ACT practice test
Practice questions for each section of the enhanced ACT: English grammar and usage, math, reading comprehension and the optional science section. Answer in your browser, see your score, and read why each answer is right.
Question 1 of 31
Choose the correct word: "The team of researchers ___ finished its final report."
Question 2 of 31
Which version is punctuated correctly?
Question 3 of 31
Which is the best revision of "The meeting was postponed until later at a future date"?
Question 4 of 31
Which version is punctuated correctly?
Question 5 of 31
Choose the correct form: "Both ___ profits rose last year."
Question 6 of 31
Solar panels have become much cheaper over the past decade. ___, more homeowners are installing them. Which transition fits best?
Question 7 of 31
Choose the correct word: "Neither of the players ___ ready for the second half."
Question 8 of 31
Which sentence avoids a dangling modifier?
Question 9 of 31
If 3x − 7 = 11, what is the value of x?
Question 10 of 31
What is the slope of the line through the points (2, 5) and (6, 13)?
Question 11 of 31
If f(x) = x² − 4x + 1, what is f(3)?
Question 12 of 31
A right triangle has legs of length 6 and 8. How long is the hypotenuse?
Question 13 of 31
A $40 shirt is on sale for 15% off. What is the sale price, before tax?
Question 14 of 31
What are the solutions of x² − 5x + 6 = 0?
Question 15 of 31
A bag holds 3 red, 5 blue and 2 green marbles. One is drawn at random. What is the probability it is red?
Question 16 of 31
The mean of five test scores is 82. Four of the scores are 78, 85, 90 and 74. What is the fifth score?
Question 17 of 31
A circle has a radius of 5. What is its area?
Question 18 of 31
"Maria had practiced the piece for months, yet when she sat down at the piano her hands trembled. She closed her eyes, remembered her teacher's advice to listen rather than think, and began." The teacher's advice suggests Maria should
Question 19 of 31
"Urban trees do more than provide shade. They lower summer temperatures, absorb storm water and have been linked to lower stress among residents. Yet many cities plant them unevenly, with wealthier neighborhoods receiving far more." What is the main idea?
Question 20 of 31
"The scientist's claims were met with skepticism until other labs could replicate her results." As used here, "replicate" most nearly means
Question 21 of 31
"By the time the ferry reached the island, the last bus had already left, and the only taxi driver was locking his car for the night." It can most reasonably be inferred that the travelers
Question 22 of 31
"Popular accounts credit a single inventor with the design. Workshop records, however, show at least three shops building nearly identical machines within the same decade." The author mainly mentions the workshop records in order to
Question 23 of 31
"Grandpa's workshop smelled of sawdust and oil. Every tool hung in its outline on the pegboard, and he could tell at a glance if anything was missing." The details mainly suggest that Grandpa was
Question 24 of 31
In a passage that compares two explanations for why bees are declining, the author writes: "Neither explanation alone accounts for every case, which suggests the causes may work together." The author's view is best described as
Question 25 of 31
Bean plants were grown with 0, 2, 4 or 6 hours of extra light per day. After two weeks their average heights were 3 cm, 7 cm, 11 cm and 12 cm. Which statement best describes the results?
Question 26 of 31
In the bean plant experiment, what is the independent variable?
Question 27 of 31
Dissolved oxygen in water was 11.3 mg/L at 10°C, 9.1 mg/L at 20°C and 7.6 mg/L at 30°C. What is the best estimate at 25°C?
Question 28 of 31
A student wants to test whether a fertilizer makes tomato plants produce more fruit. Which is the best control group?
Question 29 of 31
Scientist 1 says a frog population fell because of a fungal disease. Scientist 2 says it fell because of habitat loss. Which finding would most support Scientist 1?
Question 30 of 31
A reaction's rate doubles with every 10°C increase in temperature. At 20°C the rate is 4 units. What is the rate at 40°C?
Question 31 of 31
A student measures the time a pendulum takes to swing, repeating each trial five times and averaging the results. What is the main reason for repeating trials?
ACT rules and formulas to know
Flip through these flashcards to review the grammar rules, math formulas and science terms that come up most often. Use the arrow keys or click a card to flip it.
| Subject–verb agreement | Find the real subject and ignore prepositional phrases: "The box of books is heavy." |
| Semicolon | Joins two complete sentences: "It rained; we stayed in." |
| Nonessential clause | Extra information gets a comma on both sides: "My dog, who is old, sleeps a lot." |
| Plural possessive | Add the apostrophe after the s: "the students' desks" |
| Concision | If two choices say the same thing, the ACT prefers the shorter one. |
| Dangling modifier | An opening phrase must describe the subject that comes right after the comma. |
| Slope | m = (y₂ − y₁) / (x₂ − x₁) |
| Pythagorean theorem | a² + b² = c² (c is the hypotenuse) |
| Quadratic formula | x = (−b ± √(b² − 4ac)) / 2a |
| Percent change | (new − old) / old × 100 |
| Circle area and circumference | Area = πr², circumference = 2πr |
| Independent vs. dependent variable | Independent: what the experimenter changes. Dependent: what gets measured. |
| Control group | Same as the experimental group except for the factor being tested. |
| ACT composite score | Average of English, math and reading (1–36). Science is reported separately. |
See all 14 cards
Subject–verb agreementFind the real subject and ignore prepositional phrases: "The box of books is heavy."
SemicolonJoins two complete sentences: "It rained; we stayed in."
Nonessential clauseExtra information gets a comma on both sides: "My dog, who is old, sleeps a lot."
Plural possessiveAdd the apostrophe after the s: "the students' desks"
ConcisionIf two choices say the same thing, the ACT prefers the shorter one.
Dangling modifierAn opening phrase must describe the subject that comes right after the comma.
Slopem = (y₂ − y₁) / (x₂ − x₁)
Pythagorean theorema² + b² = c² (c is the hypotenuse)
Quadratic formulax = (−b ± √(b² − 4ac)) / 2a
Percent change(new − old) / old × 100
Circle area and circumferenceArea = πr², circumference = 2πr
Independent vs. dependent variableIndependent: what the experimenter changes. Dependent: what gets measured.
Control groupSame as the experimental group except for the factor being tested.
ACT composite scoreAverage of English, math and reading (1–36). Science is reported separately.
About the enhanced ACT
- English: 50 questions in 35 minutes. Math: 45 questions in 50 minutes, each with four answer choices. Reading: 36 questions in 40 minutes.
- Science (40 questions, 40 minutes) and the writing essay (40 minutes) are optional on the enhanced ACT.
- The composite score (1–36) is the average of English, math and reading. Science is reported separately and combines with math into a STEM score.
- The enhanced format started with the online national test in April 2025 and the paper test in September 2025; the three required sections take about two hours.
Questions
Are these real ACT questions?
No. They are original practice questions written to match the topics and style of the enhanced ACT. For official practice tests, see ACT.org.
Is the science section still on the ACT?
Science is optional on the enhanced ACT. Your composite score is the average of English, math and reading; if you take science, it is reported separately and combined with math into a STEM score.
How many questions are on the enhanced ACT?
English has 50 questions in 35 minutes, math 45 in 50 minutes and reading 36 in 40 minutes. The optional science section has 40 questions in 40 minutes.
Is it free?
Yes. The practice questions and flashcards on this page are free, with no sign-up.
Can I get more practice questions?
Yes. Paste your own notes or a passage you're studying into the quiz maker and it writes a new practice quiz from that material, with explanations for every answer.
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