The ACT still tests English, Math and Reading, with Science optional, but the mix inside each section changed in 2025. ACT's own comparison tables show that Math went from about 60% higher-level questions to 80%, and that English grammar and punctuation fell from more than half the section to about 40%. The shorter test cut some question types much harder than others.
Every number here comes from ACT's comparison of the legacy and enhanced ACT. The counts are scored questions. Each section also carries unscored trial questions, which how the ACT is scored explains. Timing and pacing against the SAT are in the Enhanced ACT pacing guide, so this page stays on content.
What is on ACT Math now?
| ACT category | Old ACT (60 questions) | Current ACT (41 scored) |
|---|---|---|
| Preparing for Higher Math | 34-36 (57-60%) | 33 (80%) |
| Number and Quantity | 5-7 | 4-5 |
| Algebra | 7-9 | 7-8 |
| Functions | 7-9 | 7-8 |
| Geometry | 7-9 | 7-8 |
| Statistics and Probability | 5-7 | 5-6 |
| Integrating Essential Skills | 24-26 (40-43%) | 8 (20%) |
| Modeling (tagged across the others) | 12 or more | 8 or more |
Integrating Essential Skills is ACT's name for problems built on math most students learn before high school: rates, percentages, proportions, area and volume. The old test had 24 to 26 of them. The current one has 8. That is 16 to 18 fewer of the most familiar questions on the section.
What took their place is higher math, spread evenly. Algebra, functions and geometry each carry 7 or 8 of the 41 scored questions, about a fifth of the section apiece. A student who skips geometry now gives away roughly as much as one who skips algebra. Math also has four answer choices per question instead of five.
What is on ACT English now?
| ACT category | Old ACT (75 questions) | Current ACT (40 scored) |
|---|---|---|
| Production of Writing | 22-24 (29-32%) | 15-17 (38-43%) |
| Knowledge of Language | 11-13 (15-17%) | 7-9 (18-23%) |
| Conventions of Standard English | 39-41 (52-55%) | 15-17 (38-43%) |
Conventions is the grammar category: punctuation, sentence structure and usage. It used to be more than half the section. Now it carries the same weight as Production of Writing, which asks whether a sentence belongs, whether a paragraph is in the right order, and whether a passage does what the writer set out to do. Knowledge of Language covers word choice, wordiness and keeping a consistent tone.
Grammar rules still matter. They are no longer most of the test. A student who drilled comma rules for the old ACT and never practiced "which choice best accomplishes the writer's goal" is preparing for about 40% of the current section.
What is on ACT Reading now?
| ACT category | Old ACT (40 questions) | Current ACT (27 scored) |
|---|---|---|
| Key Ideas and Details | 21-24 (53-60%) | 12-14 (44-52%) |
| Craft and Structure | 10-12 (25-30%) | 7-9 (26-33%) |
| Integration of Knowledge and Ideas | 6-9 (15-23%) | 5-7 (19-26%) |
Reading moved less. It shifted a little away from finding details in the passage and toward how the author builds the text and how information fits together across sources. ACT describes the section as testing your ability to "integrate information from multiple sources". Nine of the 36 questions you see are unscored, the highest share of any section.
What is on ACT Science now?
| ACT category | Old ACT (40 questions) | Current ACT (34 scored) |
|---|---|---|
| Interpretation of Data | 16-20 (40-50%) | 13-17 (36-47%) |
| Scientific Investigation | 8-12 (20-30%) | 6-11 (17-31%) |
| Evaluation of Models, Inferences and Experimental Results | 10-14 (25-35%) | 8-13 (22-36%) |
Science barely changed in content. What changed is its status: it is optional now and outside the Composite. Whether to take it is in should you take ACT Science.
What should you change in your ACT prep?
Three changes follow from the tables.
For Math, give algebra, functions and geometry equal time. The foundational questions that used to cushion a weak topic are mostly gone, so a gap in any one strand now shows up in your score.
For English, split your practice between grammar and purpose. For every set of punctuation drills, do a set of questions about whether a sentence belongs or which choice fits the writer's aim.
For practice tests, check the date. Older official ACT tests still teach the right content, but their Math overstates the foundational questions and their English overstates grammar. Use ACT's current free practice tests for timed runs, and keep the old ones for untimed topic practice. If you are testing online, take at least one practice test on screen. ACT online or on paper covers what changes with the format.
Still choosing between the tests? SAT vs ACT sets out how to decide with two practice sections instead of a guess.
Frequently asked questions
What is on the ACT Math section now?
41 scored questions: 33 in Preparing for Higher Math, split across number and quantity, algebra, functions, geometry, and statistics and probability, and 8 in Integrating Essential Skills. Higher math is now 80% of the section, up from about 60% on the old ACT.
Did ACT English change?
Yes. Grammar and punctuation questions fell from 52-55% of the section to 38-43%, and questions about organization and the writer's purpose rose from 29-32% to 38-43%. The two now carry equal weight.
How many questions are on each ACT section?
English has 50 questions, Math 45, Reading 36 and the optional Science 40. Of those, 40, 41, 27 and 34 are scored. The rest are unscored trial questions.
Are old ACT practice tests still useful?
For content, yes. For timed practice, use the current ones. Older tests have more foundational Math questions and more grammar questions in English than today's ACT.
What does Integrating Essential Skills mean on the ACT?
It is ACT's category for problems built on math usually learned before high school, such as rates, percentages, proportions, area and volume. It fell from 24-26 questions on the old ACT to 8 on the current one.
Did ACT Science change?
Very little in content. The three categories kept roughly the same shares. The larger change is that Science is optional and no longer counts toward the Composite.