ACT Requirements & Prerequisites
Everything you need to know before registering for the ACT, eligibility, cost, format, and what to expect on exam day.
Cost
$68-$93
Provider
ACT Inc.
Validity
Scores used for admissions
Available
USA
Education
Check official exam requirements
Experience
6-12 months of relevant experience recommended
Specific Requirements
- None. The ACT has no formal academic prerequisite, no minimum grade point average and no course requirement, and ACT says it is open to any student who registers.
- A MyACT account, used to register, upload the required photograph, print the admission ticket and later view and send scores.
- A photograph that meets ACT's submission requirements: a clear, unblurred image of only you against a plain background, showing face and shoulders. It appears on your ticket and on the examinee roster staff use to admit you.
- An acceptable photo ID on the day, or a completed ACT Student Identification Form with a photo signed by a school official or notary public.
- Registration by the published deadline. For the 12 December 2026 test the regular deadline is 6 November, the late deadline is 29 November, and the photo upload and standby deadline is 7 December.
- For the fee waiver, current enrolment in grade 11 or 12, testing in the United States, its territories or Puerto Rico, and one or more indicators of economic need such as free or reduced-price lunch, a federally funded programme like GEAR UP or Upward Bound, foster or homeless status, low-income public assistance or federally subsidised housing, or family income at or below USDA free and reduced-price lunch levels.
- For online Bring Your Own Device testing, a fully charged laptop plus charger and completed device readiness ahead of the day.
- For accommodations or English learner supports, a request submitted through the Test Accessibility and Accommodations system by ACT's published accommodations deadline, including any appeal.
Number of Questions
131 questions across the three required sections: English 50, mathematics 45, reading 36. Adding the optional science section brings the multiple-choice total to 171, which is the figure ACT publishes. Of these, 40 English, 41 math, 27 reading and 34 science questions are operational and scored; the remaining 10, 4, 9 and 6 respectively are field test items that do not count.
Duration
125 minutes for the three required sections (English 35, mathematics 50, reading 40). ACT states the timed portion of the multiple-choice sections totals 2 hours 45 minutes when the optional 40-minute science section is added. The optional writing essay adds a 5-minute break plus 40 minutes of writing. ACT publishes paper ending times of 11:25 a.m. for the core test, 12:15 p.m. with science, 12:30 p.m. with writing and 1:30 p.m. with both, and online ending times of 11:05 a.m., 11:55 a.m., 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. respectively.
Question Format
Multiple choice with four answer choices in mathematics, Passage-based revising and editing questions in English, with the target text underlined on paper and highlighted online, Passage-based comprehension and analysis questions in reading, including paired-passage synthesis items, Data interpretation questions in science built on tables, graphs and diagrams from biology, chemistry, Earth and space sciences and physics, One argumentative essay in the optional writing section, presenting a complex issue and three perspectives on it
Passing Requirement
None. The ACT has no pass mark and no cut score. ACT reports a national average Composite of 19.4 and describes 18 to 20 as widely accepted at regional and open-admission colleges, 20 to 23 as competitive at many mid-tier colleges, 24 to 28 as strong for more selective institutions, and 30 to 36 as the range for top-tier schools. Individual colleges publish their own ranges and there is no universal minimum.
How It Is Delivered
Paper at a test centre or online at a test centre, including a Bring Your Own Device option where the student brings a fully charged laptop and charger. ACT has offered a choice of paper or online since February 2024. Online testers use the ACT Gateway application and have the Desmos graphing calculator built into the platform for the math section.
Languages Offered
English. ACT permits an approved bilingual dictionary for English learner supports, inspected by test centre staff on the day.
Visit the official ACT Inc. certification page
Create an account and select your exam
Choose a test center or online proctoring option
Pay the exam fee and schedule your date
Score Scale
1 to 36 for each section (English, mathematics, reading, and science if taken) and 1 to 36 for the Composite. The optional writing test is scored 2 to 12 as the rounded average of four domain scores. Two derived scores are also reported: STEM, the average of math and science, and ELA, the average of English, reading and writing where taken.
Score You Need
None. The ACT has no pass mark and no cut score. ACT reports a national average Composite of 19.4 and describes 18 to 20 as widely accepted at regional and open-admission colleges, 20 to 23 as competitive at many mid-tier colleges, 24 to 28 as strong for more selective institutions, and 30 to 36 as the range for top-tier schools. Individual colleges publish their own ranges and there is no universal minimum.
How It Is Calculated
Your raw score is simply the number of questions answered correctly, with no deduction for a wrong answer. That raw score is converted to a 1 to 36 scale score so that a given scale score means the same thing on every test form and every test date, which is what lets ACT compare a December form with a June one. Scoring is compensatory across the three required sections: the Composite is their average, rounded to the nearest whole number, so a strong reading score can offset a weak math score. Field test questions, which make up 10 of the 50 English items, 4 of the 45 math items, 9 of the 36 reading items and 6 of the 40 science items, are excluded from the raw score.
When You Get Results
There is no unofficial score at the test centre. ACT states that over 97 per cent of scores are released within about two to four weeks of the test date and publishes an initial score release date for each administration: 6 October 2026 for the 19 September test, 27 October for 17 October, 22 December for 12 December, 16 March 2027 for 27 February, 20 April for 10 April, 23 June for 12 June and 20 July for 10 July. Scores taken with writing may arrive slightly later because all components are processed together. Colleges designated at registration receive reports as scores are validated.
In raw terms: ACT publishes operational question counts rather than a fixed raw-to-scale table, because the conversion changes with each form's difficulty. The counts that matter are 40 scored English questions, 41 scored mathematics questions, 27 scored reading questions and 34 scored science questions, which appear in ACT's free Preparing for the ACT Test booklet alongside that booklet's own conversion table.
- Two forms of valid ID (one government-issued with photo)
- Appointment confirmation email
- For online proctoring: webcam, microphone, clean desk, stable internet
What are the prerequisites for the ACT?
None. The ACT has no formal academic prerequisite, no minimum grade point average and no course requirement, and ACT says it is open to any student who registers.. A MyACT account, used to register, upload the required photograph, print the admission ticket and later view and send scores.. A photograph that meets ACT's submission requirements: a clear, unblurred image of only you against a plain background, showing face and shoulders. It appears on your ticket and on the examinee roster staff use to admit you.. An acceptable photo ID on the day, or a completed ACT Student Identification Form with a photo signed by a school official or notary public.. Registration by the published deadline. For the 12 December 2026 test the regular deadline is 6 November, the late deadline is 29 November, and the photo upload and standby deadline is 7 December.. For the fee waiver, current enrolment in grade 11 or 12, testing in the United States, its territories or Puerto Rico, and one or more indicators of economic need such as free or reduced-price lunch, a federally funded programme like GEAR UP or Upward Bound, foster or homeless status, low-income public assistance or federally subsidised housing, or family income at or below USDA free and reduced-price lunch levels.. For online Bring Your Own Device testing, a fully charged laptop plus charger and completed device readiness ahead of the day.. For accommodations or English learner supports, a request submitted through the Test Accessibility and Accommodations system by ACT's published accommodations deadline, including any appeal..
How much does the ACT cost?
The ACT exam costs $68-$93. This includes the exam fee only, study materials are additional.
How do I register for the ACT?
Visit the official ACT Inc. certification page → Create an account and select your exam → Choose a test center or online proctoring option → Pay the exam fee and schedule your date
What should I bring to the ACT?
Two forms of valid ID (one government-issued with photo). Appointment confirmation email. For online proctoring: webcam, microphone, clean desk, stable internet.
Ready to prepare for ACT?
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