What does ACT stand for? (Quick tips)

Apart from, “What does SAT stand for?“, most students also worry and ask the question, “What does ACT stand for?”. This is because these exams are significant when applying for a good college in mostly in the United States and Canada.

ACT doesn’t really have a particular name, but you can call it the ‘American College Test’ because the popularity of the acronym has taken over what it actually stands for. The test has been in operation for over 60 yrs now and it started operation when most students found it very difficult to write SAT exams because of one reason or the other.

Divisions of ACT:

On the other hand, apart from the question, “What does ACT stand for?”, most students also ask about the contents and division of ACT. This test is made up of 5 sections.

• The English section
• The mathematics section
• The Science section
• The Writing section
• The Essay section is optional.

The ACT exam is held seven times a year. The exam fee should not be more than $160 without the essay and about $170 with the essay inclusive. The duration of the exam without the essay is 2 hrs 55 mins and 3 hrs 40 mins with the essay part inclusive.

The English Section:

The English part of the exam last for 45 mins with a total of 75 questions. This exam consist of 5 passages with various sections. The various questions consists of the use of different mechanics.

For Instance, the correct use of punctuations such as colon, comma, apostrophe, full stop and constructing sentences in an organized manner really matter in this section.

The Mathematics Section:

The Mathematics test comprises of 60 questions and it lasts for 60 minutes. The questions come from topics like algebra, coordinate geometry, simple trigonometry etc. The questions get more difficult as you proceed. Calculators are required but MUST be the simple calculators.

What does ACT stand for?

The Writing Section:

The Reading lasts for 40 minutes with a total of 35 questions. This section comprises of 4 sections. This part is given to ascertain your reading skills and your ability to understand. Normally questions will be asked based on the comprehension passage.

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The Science Section:

The Science consists of 35 questions that last for 40 minutes. This section is to ascertain your knowledge of basic and advanced science. Some of these questions require in-depth comprehension to get the direct answer.

The Essay Section:

The essay question lasts for 40 minutes. This part is usually at the end of the exam; although it is not compulsory for some colleges, most colleges require it.

What does ACT stand for?

Functions of the ACT test:

• It helps to measure the general intellect of the students.
• It helps to check the capability of the students to finish their college work.
• The ACT scores can be used to supplement the students’ grades during their secondary school period.
• Some students can make do with the ACT exam instead of the SAT exam.
• Most colleges use the ACT score to grade the exams.

Final tips:

The ACT test is an international test that is recognized in most schools in the United States. High ACT scores gain you more privilege and a more comprehensive option for schools that you can attend.

One of the major reasons behind this test is to ascertain how ready one is to attend college and to test the mental ability of a student that passed through high school.

Read this: Academic Interests: How to quickly develop one (Fast)

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