How to Study for the ACT: A Study Plan for the Enhanced ACT

The ACT changed in 2025, so a lot of the prep advice online still describes a test you will never sit. If you are working out how to study for the ACT, start with the current enhanced format: a shorter test built around English, math and reading, with science as an optional add-on. This guide covers what is on the test now, how to set a target score, week-by-week plans for 4, 8 and 12 weeks, a strategy for each section, and how to get the most out of official practice tests.

What Is on the Enhanced ACT?

The enhanced ACT replaced the legacy version in stages. It started with online testing on national test dates in April 2025, extended to paper and international testing in September 2025, and reached state and district school-day testing in spring 2026. If an older prep book says the ACT has 215 questions, five-choice math and a Composite that includes science, it is describing the legacy test.

The core test takes 2 hours and 5 minutes of testing time, not counting breaks. Adding science brings that to 2 hours and 45 minutes, and adding writing as well brings it to 3 hours and 25 minutes.

Your Composite score, still on the 1–36 scale, is the average of your English, math and reading scores, rounded to the nearest whole number. Science no longer counts toward it. If you take science, you receive a separate science score plus a STEM score that combines your math and science results. Writing is scored and reported separately too.

Math questions now have four answer choices instead of five. The test also includes some unscored field-test questions that look exactly like the scored ones, so treat every question as if it counts.

Paper or Online

When you register, you can choose paper or online testing at a test center, subject to availability. Online, you bring your own device or use one the center provides, and you get a highlighter, an answer eliminator, a flag for questions to review and an on-screen calculator in math. Calculators are allowed only on math. If you test online, install ACT's testing app and run its device check well before test day.

Test Dates, Scores and Fees

The 2026–27 national test dates are September 19, October 17 and December 12, 2026, and February 27, April 10, June 12 and July 10, 2027. Regular registration closes about five weeks before each date, with a late window after that for an extra fee. Most multiple-choice scores arrive within two to four weeks; with writing, the full report can take five to eight weeks. The base test costs $70, plus $25 for writing and $5 for science, and fee waivers are available for eligible students. Confirm dates and fees on ACT.org before you register.

If you test more than once, ACT can calculate a superscore: the average of your best English, math and reading scores from different test dates. Each college sets its own policy on whether it uses superscores, so check before you plan a retake.

A Short History of the ACT

The ACT was created by E. F. Lindquist, a University of Iowa education professor, with Ted McCarrel, the university's registrar and admissions director. It was first given on November 7, 1959, to about 75,000 students. Lindquist argued that admission should rest on what students had actually learned in school rather than on “aptitude,” and the test still measures skills taught in high school courses.

How to Study for the ACT in Five Steps

Take a Timed Diagnostic Test

Before you buy a book or sign up for anything, take a full official practice test under real conditions: timed sections, no phone, one sitting. Score it with the official key. You now have a starting score for each section, and your misses will show whether your problem is knowledge (you did not know the rule), accuracy (careless errors) or pacing (you ran out of time).

Set a Target Score from Your College List

Look up the middle 50% ACT range for each college on your list; many colleges publish it on their admissions pages or in their Common Data Set. A score at or above the 75th percentile of that range makes your scores a strength. Use that figure at the colleges you care about most as your target, and let the gap from your diagnostic tell you how much time to set aside. Check each testing policy too: some colleges require scores, others are test-optional, and some say whether they want science or writing.

Decide Whether to Take Science

Science is optional, costs $5 more and adds 40 minutes. Take it if you are applying to engineering, science, nursing or other STEM programs, if a college on your list asks for it, or if science is a strength you want to show through the STEM score. If none of that applies, you can skip it and put the time into the three sections that make up your Composite. College policies are still adjusting to the change, so check each one rather than assuming.

Keep a Mistake Log

Every question you miss or guess on goes into a log, either a spreadsheet or a notebook. Record the section, the question type, why you missed it (content gap, misread, careless or out of time) and the rule or step that would have gotten it right. Review the log every week. Patterns show up quickly, such as comma rules, probability or running out of time on the last reading passage, and those patterns become your study list. Redo each logged question a week later without looking at the answer.

Pick a Study Window

How long you need depends on the gap between your diagnostic and your target. As a guide, use 4 weeks for a small gap or a close test date, 8 weeks for a moderate gap and 12 weeks for a large one. Aim for 4 to 6 hours a week in short, regular sessions rather than one long weekend cram, and finish the plan the week before your test. If you want a ready-made layout for blocking out the weeks, our study plan template works for ACT prep too.

Week-by-Week ACT Study Plan

This 8-week plan suits a moderate gap. If you are taking science, add one timed science set to weeks 2 through 6.

12-week plan. Use the same sequence but slow it down:

• Weeks 1–2: diagnostic test, target score and a review of the basics in every section.
• Weeks 3–6: content review, two weeks each on your two weakest sections.
• Weeks 7–10: timed mixed practice, with full practice tests in weeks 7 and 10.
• Weeks 11–12: pacing work on your weakest section, a final full test early in week 12 and light review.

4-week plan. Focus only on the biggest gains:

• Week 1: diagnostic test, then the two or three topics that cost you the most points.
• Week 2: targeted practice in your weakest section and a second full test at the end of the week.
• Week 3: timed section practice to fix pacing, plus redoing every question in your log.
• Week 4: a final full test early in the week, then light review and rest.

Strategies for Each ACT Section

English: 50 Questions in 35 Minutes

That is about 42 seconds per question. You work through short essays with underlined portions (highlighted when you test online) and decide how to fix grammar, punctuation, wording and organization. ACT reports three categories: Production of Writing (38–43%), Knowledge of Language (18–23%) and Conventions of Standard English (38–43%).

• Read the whole sentence, not just the underlined part. Many errors depend on what comes before or after it.
• Treat “NO CHANGE” as a real option. Sometimes the original is correct.
• When every choice is grammatical, prefer the clearest, most concise one that keeps the meaning.
• For “Should the writer add this sentence?” questions, decide yes or no based on the paragraph's purpose before you read the reasons.
• Learn the punctuation rules that keep appearing in your log: commas, semicolons, colons, dashes and apostrophes.

Math: 45 Questions in 50 Minutes

You get just over a minute per question, four answer choices and a calculator. About 80% of the section covers Preparing for Higher Math (number and quantity, algebra, functions, geometry, and statistics and probability), and about 20% covers Integrating Essential Skills. Modeling questions are spread across both. The content runs through courses most students finish by the start of grade 12.

• Make a first pass, answer what you can quickly, flag the rest and come back.
• Write your steps down. It catches sign errors and misread questions.
• Use the answer choices: plug them in, or pick simple numbers when the algebra gets messy.
• Memorize the formulas you keep looking up, such as area, volume, slope, distance and the basic trig ratios.
• Practice with the calculator you will use on test day, or with the on-screen one if you test online.

Trigonometry questions are a small share of the test, but they are learnable points; our guide to trigonometry formulas and examples covers the essentials. If math is your weakest section, our ACT math help page explains how a tutor can work through problem types with you.

Reading: 36 Questions in 40 Minutes

You have a little over a minute per question. Some parts of the section use one long passage and others use several shorter passages, with some questions asking about both. One passage may include a graph or table. The categories are Key Ideas and Details (44–52%), Craft and Structure (26–33%) and Integration of Knowledge and Ideas (19–26%).

• Read the passage actively first, jotting the main point of each paragraph in a few words.
• Answer from the text, not from memory or outside knowledge. You should be able to point to the line that supports the right answer.
• With paired passages, answer the questions on the first passage, then the second, then the ones about both.
• Find the passage type that slows you down most in your log, and leave it for last.

Science (Optional): 40 Questions in 40 Minutes

Science tests how you read data and experiments, not how many facts you have memorized. Advanced knowledge is not required, and calculators are not allowed. Passages come as data representations (graphs and tables), research summaries (one or more experiments) and conflicting viewpoints (competing explanations of the same thing).

• Skim the passage for what was measured and how, then go to the questions.
• Read axis labels and units before you read numbers.
• For conflicting viewpoints, summarize each position in one line before you answer.

Writing (Optional): One Essay in 40 Minutes

You read a prompt about an issue, along with several perspectives on it, and write an argumentative essay that develops your own view. Check whether any college on your list requires or recommends it before you pay for the add-on. For more on the essay itself, see our ACT essay page.

How to Use Official ACT Practice Tests

Official practice tests are your best material because they come from the people who write the real test. ACT.org posts free full-length practice tests, both online (each section timed or untimed) and as printable PDFs with scoring keys. ACT's free Preparing for the ACT booklet also includes a full practice test with the optional science and writing sections.

• Ration them. Save full tests for checkpoints (weeks 1, 5 and 8 in the 8-week plan) and use other practice for drills.
• Simulate test day. Start at the same time of day as your real test, time every section strictly and use the format you registered for.
• Score with the official key. On enhanced practice tests, ACT marks field-test questions in gray; leave them out when you convert your raw score.
• Review within a day. Log every miss and every lucky guess.
• Use legacy tests carefully. Older tests still work for untimed drills, but they have more questions, different timing and five-choice math, so do not use them to predict your score.

ACT vs SAT: Which Test Should You Take?

Colleges that consider test scores generally accept either test, so choose the one that suits you better.

The SAT gives you more time per question and adapts its second module in each section to how you did on the first. The ACT moves faster, especially in English, but offers paper testing and an optional science section. The quickest way to decide is to take one official practice test of each and see which feels more natural and where your scores sit against your colleges' ranges. If you choose the SAT, our guide on how to study effectively for the SAT walks through that test.

The Week Before Test Day

• Have your admission ticket ready and check which photo ID ACT accepts.
• Check your calculator against ACT's calculator policy; if you test online on your own device, rerun the device check.
• Review only your mistake log, keep your sleep schedule steady and know your route to the test center.

If one topic keeps showing up in your log and you cannot untangle it on your own, a tutor can explain it step by step until you can solve it alone on test day. Get help from a tutor to work through practice problems and understand the method behind them.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Long Should I Study for the ACT?

It depends on the gap between your diagnostic score and your target. A small gap or a close test date can work with a focused 4-week plan. A moderate gap usually needs about 8 weeks, and a large one 12 weeks. In each case, aim for 4 to 6 hours a week in regular sessions, take full practice tests at checkpoints and finish your plan the week before the test.

Is the Science Section Required on the ACT?

No. Since the 2025 changes, science is an optional add-on that costs $5 and adds 40 minutes. It does not count toward your Composite, but it gives you a science score and a STEM score. Take it if you are applying to STEM programs, if a college on your list asks for it, or if science is a strength you want colleges to see.

How Is the ACT Composite Score Calculated Now?

On the enhanced ACT, your Composite is the average of your English, math and reading scores, rounded to the nearest whole number, on the 1–36 scale. Science and writing are reported separately and do not affect it. If you take science, you also get a STEM score that combines your math and science results. Composite scores from legacy tests taken before the change stay as they were.

How Many Questions Are on the Enhanced ACT?

The core test has 131 questions: 50 in English (35 minutes), 45 in math (50 minutes) and 36 in reading (40 minutes). The optional science section adds 40 questions in 40 minutes, and the optional writing test is one essay in 40 minutes. Some questions are unscored field-test items, but they look like the others, so answer every question carefully.

Is the Online ACT Different from the Paper ACT?

The content and scoring are the same, but the experience differs. Online, you test at a test center on your own device or one the center provides, with a highlighter, an answer eliminator, question flagging and an on-screen calculator in math. On paper you use a booklet and an answer sheet. Take at least one practice test in the format you register for.

Can I Use Old ACT Practice Tests for the Enhanced ACT?

Yes, for drills, but not to predict your score. Legacy tests have 75 English and 60 math questions, five answer choices in math, longer timing and a Composite that includes science. Use them untimed to practice question types and content, and save the official enhanced practice tests on ACT.org for your timed checkpoints.

Should I Take the ACT or the SAT?

Colleges that consider scores generally accept either. The SAT is digital and adaptive, with more time per question and no science section. The ACT moves faster, offers paper or online testing and has an optional science section. Take one official practice test of each, compare your results with your colleges' score ranges and prepare for the one that fits you better.