Uni & Uni Admissions

Format:

The ACT is 3 hours long (technically 2 hours and 55 minutes). Including breaks, the exam takes 3 hours and 30 minutes to complete. The ACT has a total of 215 questions with 1 optional essay. If you sign up for the optional essay the test clocks in at 3 hours and 40 minutes or just over 4 hours with breaks. It is scored out of 36 points (your raw score will be converted into this scaled score - see the scoring section below).

All questions are multiple choice apart from the optional essay. The ACT has four sections, sometimes called subject areas:

• English
• Math
• Reading
• Science

The ACT math section is 60 minutes long, with 60 questions total – so you’ll have just one minute to complete each question (each question is worth one mark).  You’ll definitely have to work quickly if you want to answer each one! Every question is multiple choice, and there is no penalty for guessing.

Component	Time Allotted	Number of Questions
English	45 mins	75
Math	60 mins	60
Reading	35 mins	40
Science	35 mins	40
Writing (optional)	40 mins	1 essay
Total	175 mins (215 mins with writing)	215 questions + 1 essay

Pacing and problem solving are the big challenges on the ACT math section. Pacing is tricky because you have to answer questions as quickly as possible without losing accuracy. In addition, you have to be able to quickly identify ways to solve problems. This is why studying specifically for ACT math is so important, since it requires you to work faster and more strategically than you have to in math class.

You need to be able to problem solve, or use what the ACT calls using reasoning abilities. In addition, the math questions are not ordered by topic, so you need to be prepared to quickly switch between topics like statistics, algebra, and geometry.

Content:

The maths content breakdown is as follows:

• Pre-Algebra (20-25%)
• Elementary Algebra (15-20%)
• Intermediate Algebra (15-20%)
• Coordinate Geometry (15-20%)
• Plane Geometry (20-25%)
• Trigonometry (5-10%)

See my topic list for a detailed list of topics. 

Calculator Usage

Don’t bring a brand-new calculator on the day. Bring one you know. Practice for the test using the same calculator you’ll use on test day, so that you are familair with it. 

Scientific Calculators

You're not required to use a calculator, meaning all problems on the ACT can be solved without one. Calculators will make your life much easier though and speed things up for you.  Be careful not to rely too much on your calculator if you use one, as it can actually slow you down.  If what you're trying to do with your graphing calculator is NOT doable on a scientific calculator, you are likely overusing your calculator. Remember that the worst calculator is an unfamiliar calculator.

You can use a calculator, but it has to be a permitted one. Students love the basic scientific calculator Casio fx-300MS.  It's a very simple calculator and all teachers will let you use it for exams that allow calculators, so you can get a lot of practice using this calculator.  Make sure the calculator you decide to use gives fraction answer, not just decimals.

Graphical Calculators

Scientific calculators have drawbacks though. I always advise students to get the graphing calculator TI-83 or TI-84.  It is one of the most powerful calculators allowed elthough not mandatory.  It has much way more functionality that most other calculators (and is more expensive as well). It also gives you answers back in fractions and "rationalized" format.  The equation solver is also pretty helpful - it solves quadratics and simultaneous equations for you.  

Casio FX-CG50 is also popular and allowed. 

The following calculators are prohibited:

• TI models that begin with TI-89 or TI-92
• TI-Nspire CAS (the TI-NSpire non-CAS is permitted)
• HP models with begin with HP 40G, HP 49G or HP 50G
• HP Prime
• HP 48GII
• Casio models that begin with CFX-9970G
• Casio fx-CP400 (classpad 400)
• ClassPad 300 or ClassPad 330
• Algebra fx 2.0

Formula Sheet:

Unlike with the the SAT, you’re not given a reference sheet, so you have to know basic maths formula such as the equation of a line, area formulae, the quadratic formulae etc (see the formula sheet provided for a comprehensive list). 

Scoring:

You're given a point for every question you get right (there's no penalty or point deduction for wrong answers). The total number of questions you get right on each of the 4 sections (English, Math, Reading, and Science) equals your raw score and hence the number of questions is the maximum raw score for each section. Say in the math test you got 45 questions right, 12 wrong, and left 3 blank. Your raw math score would be 45. 

Each of the raw score from each of the 4 subject areas is then given a scaled score between 1 and 36 (36 is the maxium scaled score for each section). The reason the ACT (as well as other standardized tests) uses scaled scores is to make sure their scores are consistent across multiple test dates. Scaling is not curving your score relative to the scores of other students who take the test the same day as you. What scaling does is analyze average scores for each version of the ACT to ensure that not test date is easier or harder than another. However, the process of scaling means that on different editions of the ACT, raw scores can translate to scaled scores differently. In other words, these numbers aren’t set in stone, but they can give you an idea of what raw score to shoot for on each section.

Your raw scores are converted into scaled scores (on the 1-36 scale for each section) using a table, which changes for every ACT test date. The reason that the table changes is to ensure each test is standardized; in other words, it accounts for differences in content difficulty. The table is used to equate easier ACT tests to harder ACT tests. For this reason, on one test date, if you got a raw score of 39 in Science (either by answering a question incorrectly or skipping one), your scaled score in Science could drop to 34. However, on another day, the conversion from raw to scaled score might be more lenient, and a raw score of 39 in Science could be a perfect 36 scaled score. You won't know what the raw to scaled score conversion will be in advance. While the exact conversion varies by test date the following table is a good guide:

Scaled Score	Raw Score
1	0
2	-
3	1
4	-
5	2
6	-
7	3
8	-
9	4
10	5
11	6-7
12	8-9
13	10-11
14	12-14
15	15-18
16	19-23
17	24-26
18	27-28
19	29-30
20	31-32
21	33
22	34-35
23	36-37
24	38-40
25	41-42
26	43-44
27	45-46
28	47-48
29	49
30	50-51
31	52
32	53
33	54
34	55-56
35	57-58
36	59-60

So now we know that you get a score of between 1 and 36 for each subject area, which is converted from your raw score. But how do those four area scores combine to your final composite score which also ranges between 1 and 36?

Your composite score is simply the average of your four area scores, rounded up to the nearest whole number (half a point or more is rounded up, less than half a point is rounded down). For example, say you got a 24 on the Math section, 23 on Science, 26 on Reading, and 25 on English. Your composite score would be:

(24 + 23 + 26 + 25) / 4 = 24.5

This would be rounded up to 25.

In addition to your main composite score and your four subject area scores, the ACT also gives you subscores in three of the four subject areas. English, Math, and Reading all have subscores, which give you more information about your strengths and weaknesses in each subject. Subscores range from 1 to 18, and they are also scaled from your raw score. However, there is no direct relationship between your subscores and your final scaled score(for example, your subscores do not add up to your scaled score). Your subscore just gives you more information about your performance and where you might want to improve.

For Math the subscores are given for

• Pre-Algebra/Elementary Algebra (24 questions)
• Intermediate Algebra/Coordinate Geometry (18 questions)
• Plane Geometry/Trigonometry-based problems (18 questions)

Should you worry about these? No. Colleges care most about your composite score on the ACT, and they will also look at your four subject area scores. However, you can use the ACT’s subscores to help you prepare for the test since they break the subject areas down into manageable categories.

Syllabus Changes:

The ACT did actually go through some changes back in 2014. There's a different focus on different aspects in math and the score breakdown for all 4 tests are completely different. The types of questions and overall feel and topics of the test have changed. 

ACT has not changed as drastically as SAT though and ACT has pretty much stayed the same and will continue to do so.  However, I recommend stickinig with and doing more recent tests (2015 onwards). 

In the math section, the topics have expanded and which topics they emphasize have shifted. There are more probability and statistics questions than their used to be.  

In addition, the level of difficulty has increased. Harder questions appear earlier in the test than they used to. The scaling has adjusted accordingly, but some students find their timing affected and don’t score as well.

Tactics:

Know the topics that are going to come on the test. They will be more or less the same as the ones on the 2016-2022 SATs. Also, have a practice math for 1 hour straight. Most of the students get tired at the end of the test and start making stupid mistakes and the increasing question's difficulty just adds petrol to the fire. One trick you can apply to avoid this is that you can first complete the last 20 questions of the test. They are most difficult ones and if you do them first hand with a relatively fresh mind then you have less chance of making silly mistakes in them later on. However, while using this technique be careful of how you mark your scantron paper. One mistake there and your whole section will be a piece of garbage.

Since the ACT is averaged, not totaled, and there are four sections, you can "hide" a weak section more easily than on the SAT, which has three sections and totals your score. For example, say you struggle with math and got the following subject area scores on the ACT:

• Reading: 30
• English: 29
• Science: 31
• Math: 22

While you might think your math score is going to drag down your composite, since it is only one-fourth of your score, its effect isn’t huge:

(30 + 31 + 29 + 22) / 4 = 28

So, even though your math score was a lot lower than the other three sections, you still come out with a 28 (which is a 90th percentile score). 

While we are not recommending you don’t study for a certain section because it’s only one-fourth of your total ACT score, it is helpful to know that each subject area’s score will not make or break your composite.

Since there is no guessing penalty on the ACT, the best way to maximize your score is to eliminate wrong answer choices and guess. We are not saying to rush through each section in order to answer every single question – as we saw above, you might have a target raw score that’s much lower than the total points possible. In that case, it makes sense to spend more time focusing on fewer questions. What this means is that if you do spend time on a question, even if you are not totally sure of the answer, it’s the best use of your time to eliminate some answer choices to give yourself the best shot at guessing the right answer.

Furthermore, when the proctor says there is one minute remaining, go ahead and bubble every blank answer you have remaining. Even if you haven't looked at the question in the book, you aren't losing anything by guessing. You might pick up a raw point or two on each section this way, which can have a surprising effect on your scaled score, as we have seen

Top Univeristy Requirements:

Scools vary considerably in the kinds of ACT scores they look for in applicants.  Less selective institutions tend to accept scores closer to the national average (21) whereas more competitive universities often prefer scores in the 32-36 range.

A score of 32 on the ACT exam is a great score and means that the students is well-rounded and has achieved exceotional score in different exam sections.  A 32 ACT score easily puts a student in the league of high performance scorers, which significantly enhances their chance of being accepted into one of the top universities in the country. 

Different universities have different admission standards, and any score above or at their cut-off may be considered a good score.  For example, some unis require a min score of 30 for admission, while some other require a higher score.  Therefore, students should review their chosen university's requirements to determine whether thwie 32 ACT score is good enough for admission. 

Besides admission, a score of 32 on the ACT can open doors to scholarship opportunities. A high ACT score may make a student eligible for academic scholarships orlead to an increase in their financial award packages at universities. This could be the factor that makes a difference in competing for scholarships, making it vitalfor students to strive for the highest ACT scores.

In conclusion, a score of 32 on the ACT exam is a good score, placing students above the average test taker. It signifies that a student is intelligent, dedicated,and understands the exam's content. A high ACT score of 32 can lead to various educational opportunities, including admissions and scholarship opportunities atreputable universities, making it crucial for students striving for academic excellence.