A Quick Guide for ACT Math
If you are looking for information on ACT, you will most likely also be looking at SAT. Have a quick read of this previous article to learn a bit more about SAT math! The math sections for both the ACT and SAT are very similar, as they are both standardized college admissions tests. It is a good idea to familiarize yourself with both tests, especially if you are trying to decide which one to take.
The ACT has only one Mathematics Test (Section 2), which consists of 60 multiple-choice questions, each with five distinct answer options. There are no Grid-In questions (read about these here) that you will find on the SAT math sections. Students will have 60 minutes to complete the ACT Mathematics Test. Furthermore, the ACT Mathematics Test permits the use of a calculator, as long as your calculator falls within the ACT calculator policy. Nevertheless, all of the questions on the ACT Mathematics Test are solvable without the calculator.
Types of questions and time limits for the ACT and SAT math tests. Created by: Wayne Man, Presidio Education® Math & Social Science Teacher, 2019.
ACT vs. SAT Math |
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| Test | Section Name | Multiple Choice Questions | Grid-In Questions | Total Questions | Total Time |
| ACT | Mathematics Test (Section 2) |
60 | 0 | 60 | 60 Minutes |
| SAT | Math Test—No Calculator (Section 3) |
15 | 5 | 20 | 25 Minutes |
| SAT | Math Test—Calculator (Section 4) |
30 | 8 | 38 | 55 Minutes |
What Do You Need to Know for ACT Math?
The math content required to answer the ACT math questions is not difficult. Most 11th grade students have covered all the ACT math topics in high school. The ACT is neither designed to test students on their knowledge of advanced math concepts nor of formulae, but rather how students can use basic math knowledge and reasoning skills to solve more practical problems.
ACT breaks down ACT math into three main topics: preparing for higher math, integrating essential skills and modeling. The largest topic for preparing for higher math is broken down further into five subcategories.
An overview of how ACT breaks down the ACT math topics:
Preparing for Higher Math (57-60%):
Number and Quantity (7-10%)
Statistics and Probability (8-12%)
Algebra (12-15%)
Functions (12-15%)
Geometry (12-15%)
Integrating Essential Skills (40-43%)
Modeling (>25%)
ACT will send detailed score reports to students that will assess how they performed on the ACT. Below is an example of how ACT breaks down the ACT Mathematics Test by topic, so students can see how they performed in each ACT math topic.
The “ACT Readiness Range” is a metric provided by ACT in the student ACT Score Reports. These indicate the scores that a student who has met the “ACT College Readiness Benchmark” would achieve. In other words, if a student achieves a score within the “ACT Readiness Range”, ACT deems them ready for college.
How to Tackle Multiple-Choice Questions
The ACT Mathematics Test (Section 2) consists entirely of multiple-choice questions. Therefore, it is essential that students know the best techniques to solve these question types. Understanding the ACT math format and mastering the techniques to solve the ACT math questions are more challenging than learning the math material itself. Students should never leave an answer blank, as there is no penalty for incorrect answers. Therefore, students must guess if a question is too difficult. There are five distinct answer options for each of the multiple-choice questions on the ACT Mathematics Test. There are many strategies that students can use to maximize chances of arriving at the correct answer. For example, the student can eliminate obvious wrong answer choices and therefore increase the chance of getting the correct answer choice. Another useful technique that students should be familiar with is backsolving. This is when students can use the answer choices given and plug them back into the equation given in the question. Or, students can use arbitrary values to test the answer choices and see which one is correct.
Below is a question taken from one of the practice tests provided by ACT to aid students in their preparations. How could it be solved? Or how could techniques such as elimination or backsolving be used to obtain the correct answer?
How to Manage Time for ACT Math
The ACT Mathematics Test has 60 multiple-choice questions and students are given a 60 minute time limit. This means on average students are allowed to spend one minute per question. Many students struggle with time management on the ACT due to the large number of questions in a relatively short amount of time. Students must not spend more than one minute on each question, as it may be a good idea to allow some time at the end to go back and double-check answers to avoid careless mistakes. Even though calculators are permitted for the ACT Mathematics Test, they are unnecessary. Students must practice mental arithmetic and reduce calculator dependency. All ACT math questions are solvable without the calculator and most questions are solved quicker using mental arithmetic. This is because inputting the values into a calculator can often be time consuming and unnecessary.
The Next Step?
The advice given in this article is only an overview for the ACT Mathematics Test. If you think you may need help with any section for the ACT (English, Math, Reading, Science, or Essay), please do not hesitate to contact the Presidio Education® Team. We can offer you advice, information and even provide students with a free ACT Diagnostic Test (DT), which will be analyzed by our faculty.
