The ACT Assessment is a national college admission examination that consists of tests in:

• English
• Mathematics
• Reading
• Science

ACT results are accepted by virtually all colleges and universities in the United States.

The ACT includes 215 multiple-choice questions and takes approximately 3 hours and 30 minutes to complete with breaks. Actual testing time is 2 hours and 55 minutes. The ACT is administered on five national test dates, in October, December, February, April, and June. In selected states, the ACT is also offered in late September.

The 2003-2004 basic registration fee is $26.00 ($29.00 in Florida; $42.00 outside the U.S.), which includes score reports for up to four college choices for which a valid code is listed at time of registration.

The ACT Assessment test is prepared according to the:

Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing, American Educational Research Association, American Psychological Association, & National Council on Measurement in Education. (1985).
Code of Professional Responsibilities in Educational Measurement, National Council on Measurement in Education. (1995).
Code of Fair Testing Practices in Education, Joint Committee on Testing Practices. (1988).

Why should I take the ACT?

There are at least four good reasons to take the ACT:

- universal acceptance for college admission; the ACT Assessment is now accepted by virtually all colleges and universities in the U.S., including all of the Ivy League schools

- curriculum based. The ACT Assessment is not an aptitude or IQ test; the questions on the ACT are directly related to what you have learned in your high school courses in English, mathematics, and science. Because the ACT is based on what is taught in the high school curriculum, students are generally more comfortable with the ACT than they are with the traditional aptitude tests or tests with narrower content.

- more than a just a test. In addition to the four tests, the ACT also provides test takers with a unique interest inventory that provides valuable information for career and educational planning and a student profile section that provides a comprehensive profile of your work in high school and your future plans.

- a good value. The ACT is administered by a private, not-for-profit organization governed by educators, dedicated to providing services at the lowest possible cost. Accordingly, the ACT Assessment provides a comprehensive package of educational assessment and career planning services for college-bound students at a modest fee that is lower than the fee for the competing admission test.

How often can I take the ACT Assessment?

You may take the ACT Assessment as often as you wish. Many students take the test twice, once as a junior and again as a senior.

There are no limitations on how many times you can take the ACT, but there are some restrictions on how often you can test. For example, you can test only once per national or state test date.

You should definitely consider retesting if you had any problems during the test, such as misunderstanding the directions or not feeling physically well. You may also want to consider retesting if you are not satisfied that your scores accurately represent your abilities in the areas tested.

If you see a discrepancy between your ACT scores and your high school grades, or if you subsequently complete coursework or an intensive review in the areas covered by the ACT Assessment, retesting may be beneficial.

How will you do on a retest?

ACT research shows that of the students who took the ACT more than once:

• 55% increased their composite score on the retest
• 22% had no change in their composite score on the retest
• 23% decreased their composite score on the retest

If you take the test more than once, a separate record for each test date is maintained, and you control what scores are sent to colleges or scholarship programs, e.g. if you ask for the report to be sent to a college, only the record from the test date you nominate will be sent. This protects you and ensures that you maintain control of your records.

If you wish, you may ask for more than one report - from two for more test dates - to be sent to an institution. However, you may not select test scores from different test dates to construct a new record; you must designate an entire test date record as it stands. A new record cannot be created by averaging scores from different test dates.