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What is ACT?
The ACT is a standardized college entrance exam that tests students' knowledge and skills in English, math, reading, and science. It is one of the two major college admission tests used in the United States, along with the SAT.
Structure of ACT
The ACT consists of four multiple-choice sections:
- English (75 questions, 45 minutes) - Tests grammar, usage, and rhetorical skills
- Math (60 questions, 60 minutes) - Covers pre-algebra, algebra, geometry, and trigonometry
- Reading (40 questions, 35 minutes) - Assesses reading comprehension across four passages on prose fiction or literary narrative, social science, humanities, and natural sciences
- Science (40 questions, 35 minutes) - Measures interpretation, analysis, evaluation, reasoning, and problem-solving in the sciences
The ACT Science section does not test specific scientific content knowledge. Instead, it assesses your ability to interpret, analyze, and problem-solve using scientific data, experiments, and passages.
There is also an optional Writing section (1 essay prompt, 40 minutes) that some colleges may require. This section requires you to write an essay responding to a prompt. It tests your writing skills like developing a position, organizing ideas, and using language effectively.
Timing and Scoring
The total testing time is 2 hours and 55 minutes without the Writing section, or 3 hours and 35 minutes with it. Each section is scored on a scale of 1-36, and a composite score between 1-36 is calculated from the four required sections.
ACT: What You Will Find Here
Our categorized word list includes essential vocabulary extracted from practice materials such as the Official ACT Prep Guide 2023-2024 and Preparing for the ACT 2023-2024 published by the ACT Inc, ACT Premium Prep 2023 published by The Princeton Review, as well as online practice tests offered by ACT website, Kaplan, Mometrix, and Varsity Tutors.
The Categories
The vocabulary extracted from these resources have been classified into 5 main categories, each with multiple, more detailed categories:
English and World Knowledge
The set of words you will need to answer the English section of the exam are gathered in the first category. These include phrasal verbs, sentences connectors, collocations, intensifiers, etc. The other set of subcategories in this category provide you with the vocabulary on general world knowledge that you will need in order to comprehend the passages, such as words that refer to people, objects, physical phenomena, etc.
Math and Assessment
The second category includes words you will need to understand and answer math and geometry questions. It will also equip you with the set of vocabulary you will need in order to be able to understand quantities, analyze and assess data, and establish time and order of events.
Humanities
The third category corresponds to the Reading section of ACT exam and includes words you will need in understanding the reading passages, covering subjects such as humanities, social studies, history and art, etc.
Science
The fourth category presents the specialized scientific vocabulary that help you analyze the information in the Science section of the ACT. This category covers words in biology, chemistry, physics, medical sciences, zoology, agriculture, geography, etc.
Exam Literacy
Finally, the Exam Literacy category offers the general essential vocabulary that will help you understand the passages and questions asked about them. They cover a variety of topics related to human life and facilities.
