The ACT is divided into five tests: English, Mathematics, Reading, Science, and Writing. You can elect to take the ACT with only the first four tests, which make up the multiple-choice portion of the ACT. The fifth test, in which you produce an essay, is an optional test.
No matter where or when you take the ACT, the order of the tests and the time allotted for each is always the same. This consistency works in your favor: the more you know about what to expect on Test Day, the more confident you’ll feel. You may know that one section of the exam, let’s say, Reading, usually seems more challenging for you, but at least you know that Reading will always be third. The ACT won’t surprise you by making the Reading section the first thing you see when you open your exam booklet. Knowing the structure of the ACT will help you feel in control of your test-taking experience.
The following table summarizes the predictable structure of the ACT:
| Test | Time Allotted | Number and Type of Questions |
| Section 1: English | 45 minutes | 75 multiple choice |
| Section 2: Mathematics | 60 minutes | 60 multiple choice |
| Section 3: Reading | 35 minutes | 40 multiple choice |
| Section 4: Science | 35 minutes | 40 multiple choice |
| Section 5: Writing | 40 minutes | 1 essay prompt |
Here’s your first ACT practice question:
One of the most important ways to succeed on a standardized test is to:
Which answer did you choose? Although some of the choices may have made you groan or grimace if you recognized they weren’t true, we hope you spotted that choice (D) is the best answer.
As you use this book and apply the Kaplan strategies to work through practice problems, you’ll come to see that the test experience need not be demoralizing at all. Right now, however, you may be apprehensive for a variety of reasons. Your own teachers didn’t write the test. You’ve heard the test maker includes trick answers. You feel weak in one of the content areas and don’t know how you can possibly improve enough to do well on that test section. Thousands of students will be taking the test. All of these things can seem very intimidating.
Let’s look carefully at that last reason. The simple fact that thousands of students from different places take the ACT is actually a good thing. It means that the test is necessarily constructed in a deliberate and predictable way. Because it’s a standardized test, the ACT must include very specific content and skills that are consistent from one test date to another. The need for standardization makes it predictable, not intimidating. It’s predictable not only in the layout of the test sections in the booklet, but also in the topics that are tested and even in the way those topics are tested. Working the practice problems in this book will help you understand not only how each topic is tested but also how to approach the various question types.
If you feel anxious about the predominance of multiple-choice questions on the ACT, think about this fact: For multiple-choice questions, there has to be only one right answer, and it’s right there in front of you in the test booklet. A question that could be interpreted differently by students from different schools, even different parts of the country, who’ve had different teachers and different high school courses, would never make it onto the ACT. Each question on the ACT is designed to test a specific skill. Either the question or the passage it’s associated with (for English, Reading, and Science) must include information that allows all students to determine the correct answer.
There can be no ambiguity about which answer is best for a multiple-choice question on a standardized test. This workbook will teach you proven Kaplan strategies for finding that answer. The Kaplan strategies, along with your understanding about the structure and writing of the test, will put you in control of your ACT Test Day experience.