ACT exam syllabus : Pattern and Tips to Prepare!

Studying abroad will ensure quality education and it will be more rewarding if taken up at the right stage of your career. The best time to make a decision regarding studying abroad should be after high school. To study in the most reputed international countries like America and Canada, students would need to pass one language exam along with a standardized test used for college admissions. Colleges and universities set an eligibility score for exams like ACT for high school pass outs to filter them for their bachelor’s programs. ACT stands for American College Test and is used by various colleges and universities to offer admission to undergraduate courses. ACT syllabus is a planned educational curriculum that tests a high school graduate on his/her readiness for college.

ACT® is a federally registered trademark of ACT. – an American non-profit organization and basis that over 1.67 million high school graduates apply every year globally to study abroad. It is regarded as a standard examination, used to check the eligibility of high school graduates in the areas of Mathematics, Science, English, and Reading. The very first section is English, and the questions are based on usage, grammar, rhetoric and sentence construction. Mathematics includes elementary topics like algebra, geometry and trigonometry. The science structure is mainly based on problem-solving, interpretation and analytical skills. The test’s reading part focuses on ideas, knowledge, development and comprehension. The writing part of the examination is optional, and it depends upon the universities or colleges to decide that part. The ACT exam pattern is simple, and it is a computer-based test with multiple-choice questions. The ACT exam has no passing score, and the average score is 21, on a scale of 1-36. A high score will make admissions easier at prestigious and notable universities.

Here are some very important details about the ACT test which every aspiring high school graduate should know:

ACT Exam Pattern For Students

The ACT exam is a standard exam that assesses the readiness of high school graduates to get admission into undergraduate courses at various reputed and recognized American colleges. The ACT test syllabus focuses on four main sections-Mathematics, English, Science, Reading and Writing (optional). It is around three hours of examination, sans writing section, with a multiple-choice question pattern. 

Students need to check the eligibility and requirements shared by every college and university to find out if they have been asked for the writing exam scores too. There will be a total of 215 questions with no negative marking. The average score is 21, and the recognized ranked universities always have a high score requirement. To prepare better, students should have the ACT exam pattern at their fingertips:

Know More About:

• ACT Writing Test
• ACT Reading Test
• ACT English Test

ACT Syllabus

It is very important for ACT aspirants to be aware of the complete ACT exam syllabus, as it will help them to avoid any surprises on the day of the examination. 

English

This is the very first and compulsory section of the ACT exam. This section will have 75 MCQs from five passages. The questions are based on a big and detailed picture of the passages. The idea of these questions is to test an aspirant’s grammar usage and rhetorical skills. The usage test will focus on sentence formulation, punctuation and the usage of the right words in a sentence. The rhetorical skills section will be based on comprehension and understanding of the provided passage. Punctuation-related questions are important as they assess the skills of a student to use periods, question marks, commas and colons at the right place. Sentence structure is very important in evaluating clauses, phrases, modifiers and construction. The section will test the ability of the examinees to modify and improve the given passage with appropriate sentences and words. The style of writing is very important to maintain the structure, tone, format, and flow of a passage. 

Mathematics

A basic calculator is allowed for this section of the ACT examination. The main topics are percentage, multiples, factors, ratio, profit and loss, exponents, statistics, series, mean/median and mode, linear equations, inequalities, multiplying binomials, quadratic equations, functions, circles, polygons, triangle, geometry, graphs, complex numbers, trigonometry, 3-D Geometry, slope calculations, number lines, midpoints and conic sections. It will include the entire elementary mathematics syllabus for classes 11 and 12. 

Reading

The reading test in ACT will have a total of four long paragraphs of four different genres. It will be from sections like prose English, natural science, social science, and the arts. Each of the passages will have 10 questions. It will test the ability to understand and analyse the tone, format and flow of sentences, locate small details in the passage and comprehend the main characters and central ideas. There will be questions based on the description, implied ideas, vocabulary, functional and central idea questions. The best tip to cracking this part will be to solve the easy passages first and then give time to the difficult ones. 

Science

The science section will have 40 multiple-choice questions and seven passages in total. The topics will be earth science, chemistry, physics, and biology. Reasoning, scientific ability, analytics, evaluation and knowledge of theories are important. Data, hypothesis, analysing skills and interpretations are some of the topics that will be covered under the ACT exam’s science section. 

Writing (Optional)

The cogency of good essay writing is always essential for the ACT exam. This section will have a short passage along with three different viewpoints. The students writing the test need to analyse the viewpoints, note the drawbacks and merits of the viewpoints and give proper reasoning for the comments.

Some ACT Exam Tips

1. Read paragraphs in a detailed manner.

2. Pay attention to diagrams and charts in the mathematics section. 

3. Always answer in a concise and precise manner.

4. Skim and note the passages.

5. Do not keep the viewpoint section for the last minute.

6. Focus on the introduction and summary of essays.

7. Skip the difficult questions.

8. Stay calm and confident.

9. Practice a lot of test papers.

10. Train yourself for on-time exam completion.

ACT is a recognized test for high school students moving out to pursue a college degree. The difficulty level is minimal for the students with regular updates, practice and planning. 

Are you also taking the upcoming ACT exam? If yes, you can seek any kind of guidance and information by visiting the upGrad Abroad website. The academic counselor will guide you to getting the best ACT scores. 

Disclaimer - ACT® is a registered trademark belonging to ACT, Inc. ACT, Inc. is not involved with or affiliated with upgradabroad.com, nor does ACT, Inc. endorse or sponsor any of the products or services offered by upgradabroad.com.