The ACT

The Composite averages English, Math and Reading. Science and Writing are reported separately. Question counts from ACT's scoring page, checked 18 September 2026.

Every guide in The ACT

• ACT Test Dates 2026-27: Every Deadline, and the One That Closes on 29 September

  Every 2026-27 national date, deadline, photo cutoff and score release from ACT's own table. Only two dates reach a 1 November deadline, and one of them by five days.

• How the ACT Is Scored Now: Three Sections, One Average, and a Rounding Quirk

  The Composite averages three sections, so it can only end in .00, .33 or .67. That puts you one, two or three section points from the next Composite, and the page shows how to tell which.

• What Is a Good ACT Score? The Average Is 19.4, and Half of Students Score 18 or Lower

  The national average is 19.4, but half of test takers score 18 or lower. ACT's percentile table for 2026-27, and how to find the score your colleges want in their Common Data Set.

• What's on the ACT Now: Math Is 80% Higher Math, and English Is Less Grammar

  ACT's own blueprint tables, old against new. Math went from about 60% higher math to 80%, and English grammar fell from more than half the section to about 40%.

• Should You Take ACT Science? $5, 40 Minutes, and the Colleges That Still Ask

  Pomona requires Science from ACT submitters and Georgetown highly recommends it. Marquette, still listed as requiring it by at least one tracker, now says on its own page that it does not.

• ACT Online or on Paper? What Changes on Test Day, and How to Choose

  Same questions, same test center. Online adds Desmos and faster scores but rules out personal Chromebooks, Windows S mode and tablets.

• How Much Does the ACT Cost in 2026-27? $70, and Every Fee on Top

  Every ACT fee for 2026-27, with worked totals. ACT's own pages list two different prices for score reports, and this page says which to budget for.

• ACT Superscore: How It Works, and Why It Rises Faster Than a Retake

  How ACT builds a superscore from your best sections, and why 2025 retesters raised theirs by 2.4 points when a single retake moves the Composite about one.

• ACT My Answer Key: How to Get Your Real Test Back, and the 4 Dates That Qualify

  The digital SAT will not show you your questions. The ACT will, on four dates in 2026-27. What you get for $36 and how to use it before a retake.

• The ACT Outside the US Costs $188.50. What International Students Should Know

  Outside the US the ACT costs $188.50 against $111 for the SAT, and it is computer-based only. The 2026-27 international dates and what two sittings cost.

Common questions

What is on the ACT in 2026?

English, Math and Reading, 131 questions in 125 minutes, with Science and Writing as optional add-ons. Only 108 of the 131 questions are scored. Math now puts 80% of its scored questions on higher-level math, up from about 60% before the 2025 changes.

How is the ACT scored?

Each section is scored from 1 to 36. The Composite is the average of English, Math and Reading, rounded to the nearest whole number. Science and Writing are reported separately and do not change the Composite.

How much does the ACT cost?

$70 in the United States for English, Math and Reading, $75 with Science and $100 with Science and Writing. Outside the US the core test costs $188.50.

When are the ACT test dates for 2026-27?

19 September, 17 October and 12 December 2026, then 27 February, 10 April, 12 June and 10 July 2027 in the United States. International testing runs on separate two-day windows.

Browse all SAT guides, or read about who writes them.