matches how you practice and what your test center offers. The online test gives you on-screen tools and a built-in calculator. Paper lets you mark up the booklet freely. Whichever you choose, take at least one full timed Courselo mock in the same conditions.
If you’ve tested more than once, ACT reports a superscore built from your best section scores across sittings, and many colleges superscore or accept superscores. Policies vary, so check each college. Because the enhanced test is short, a focused retake aimed at your weakest section can raise a superscore efficiently.
| 18+ |
| Below 18Below the national middle. Focus on high-frequency English rules, core algebra and passage basics. | 1+ |
|---|