What subjects are tested on the ACT

I’m starting to prep for the ACT, and I know it covers a few different subjects, but I want to make sure I know exactly what to expect. Like, is there science? Is it just general knowledge or do I need to memorize a bunch of formulas? And what kind of math? Is it just algebra and geometry, or will I need to know trig? Also, is there a writing portion that’s graded separately? I want to know all the sections, what topics are covered in each, and if there are any optional sections that might affect my score. Basically, give me the full rundown on the subject matter of the ACT!

Answer

The ACT is a standardized test used for college admissions in the United States. It assesses high school students’ general educational development and their ability to complete college-level work. The ACT consists of four mandatory subject tests and an optional writing test.

English:

The English section is a 45-minute test consisting of 75 multiple-choice questions. It assesses your understanding of standard written English and rhetorical skills. The questions cover a range of topics, including:

• Usage/Mechanics (Punctuation, Grammar & Usage, Sentence Structure): This section assesses your knowledge of grammar rules, punctuation, and sentence construction. It tests your ability to identify and correct errors in these areas.

  • Punctuation: Covers the correct use of commas, semicolons, colons, apostrophes, quotation marks, dashes, and parentheses.
  • Grammar & Usage: Tests your knowledge of subject-verb agreement, pronoun usage, adjective and adverb usage, and verb tense.
  • Sentence Structure: Assesses your understanding of clauses, phrases, and sentence fragments. It also includes questions about run-on sentences, misplaced modifiers, and parallel structure.

• Rhetorical Skills (Strategy, Organization, Style): This section evaluates your ability to understand the purpose and effect of writing. It tests your ability to make choices about organization, style, and tone to improve the clarity and effectiveness of writing.

  • Strategy: Questions in this area focus on the overall purpose of a passage and whether certain sentences or paragraphs support or undermine that purpose. You might be asked to determine the best place to add or remove information.
  • Organization: This focuses on logical sequencing of ideas within a paragraph or the entire passage. You might be asked to rearrange sentences or paragraphs to improve the flow and coherence of the writing.
  • Style: Style questions concern word choice, tone, and clarity. You might be asked to replace words or phrases to make the writing more concise, precise, or appropriate for the intended audience.

Mathematics:

The Mathematics section is a 60-minute test with 60 multiple-choice questions. It assesses your mathematical reasoning skills. You are allowed to use a calculator on this section. The questions cover topics typically taught in high school mathematics courses through the beginning of trigonometry. The content areas include:

• Pre-Algebra (approximately 14 questions): This includes questions involving basic operations using whole numbers, decimals, fractions, and integers; place value; square roots and approximations; the concept of exponents; scientific notation; factors; ratio, proportion, and percent; linear equations in one variable; absolute value and ordering; elementary descriptive statistics; and simple probability.
• Elementary Algebra (approximately 10 questions): Questions cover properties of exponents and square roots, evaluation of algebraic expressions through substitution, using variables to express functional relationships, understanding algebraic operations, and solving quadratic equations by factoring.
• Intermediate Algebra (approximately 9 questions): This involves understanding quadratic formula, rational and radical expressions, absolute value equations and inequalities, sequences and patterns, systems of equations, quadratic inequalities, functions, modeling, matrices, and complex numbers.
• Coordinate Geometry (approximately 9 questions): Topics include graphing and the relations between equations and graphs, including points, lines, polynomials, circles, and other curves; graphing inequalities; slope; parallel and perpendicular lines; distance; midpoints; and conics.
• Plane Geometry (approximately 14 questions): This covers the properties and relations of plane figures, including angles and relations among perpendicular and parallel lines; properties of circles, triangles, rectangles, parallelograms, and trapezoids; circumference, area, volume, and surface area; and the Pythagorean theorem.
• Trigonometry (approximately 4 questions): Questions involve trigonometric relations in right triangles; values of trigonometric functions for angles in degrees; and graphing trigonometric functions.

Reading:

The Reading section is a 35-minute test consisting of 40 multiple-choice questions. It assesses your reading comprehension skills. The section includes four passages, each followed by 10 questions. The passage types are:

• Prose Fiction: This passage is an excerpt from a novel or short story.
• Social Science: This passage focuses on a topic related to the social sciences, such as history, psychology, or sociology.
• Humanities: This passage covers topics related to the humanities, such as art, literature, music, or philosophy.
• Natural Science: This passage focuses on a scientific topic, such as biology, chemistry, physics, or earth science.

The questions assess your ability to:

• Determine Main Ideas: Identifying the central themes or arguments of a passage.
• Locate and Interpret Significant Details: Finding specific information within the passage and understanding its meaning in context.
• Understand Sequences of Events: Following the chronological order of events described in the passage.
• Make Comparisons: Identifying similarities and differences between ideas or characters in the passage.
• Comprehend Cause-Effect Relationships: Understanding how events or ideas are connected through cause and effect.
• Determine the Meaning of Words and Phrases in Context: Understanding the specific meaning of words or phrases as they are used in the passage.
• Draw Generalizations: Making inferences and drawing conclusions based on the information presented in the passage.

Science:

The Science section is a 35-minute test consisting of 40 multiple-choice questions. It assesses your scientific reasoning skills, rather than your knowledge of specific scientific facts. The section includes several passages, each followed by a set of questions. The passage types are:

• Data Representation: These passages present scientific information in graphs, tables, and charts. You are asked to interpret and analyze the data presented.
• Research Summaries: These passages describe one or more related experiments. You are asked to understand the experimental design, identify variables, and draw conclusions based on the results.
• Conflicting Viewpoints: These passages present two or more different viewpoints on a scientific phenomenon. You are asked to understand and compare the different perspectives.

The questions assess your ability to:

• Interpretation of Data: Analyzing and interpreting data presented in graphs, tables, and charts.
• Scientific Investigation: Understanding the design and purpose of scientific experiments.
• Evaluation of Models, Inferences, and Experimental Results: Evaluating the validity of scientific models and drawing conclusions based on experimental results.

Writing (Optional):

The Writing section is a 40-minute essay test. It assesses your writing skills, specifically your ability to develop and express ideas clearly and effectively. You are presented with a prompt that describes an issue and provides three different perspectives on the issue. You are asked to evaluate the different perspectives and present your own perspective on the issue. Your essay is evaluated based on:

• Ideas and Analysis: The clarity and depth of your ideas and your ability to analyze the different perspectives presented in the prompt.
• Development and Support: The quality and relevance of the examples and evidence you use to support your ideas.
• Organization: The clarity and logical flow of your essay.
• Language Use and Conventions: Your use of language, including grammar, punctuation, and vocabulary.

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✓ Reviewed by: Studentanswers Editorial Team ✓ Fact-checked: 4 November 2025

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