• 60 questions

ACT Test Prep

Unofficial practice questions in the four multiple-choice sections ACT describes: English, math, reading and science.

"My brother and [me] built the shelf in one afternoon." Which choice best replaces the bracketed part?

Pick an answer, then press Check answer. Then you see Correct or Not quite, with the reason. Keys: A to D pick, Enter checks.

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Exam mode: 57 questions, 55 minutes.

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Unofficial practice questions, not affiliated with ACT Education Corp. Bank checked October 7, 2026.

The real test, as ACT describes it

English
50 questions in 35 minutes. 40 count toward the score and 10 are field-test questions.
Mathematics
45 questions in 50 minutes. 41 count toward the score and 4 are field-test questions. A calculator is allowed.
Reading
36 questions in 40 minutes. 27 count toward the score and 9 are field-test questions.
Science (optional)
40 questions in 40 minutes. 34 count toward the score and 6 are field-test questions. No calculator.
Writing (optional)
One essay prompt in 40 minutes, scored from 2 to 12.
Scores
Each section: 1 to 36, from the number right. Composite: the average of English, math and reading. No penalty for a wrong answer.

Checked October 6, 2026 against The ACT Test overview, Understanding Your ACT Scores and the calculator policy, ACT Education Corp. (act.org). Rules change, so confirm with the agency itself before your test.

ACT's own test preparation page

Next step ACT English practice testA full math section: 45 questions, 50 minutes

All 60 questions

English 18

  • "The [childrens'] choir sings on Fridays." Which choice best replaces the bracketed part? ACT, English Test Description: Conventions of Standard English (38–43% of the section), punctuation. Rule: Purdue Online Writing Lab, The Apostrophe, forming possessives of nouns.
  • A paragraph explains how a town saved its old cinema: "Volunteers sold seats by name and raised enough to fix the roof." The writer is thinking of adding: "I have always liked popcorn." Should the sentence be added? ACT, English Test Description: Production of Writing (38–43% of the section), topic development. Rule: Purdue Online Writing Lab, On Paragraphs, unity.
  • A school newsletter reports: "The robotics team finished second in the state and [is stoked beyond belief]." Which choice best fits a news report? ACT, English Test Description: Knowledge of Language (18–23% of the section), consistent style and tone. Rule: Purdue Online Writing Lab, Appropriate Language: Overview.
  • "After the long rehearsal [ended, the] cast went out for dinner." Which choice best replaces the bracketed part? ACT, English Test Description: Conventions of Standard English (38–43% of the section), punctuation. Rule: Purdue Online Writing Lab, Extended Rules for Using Commas, rule 2.
Show all 60 questions (56 more)

English, continued

  • Draft: "(1) Finally, he hung the picture and stepped back. (2) First, Omar held the frame against the wall. (3) Then he tapped in a nail. (4) Next, he marked the spot with a pencil." Which order of the sentences is most logical? ACT, English Test Description: Production of Writing (38–43% of the section), organization, unity and cohesion. Rule: Purdue Online Writing Lab, On Paragraphs, coherence.
  • Draft: "(1) The school garden began as four raised beds. (2) Students now tend twelve beds and a small greenhouse. (3) The gym floor was replaced in March. (4) Each fall the cafeteria serves what the garden grows." Which sentence should be removed to keep the paragraph on its topic? ACT, English Test Description: Production of Writing (38–43% of the section), topic development. Rule: Purdue Online Writing Lab, On Paragraphs, unity.
  • Draft: "____ The diner unlocks its door at five. Truck drivers take the counter stools first. By six, the night nurses have filled the booths." Which sentence best introduces the paragraph? ACT, English Test Description: Production of Writing (38–43% of the section), topic development. Rule: Purdue Online Writing Lab, On Paragraphs, topic sentences.
  • Draft: "The first week, nobody came to our chess club. We put up posters and taught beginners at lunch. By winter we needed a second room. ____" Which sentence best concludes the paragraph? ACT, English Test Description: Production of Writing (38–43% of the section), organization, unity and cohesion. Rule: Purdue Online Writing Lab, On Paragraphs, unity.
  • "Every morning the baker lights the oven, shapes the loaves, and [opened] the shop at six." Which choice best replaces the bracketed part? ACT, English Test Description: Conventions of Standard English (38–43% of the section), sentence structure and formation. Rule: Purdue Online Writing Lab, Verb Tense Consistency.
  • "The hikers [first began] the climb at dawn." Which choice best replaces the bracketed part? ACT, English Test Description: Knowledge of Language (18–23% of the section), precise and concise word choice. Rule: Purdue Online Writing Lab, Eliminating Words, omit repetitive wording.
  • "Jon spent the weekend raking leaves, cleaning gutters, and [he painted] the fence." Which choice best replaces the bracketed part? ACT, English Test Description: Conventions of Standard English (38–43% of the section), sentence structure and formation. Rule: Purdue Online Writing Lab, Parallel Structure.
  • "The lake froze early this [year, skaters] arrived before the first snow." Which choice best replaces the bracketed part? ACT, English Test Description: Conventions of Standard English (38–43% of the section), sentence structure and formation. Rule: Purdue Online Writing Lab, Identifying Independent and Dependent Clauses, comma splices.
  • "My brother and [me] built the shelf in one afternoon." Which choice best replaces the bracketed part? ACT, English Test Description: Conventions of Standard English (38–43% of the section), usage. Rule: Purdue Online Writing Lab, Pronoun Case.
  • "The puppy [moved] across the wet kitchen floor, slipping at every turn." Which choice best shows hurried, clumsy movement? ACT, English Test Description: Knowledge of Language (18–23% of the section), precise and concise word choice. Rule: Purdue Online Writing Lab, Concision, specific words.
  • "[Rain delayed the game] for an hour." Which choice best replaces the bracketed part? ACT, English Test Description: Knowledge of Language (18–23% of the section), precise and concise word choice. Rule: Purdue Online Writing Lab, Concision.
  • "The stack of library books on the stairs [belong] to my sister." Which choice best replaces the bracketed part? ACT, English Test Description: Conventions of Standard English (38–43% of the section), usage. Rule: Purdue Online Writing Lab, Making Subjects and Verbs Agree, rule 5.
  • "The trail map showed a footbridge. [However,] the bridge had washed away years before." Which choice best replaces the bracketed part? ACT, English Test Description: Production of Writing (38–43% of the section), organization, unity and cohesion. Rule: Purdue Online Writing Lab, Transitional Devices.
  • The writer wants to show that the storm was severe: "The storm hit the harbor at midnight; ____." Which choice does that best? ACT, English Test Description: Production of Writing (38–43% of the section), topic development. The draft printed in the question is the only source.

Mathematics 16

  • A fair die has 8 faces numbered 1 to 8. What is the probability of rolling a multiple of 3? ACT, Mathematics Test Description: Preparing for Higher Math: Statistics & Probability (12–15%), probability. The answer is worked out from the numbers in the question.
  • A line crosses two parallel lines. One of the angles formed measures 112°. What does each acute angle formed measure? ACT, Mathematics Test Description: Preparing for Higher Math: Geometry (17–20%), angles and parallel lines. The answer is worked out from the numbers in the question.
  • A round garden with a radius of 5 meters has a path 1 meter wide all the way around it. What is the area of the path, in square meters? ACT, Mathematics Test Description: Integrating Essential Skills (20%), area. The answer is worked out from the numbers in the question.
  • A shelter holds only cats and dogs, in the ratio 3 cats to 5 dogs. There are 40 animals in all. How many are dogs? ACT, Mathematics Test Description: Integrating Essential Skills (20%), proportional relationships. The answer is worked out from the numbers in the question.
  • A triangle has a base of 14 and a height of 9. What is its area? ACT, Mathematics Test Description: Preparing for Higher Math: Geometry (17–20%), area of triangles. The answer is worked out from the numbers in the question.
  • A worker earns $18 an hour, and one and a half times that rate for each hour over 40 in a week. What does the worker earn for a 46-hour week? ACT, Mathematics Test Description: Integrating Essential Skills (20%), rates in chains of steps. The answer is worked out from the numbers in the question.
  • For the data set 2, 4, 4, 5, 10, which statement is true? ACT, Mathematics Test Description: Preparing for Higher Math: Statistics & Probability (12–15%), center of a distribution. The answer is worked out from the numbers in the question.
  • The graph of y = |x| is moved 3 units left and 2 units down. Which equation matches the new graph? ACT, Mathematics Test Description: Preparing for Higher Math: Functions (17–20%), translating functions. The answer is worked out from the numbers in the question.
  • If f(x) = 5 − 4x, for what value of x is f(x) = −7? ACT, Mathematics Test Description: Preparing for Higher Math: Functions (17–20%), function notation. The answer is worked out from the numbers in the question.
  • In a right triangle, tan θ = 3/4 and the hypotenuse is 20. How long is the side opposite θ? ACT, Mathematics Test Description: Preparing for Higher Math: Geometry (17–20%), trigonometric ratios. The answer is worked out from the numbers in the question.
  • Pens cost $2 each and notebooks cost $5 each. Lena buys 11 items and pays $34. How many notebooks does she buy? ACT, Mathematics Test Description: Preparing for Higher Math: Algebra (17–20%), systems of equations. The answer is worked out from the numbers in the question.
  • Solve 3(x − 4) = 2x + 5. ACT, Mathematics Test Description: Preparing for Higher Math: Algebra (17–20%), linear equations. The answer is worked out from the numbers in the question.
  • What is (2 − 3i) + (5 + 7i)? ACT, Mathematics Test Description: Preparing for Higher Math: Number & Quantity (10–12%), complex numbers. The answer is worked out from the numbers in the question.
  • What is the value of 27^(1/3) · 4^(1/2)? ACT, Mathematics Test Description: Preparing for Higher Math: Number & Quantity (10–12%), rational exponents. The answer is worked out from the numbers in the question.
  • Where does the graph of y = 3 · 2^x − 1 cross the y-axis? ACT, Mathematics Test Description: Preparing for Higher Math: Functions (17–20%), exponential functions. The answer is worked out from the numbers in the question.
  • Which expression is a factor of x² + 3x − 28? ACT, Mathematics Test Description: Preparing for Higher Math: Algebra (17–20%), polynomial expressions. The answer is worked out from the numbers in the question.

Reading 12

  • Passage: "Aunt Rue called her garden 'a work in progress,' which was generous. The beans had climbed the mailbox, the squash had taken the driveway, and somewhere under the mint there had once been a path." The narrator's tone is best described as ACT, Reading Test Description: Craft and Structure (26–33% of the section), analyzing the narrator's voice. The passage printed with the question is the only source.
  • Passage: "Critics of the school's later start predicted chaos: missed buses, shorter practices, tired teachers. A year on, the principal reports none of it. First-period attendance has risen, and fewer students are marked late. The only complaint that has lasted is about the parking lot." What is the main idea of the passage? ACT, Reading Test Description: Key Ideas and Details (44–52% of the section), determining main ideas. The passage printed with the question is the only source.
  • Passage: "First the river took the footbridge. Then it took the road. By the third spring, the people of Hollin had stopped rebuilding and begun moving their houses uphill, one porch at a time." The passage is organized mainly by ACT, Reading Test Description: Craft and Structure (26–33% of the section), analyzing text structure. The passage printed with the question is the only source.
  • Passage: "For thirty years Mr. Alvarez wound the tower clock by hand every Sunday. When the town offered to fit an electric motor, he thanked the council and said no. 'The climb keeps me honest,' he said. 'If I stop going up, I will stop noticing when it runs slow.'" Mr. Alvarez turns down the motor mainly because he ACT, Reading Test Description: Key Ideas and Details (44–52% of the section), drawing logical inferences. The passage printed with the question is the only source.
  • Passage: "My brother packs for a trip the way a general plans a campaign: lists, labels, a spare of everything. I throw a toothbrush in a bag an hour before the train. Yet he is the one who phones home about a forgotten charger, while I have never lacked a thing I truly needed." The comparison of the two packers mainly suggests that ACT, Reading Test Description: Key Ideas and Details (44–52% of the section), making comparisons. The passage printed with the question is the only source.
  • Passage: "Nora expected to set type on her first day at the print shop. Instead, the foreman handed her a broom. Only after she had swept the floor, sorted the lead scraps, and learned every drawer by name did he let her touch the press, three weeks later." According to the passage, what did Nora have to do before she could use the press? ACT, Reading Test Description: Key Ideas and Details (44–52% of the section), understanding sequences of events. The passage printed with the question is the only source.
  • Passage: "The committee's report was a model of economy: two pages, no adjectives, and every number where a reader would look for it." As it is used in the passage, "economy" most nearly means ACT, Reading Test Description: Craft and Structure (26–33% of the section), determining word and phrase meanings. The passage printed with the question is the only source.
  • Passage: "The mill was built of local stone and ran for sixty years. It is the most beautiful building in the valley, and tearing it down would be a mistake. The county's own survey lists its walls as sound." Which statement from the passage is an opinion? ACT, Reading Test Description: Integration of Knowledge and Ideas (19–26% of the section), differentiating between facts and opinions. The passage printed with the question is the only source.
  • Passage: "The oldest trees in the orchard give the fewest apples, and every winter someone proposes cutting them down. Every spring, when the old trees flower two weeks before the rest and the bees arrive early for them, the proposal is quietly dropped." It can reasonably be inferred that the old trees are kept because ACT, Reading Test Description: Key Ideas and Details (44–52% of the section), drawing logical inferences. The passage printed with the question is the only source.
  • Passage: "The town should keep its Saturday bus. On a recent Saturday I counted forty-one riders on the noon run alone, and nine of them told me they have no other way to reach the grocery store." What evidence does the writer give for the claim? ACT, Reading Test Description: Integration of Knowledge and Ideas (19–26% of the section), analyzing claims and evidence in arguments. The passage printed with the question is the only source.
  • Passage: "When the cannery closed, the harbor did not empty all at once. The big boats left first, since they needed a buyer for tons of fish. The small boats stayed, selling their catch off the dock to anyone with a bucket." According to the passage, why did the big boats leave before the small ones? ACT, Reading Test Description: Key Ideas and Details (44–52% of the section), cause-effect relationships. The passage printed with the question is the only source.
  • Text 1: "The new footpath should be paved. Gravel washes out in every storm, and wheelchairs and strollers cannot cross it." Text 2: "Paving would speed runoff into the creek. A packed gravel path, raked each spring, drains well and can be made firm enough for wheels." On which point do the two writers agree? ACT, Reading Test Description: Integration of Knowledge and Ideas (19–26% of the section), integrating information from multiple texts. The passage printed with the question is the only source.

Science 14

  • A cart rolled down a ramp, and its distance from the start was recorded each second. Results: 1 second, 0.5 m; 2 seconds, 2.0 m; 3 seconds, 4.5 m; 4 seconds, 8.0 m. How far did the cart travel between the 2-second mark and the 4-second mark? ACT, Science Test Description: Interpretation of Data (38–50% of the section), reasoning mathematically. The data printed with the question are the only source.
  • A class counted frogs at four ponds and measured the pH of each. Results: Pond A, pH 6.2, 14 frogs; Pond B, pH 7.1, 31 frogs; Pond C, pH 7.8, 26 frogs; Pond D, pH 5.4, 5 frogs. Which pond had the most frogs, and what was its pH? ACT, Science Test Description: Interpretation of Data (38–50% of the section), reading values from a table. The data printed with the question are the only source.
  • A light meter was placed at three distances from a lamp. Results: 1 m, 400 units; 2 m, 100 units; 4 m, 25 units. In these results, each time the distance doubled, the reading became ACT, Science Test Description: Interpretation of Data (38–50% of the section), recognizing relationships in data. The data printed with the question are the only source.
  • A student hung weights on a spring and measured its length. Results: 0 newtons, 10.0 cm; 1 newton, 12.5 cm; 2 newtons, 15.0 cm; 3 newtons, 17.5 cm. If the pattern continues, how long will the spring be with 5 newtons? ACT, Science Test Description: Interpretation of Data (38–50% of the section), extrapolating. The data printed with the question are the only source.
  • A student proposes that the seeds of a certain plant sprout only after a cold period. Which finding would most weaken this idea? ACT, Science Test Description: Evaluating Scientific Arguments and Models with Evidence (24–38% of the section), judging whether new findings weaken a hypothesis. The data printed with the question are the only source.
  • A student tests whether salt changes the temperature at which water freezes. He fills four cups with the same amount of water and stirs in 0, 5, 10 and 15 grams of salt. What is the purpose of the cup with 0 grams? ACT, Science Test Description: Scientific Investigation (18–32% of the section), identifying controls. The data printed with the question are the only source.
  • A student tests whether the color of light changes how fast bean seedlings grow. She grows three groups under red, blue and white lamps and gives every group the same soil, water and hours of light. What is the variable she changes on purpose? ACT, Science Test Description: Scientific Investigation (18–32% of the section), identifying variables. The data printed with the question are the only source.
  • A student timed how long a sugar cube took to dissolve in water at four temperatures. Results: 10°C, 96 seconds; 20°C, 71 seconds; 30°C, 48 seconds; 40°C, 30 seconds. In these results, as the temperature rose, the dissolving time ACT, Science Test Description: Interpretation of Data (38–50% of the section), recognizing trends in data. The data printed with the question are the only source.
  • A student timed how long an ice cube took to melt in cups wrapped in different materials. Results: no wrap, 22 minutes; paper, 31 minutes; one layer of foam, 58 minutes. He then tests a cup wrapped in two layers of foam. Based on the results, the ice in that cup will most likely take ACT, Science Test Description: Scientific Investigation (18–32% of the section), predicting the results of additional trials. The data printed with the question are the only source.
  • Bean plants were given different amounts of fertilizer, and their heights were measured after three weeks. Results: 0 grams, 12 cm; 2 grams, 18 cm; 4 grams, 24 cm; 6 grams, 30 cm. If the pattern holds, about how tall would a plant given 3 grams be? ACT, Science Test Description: Interpretation of Data (38–50% of the section), interpolating. The data printed with the question are the only source.
  • Scientist A says the birds of an island descend from birds that flew there from the mainland. Scientist B says they descend from birds carried there on mats of floating plants after storms. Both scientists would agree that the birds' ancestors ACT, Science Test Description: Evaluating Scientific Arguments and Models with Evidence (24–38% of the section), comparing alternative viewpoints. The data printed with the question are the only source.
  • Student 1 says the algae in a pond grow faster when the water is warmer. Student 2 says the algae grow faster when more fertilizer washes in from nearby fields. In a year when the water was no warmer than usual but twice as much fertilizer washed in, algae growth doubled. This result best supports ACT, Science Test Description: Evaluating Scientific Arguments and Models with Evidence (24–38% of the section), determining which explanation new findings support. The data printed with the question are the only source.
  • Students drop a ball once from each of three heights and record how high it bounces: from 50 cm, 30 cm; from 100 cm, 60 cm; from 150 cm, 90 cm. Which change would make their results more reliable? ACT, Science Test Description: Scientific Investigation (18–32% of the section), modifying experiments. The data printed with the question are the only source.
  • Water was poured through filters packed with sand of three grain sizes, and the flow was measured. Results: fine sand, 2 liters a minute; medium sand, 5 liters a minute; coarse sand, 9 liters a minute. Which conclusion do the results support? ACT, Science Test Description: Evaluating Scientific Arguments and Models with Evidence (24–38% of the section), drawing conclusions from results. The data printed with the question are the only source.

How this list was compiled: Our own questions, written to ACT's published descriptions of its four multiple-choice sections, read 2026-10-06: English (https://www.act.org/content/act/en/products-and-services/the-act/test-preparation/description-of-english-test.html), mathematics (https://www.act.org/content/act/en/products-and-services/the-act/test-preparation/description-of-math-test.html), reading (https://www.act.org/content/act/en/products-and-services/the-act/test-preparation/description-of-reading-test.html) and science (https://www.act.org/content/act/en/products-and-services/the-act/test-preparation/description-of-science-test.html). The bank holds 18, 16, 12 and 14 questions, near the sections' shares of the 171 questions ACT lists (50, 45, 36 and 40; https://www.act.org/content/act/en/products-and-services/the-act.html). English rules were read in the Purdue Online Writing Lab page each question names; every mathematics answer was worked out a second time on 2026-10-07; each reading and science question is answered from the passage or data printed in it. Licence: Questions, choices and explanations are original work of this site.

How it works

This free ACT test prep page has 60 practice questions of our own in English, math, reading and science, each with its reason. It is unofficial and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by ACT Education Corp.

Read the full guide

The four sections

This bank holds 18 English, 16 math, 12 reading and 14 science questions, close to each section's share of the real test as ACT's overview listed it on October 6, 2026.

A timed third

Exam mode is a short mock ACT test, 57 questions in 55 minutes: one third of the 171 questions and 165 minutes of the four sections, at the same pace.

One section at a time

For a longer ACT prep test in one subject, open the ACT math practice test or the ACT English practice test. Each has 60 questions and a timed mode the length of the real section.

Questions and answers

Are these ACT test practice questions from the real exam?

No. Every question was written for this site from ACT's published description of each section. None is copied or reworded from a real test or an official sample question, and a result here does not predict a real score.

Is this an ACT practice test with score?

Exam mode ends with the number right in each section. It gives no score from 1 to 36: ACT converts the number right to a scale score so that results mean the same on every test form, and this page cannot copy that step.

Is this the ACT practice test 2025-2026 format?

The format here was read at act.org on October 6, 2026. ACT's score page says it began taking science out of the Composite with national online testing in April 2025, and that every ACT test used the new calculation from September 2025.

What does this ACT prep practice test leave out?

The optional writing essay, and long passages. Each reading and science question here stands on a short text or a small set of data printed with it; the real sections set several questions on one longer passage or experiment.

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