If you are looking for an alternative to the SAT as a standardized test for admissions to a US university or college, the ACT (American College Test) would be your choice. A curriculum-based test similar to the SAT, the ACT also measures the high school student’s readiness for US universities, but assesses not three, but four academic abilities including English, math, reading and science reasoning. Each year, the ACT is offered in September, October, December, February, April and June.
The four multiple-choice test sections of the ACT takes about 3 hours, 30 minutes to complete:
- The 75-question English test (45 minutes) evaluates the student’s understanding of conventional language skills with respect to the use of punctuation, grammar and sentence structure in context. The rhetorical skills of strategy to achieve the writer’s purpose, the organization of ideas and the effectiveness of sentence elements with regards to essay style and tone. Vocabulary, spelling and rules of grammar are not tested. A total test score (1-36), a Usage/Mechanics sub-score (1-18) and the Rhetorical Skills sub-score (1-18) are all reported.
- In 60-minute Mathematics section assesses skills in six areas that are normally covered by the end of Grade 11: Pre-algebra, elementary algebra, intermediate algebra, coordinate geometry, plane geometry and trigonometry. Knowledge of the basic formulas and calculation skills are tested in the 60 multiple-choice questions. The total Math score ranges for 1 – 36. In addition, three sub-scores in the six topic areas between 1 and 18 each are also reported.
- The 40 questions in the Reading section asks the test-taker to extract meaning from passages taken from the areas of social studies, natural sciences, prose fiction and the humanities. In 35 minutes, the student is required to use reasoning to identify each text’s in-depth meaning and come to conclusions, draw comparisons and make appropriate generalizations. Three scores including a total section score (1-36), a sub-score in Arts/Literature reading skills (1-18), and a sub-score in Social Studies/Science reading skills. (1-18) are reported.
- The 35-minute Science section has 40 questions that assess how the student interprets, analyses, evaluates, reasons and solves problems in the natural sciences. The test is made up of scientific information derived from the curricular topics of biology, chemistry, physics and earth/space sciences. Examining data, understanding research summaries and critically thinking about conflicting hypotheses and resulting viewpoints are required. Only one science score ranging from 1 – 36 is reported.
After the taking the ACT, the test-taker will receive a Composite Score of 1 – 36, which is an average of the English, Mathematics, Reading and Science test scores.
The ACT has an optional 30-minute Writing Test that measures a student’s writing skills in responding to a question prompt by taking a point of view and addressing the issue presented. Like the SAT Subject Tests, scored from two markers from 2 – 12 and combined with the English Test on a 1-36 scale, the ACT Writing Test is not required for entry to all colleges, so it’s best to check with each institution to see if it’s necessary to take it. You can check the Writing Test requirements by colleges by going to: www.actstudent.org.
