ACT Exam Pattern 2024-25: Check Duration, Marking Scheme, and Score Range

The ACT Exam Pattern for 2024-25 is designed to test various academic skills through four main sections: English, Math, Reading, and Science, all scored from 1 to 36. An optional Writing section is also available, scored from 2 to 12. The test lasts 2 hours and 55 minutes without the Writing section, and 3 hours and 35 minutes with it. You get a short break after Math, and if you take the Writing section, another break follows Science.

The optional Writing test involves writing an essay based on three viewpoints on a debate topic. Understanding the ACT exam pattern helps evaluate a student’s overall readiness for college.

ACT Exam Pattern 2024-25

The ACT has four main sections: English, Math, Reading, and Science. There is also an optional Writing section (essay). The total test time is 2 hours and 55 minutes without the essay, and 3 hours and 35 minutes with the essay. 

There is a short break after the second section, and if you’re taking the optional Writing section, there’s another break after the fourth section. The table below shows the ACT exam pattern for 2024-25:

ACT Exam Pattern – Marking Scheme & Scoring Pattern

On the ACT, you get one point for each correct answer, with no penalties for wrong answers. Each section is scored from 1 to 36 based on your raw score. The scores from the four main sections—English, Math, Reading, and Science—are averaged to give a composite score between 1 and 36.

The optional Writing test is scored separately on a scale of 2 to 12 and doesn’t affect your composite score. The essay is evaluated in four areas (Ideas and Analysis, Development and Support, Organization, and Language Use and Conventions), each scored from 2 to 12 by two readers. These scores are added together to give the final Writing score.

ACT Exam Full Score

The composite score, ranging from 1 to 36, is the average of the four section scores. Additionally, the essay score combines with the English and Reading scores to form an English Language Arts (ELA) score, also ranging from 1 to 36.

ACT Exam Duration for Indian Students

The ACT exam is structured to assess students’ academic readiness for college through four main sections: English, Math, Reading, and Science. The total duration of the test without the optional Writing section is 2 hours and 55 minutes. Specifically, the English section is 45 minutes long, the Math section is 60 minutes, and the Reading and Science sections are each 35 minutes.

For students opting to take the Writing section, the total test time extends to 3 hours and 35 minutes, with the Writing section adding an additional 40 minutes. The test administration includes scheduled breaks: a short break after the Math section and another break after the Science section, applicable only to those taking the optional Writing test.

ACT Exam Pattern for English Test

The ACT English test evaluates a student’s grasp of grammar, punctuation, and rhetorical skills through a series of questions based on five passages. Each passage contains 15 questions, focusing on grammar, style, and the overall tone of the passage. 

The test covers six key elements of effective writing, divided into two main categories: Usage/Mechanics and Rhetorical Skills.

ACT Exam Pattern for Math Test

The ACT Math test is designed to evaluate a student’s mathematical skills across various topics. The test includes questions from pre-algebra, elementary algebra, intermediate algebra, coordinate geometry, plane geometry, and trigonometry. 

ACT Exam Pattern for Reading

The ACT Reading test consists of four passages, each representing a different genre: prose fiction, social sciences, humanities, and natural sciences. The passages always appear in this order, with each passage followed by 10 questions. 

ACT Exam Pattern for Science

The ACT Science test doesn’t require specific science knowledge. Instead, it focuses on reading and reasoning using science-related passages. You will encounter around 2-3 passages with charts and graphs, 2-3 passages about science experiments, and 1 or 2 passages called “Fighting Scientists.” Each passage has between 5 and 7 questions.

ACT Exam Pattern for Writing (Optional)

The Writing test is optional and only needed if your college requires an essay score. The task gives you three viewpoints on a debatable topic. You need to explain and support your own position on the topic while considering the three given perspectives.