ACT Exam Syllabus 2024-25: Check Updates Topics for Reading, Maths, Writing, Science, & English Section

The ACT exam is a standardized test for college admissions in the US and other countries. The ACT exam syllabus covers four main subjects: English, Mathematics, Reading, and Science, with an optional Writing section. This test checks if high school students are ready for college by evaluating their knowledge and skills.

The English section tests grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, and writing skills. The mathematics section covers algebra, geometry, trigonometry, and data analysis, allowing specific calculators. The Reading section measures comprehension and analysis through passages on social studies, natural sciences, fiction, and humanities. The Science section focuses on interpreting and analyzing scientific data, reasoning, and problem-solving. 

The optional Writing section asks students to write an essay where they develop and support an argument. By understanding the ACT exam syllabus for each section, students can prepare well for the ACT and be ready for college-level courses.

ACT Exam Syllabus for Reading Section

The ACT Reading section is designed to assess your reading comprehension skills, focusing on your ability to understand and interpret various types of texts. This section consists of several passages, each followed by a set of multiple-choice questions that evaluate your ability to grasp and analyze the information presented. Below is a detailed overview of what the Reading section entails:

Structure of the ACT Reading Section

1. Passages and Questions

• The Reading section comprises multiple passages.

• Each passage is followed by a series of multiple-choice questions.

• Some questions may refer to the passage as a whole, while others may focus on specific sentences or phrases.

2. Types of Questions

• Questions assess your understanding of the main ideas, details, and structure of the passage.

• Some questions might ask you to infer meanings or analyze the author’s intent.

• Others may require you to determine the meaning of words and phrases in context.

Content Areas in the ACT Reading Section

1. Social Studies

• Passages in this area typically cover topics in anthropology, archaeology, biography, business, economics, education, geography, history, political science, psychology, and sociology.

• You may encounter historical documents, journalistic articles, or theoretical discussions.

2. Natural Sciences

• Passages often pertain to subjects such as anatomy, astronomy, biology, botany, chemistry, ecology, geology, meteorology, physics, and zoology.

• Expect to read scientific articles, research findings, or explanations of scientific phenomena.

3. Prose Fiction/Literary Narrative

• This category includes passages from short stories, novels, memoirs, and personal essays.

• These passages focus on characters, settings, and plots, requiring you to analyze narrative elements.

4. Humanities

• Passages cover arts, literature, philosophy, and religion.

• You might read essays, reviews, and excerpts from speeches or memoirs discussing various humanistic themes.

The ACT exam syllabus for reading section puts you in the role of a critical reader who must understand and interpret texts from a variety of disciplines. It tests your ability to process and analyze written information, preparing you for the types of reading you will encounter in college and beyond.

ACT Exam Syllabus for Mathematics Section

The mathematics section of the ACT is designed to assess the mathematical skills that students have typically acquired by the beginning of 12th grade. This section evaluates your ability to solve problems, understand mathematical concepts, and apply your knowledge to various scenarios. Here is a detailed breakdown of what the mathematics section entails:

Structure of the ACT Mathematics Section

1. Question Format

• Most questions are self-contained.

• Some questions are part of a set related to a common graph or chart.

• A calculator is allowed for this section, but only certain models are permitted (details can be found at www.act.org/calculator-policy.html).

2. Content Areas

• The questions emphasize major content areas that are prerequisites for success in entry-level college mathematics courses.

• Basic formulas and computational skills are assumed, but the recall of complex formulas or extensive computations is not required.

Reporting Categories

Nine scores are reported for the mathematics section: one overall score and eight category scores based on specific mathematical knowledge and skills. The approximate percentage of the section devoted to each category is as follows:

1. Preparing for Higher Math (57–60%)

This category includes five subcategories that cover more recent mathematical content learned in high school.

Number and Quantity (7–10%)

• Knowledge of real and complex number systems.

• Reasoning with numerical quantities in various forms, including expressions with integer and rational exponents, vectors, and matrices.

Algebra (12–15%)

• Solving, graphing, and modeling different types of expressions.

• Interpreting and using various kinds of equations, such as linear, polynomial, radical, and exponential.

• Finding solutions to systems of equations, including those represented by simple matrix equations.

Functions (12–15%)

• Understanding function definitions, notations, representations, and applications.

• Using linear, radical, piecewise, polynomial, exponential, and logarithmic functions.

• Manipulating and translating functions, interpreting and using important graph features.

Geometry (12–15%)

• Applying knowledge of shapes and solids, including congruence and similarity, surface area, and volume.

• Solving problems involving composite objects and missing values in triangles, circles, and other figures.

• Using trigonometric ratios and equations of conic sections.

Statistics & Probability (8–12%)

• Describing the center and spread of distributions.

• Applying and analyzing data collection methods.

• Understanding and modeling relationships in bivariate data.

• Calculating probabilities and recognizing related sample spaces.

2. Integrating Essential Skills (40–43%)

This category focuses on synthesizing and applying understandings and skills to solve more complex problems. It includes:

• Rates and percentages.

• Proportional relationships.

• Area, surface area, and volume.

• Average and median.

• Expressing numbers in different ways.

3. Modeling

• Questions involving producing, interpreting, understanding, evaluating, and improving models.

• This category represents an overall measure of modeling skills across mathematical topics and is counted in other appropriate reporting categories.

The ACT Mathematics section evaluates your proficiency in essential mathematical areas, preparing you for college-level courses and everyday problem-solving scenarios.

ACT Exam Syllabus for Reading Section

The Reading section of the ACT is designed to measure your ability to read closely, reason logically using evidence, and integrate information from multiple sources. This section evaluates your reading comprehension skills across a variety of subject areas and prepares you for the type of reading you will encounter in college. Here’s a detailed breakdown of the Reading section:

Structure of the ACT Reading Section

1. Question Format

• The Reading section consists of multiple parts, including one long prose passage or multiple shorter prose passages.

• Each passage is followed by a set of multiple-choice questions.

• Questions do not test rote recall of facts or rules of formal logic, nor do they contain isolated vocabulary questions.

• In sections with two shorter passages, some questions involve both passages.

2. Passage Information

• Each passage is preceded by a heading that identifies the author and source.

• Background information may be provided to help you understand the passage.

• The passages represent levels and kinds of text commonly encountered in first-year college curricula.

The ACT Reading section tests your ability to read and understand texts from various genres and subjects, ensuring you can analyze and integrate information effectively. This section prepares you for the reading and analytical tasks you will encounter in college and beyond.

ACT Exam Syllabus for Science Section

The Science section of the ACT is designed to measure the interpretation, analysis, evaluation, reasoning, and problem-solving skills required in the natural sciences. This section presents several scientific scenarios, each followed by multiple-choice questions, and covers a range of topics including biology, chemistry, Earth/space sciences (e.g., geology, astronomy, and meteorology), and physics. 

Advanced knowledge in these areas is not required, but background knowledge from introductory science courses may be necessary to answer some questions correctly.

Structure of the ACT Science Section

1. Question Format

• The Science section consists of several scientific scenarios presented in various formats.

• Each scenario is followed by multiple-choice questions that assess different scientific skills.

• Calculators are not permitted in this section.

2. Content Areas

• The questions encompass various scientific disciplines: biology, chemistry, Earth/space sciences, and physics.

The ACT Science section evaluates your ability to interpret and analyze scientific data, understand experimental design, and evaluate scientific models and results. It prepares you for scientific problem-solving and critical thinking tasks you will encounter in college and beyond.

ACT Exam Syllabus for Writing Section (Optional)

The Writing section of the ACT is an optional 40-minute essay test that assesses your writing skills, which are taught in high school English classes and entry-level college composition courses. This section measures your ability to generate ideas, develop and support arguments, organize content, and use language effectively.

Structure of the ACT Writing Section

1. Timing and Format

• The Writing section is 40 minutes long.

• It consists of one writing prompt that describes a complex issue and provides three different perspectives on the issue.

2. Task

• You are asked to read the prompt and write an essay in which you develop your own perspective on the issue.

• Your essay should analyze the relationship between your own perspective and one or more of the other perspectives given.

• You may adopt one of the provided perspectives or introduce a completely different one.

• Your score will not be affected by the perspective you take.

Writing Domains

The four domains in which your writing is assessed are:

1. Ideas and Analysis

• This domain reflects the ability to generate productive ideas and engage critically with multiple perspectives on the given issue.

• Competent writers understand the issue, the purpose for writing, and the audience.

• They generate relevant ideas for the situation.

2. Development and Support

• This domain reflects the ability to discuss ideas, offer rationale, and bolster an argument.

• Competent writers explain and explore their ideas, discuss implications, and illustrate through examples.

• They help the reader understand their thinking about the issue.

3. Organization

• This domain reflects the ability to organize ideas with clarity and purpose.

• Organizational choices are integral to effective writing.

• Competent writers arrange their essays in a way that clearly shows the relationship between ideas and guides the reader through their discussion.

4. Language Use and Conventions

• This domain reflects the ability to use written language to convey arguments with clarity.

• Competent writers make use of grammar, syntax, word usage, and mechanics.

• They are aware of their audience and adjust the style and tone of their writing to communicate effectively.

The ACT Writing section tests your ability to compose a coherent, well-structured, and persuasive essay on a given topic. By developing and supporting your ideas effectively and demonstrating good command of language conventions, you can perform well in this section.