No matter how you prep for the ACT—whether you have a tutor, take a class, or study by yourself—you must get access to official ACT tests. These tests are released by ACT, Inc. and contain real questions given to actual students on previous test dates. These questions have been removed from circulation (so you won't ever see them on a real test), but their quality is second to none when it comes to ACT realism.
In this post, I'll tell you how to find all currently available official ACT practice tests. We'll also discuss how to use these tests to improve your ACT score.
A Quick Intro to ACT Practice Tests
Be aware that practice tests are not a cure-all for all ACT problems. Definitely learn what practice tests do and don't do and understand the dangers of abusing practice tests. In addition, make sure you take them at the optimal frequency and aren't taking full practice tests too close to your test date.
All Free, Full-Length ACT Practice Tests
There is currently one full-length official Enhanced ACT available for free online, as a printable practice test. If you'll be taking the actual ACT on paper, we recommend using this practice exam to to simulate a realistic testing experience with the timing and conditions you'll experience on test day.
Unfortunately, the digital practice exam on myACT hasn't yet been updated for the new ACT format. If you'll be taking the digital ACT, we recommend taking the paper version as a complete timed practice exam and using the digital version of the practice test to practice with the ACT content and format.
ACT, Inc. also publishes official practice quizzes (separate from the official practice tests) on its website. These questions are great for working on strategy and content prep.
- ACT English questions
- ACT Math questions
- ACT Reading questions
- ACT Science questions
- ACT Writing prompt
Official ACT Practice Test Resources You Can Buy
What about paid practice tests? For even more high-quality practice, consider buying the following official ACT practice tests.
The Official ACT Prep Guide, 2025-2026 Edition
Price: About $32 for book plus digital access
This official prep book is definitely the best resource for realistic ACT practice questions. Don't bother using unofficial practice tests, as their quality is far inferior to the tests created by the ACT.
The 2025-2026 edition includes four full-length ACT practice tests with essay prompts. All of these tests are also available online.
How to Use Official ACT Tests: 4 Tips
Because each ACT practice test takes several hours to complete, it's important for you to get the most out of every one you take. Below, we go over some important tips to keep in mind when taking these official ACT practice tests.
But before we get to our tips, it's worth reiterating that practice tests can't be used to address all possible ACT problems. If you're struggling to understand certain concepts, for example, you'll need to make sure you're brushing up on your content review and learning difficult topics from scratch. So while ACT practice tests are an excellent way to track your progress, they certainly aren't the only resources out there!
Now, we'll show you how you can use ACT practice tests to your advantage.
#1: Take Each Test in One Sitting
The ACT is a marathon that forces you to sit and concentrate for several hours on an early Saturday morning. You need to build up your test-taking stamina so that you don't make careless mistakes at the end of the exam.
By taking each ACT practice test in one sitting, you'll increase your endurance for the real test. If you don't have time in your schedule for a four-hour session, splitting it up over multiple days is OK—as long as you heed our next tip.
#2: Use Official Time Limits
It is critical that you recreate the time limits on the ACT as you take practice tests. Each section requires you to answer one or more questions in about a minute, which causes most students to end up with less time than they need, especially on the Math section.
But don't be tempted to give yourself even two extra minutes, as this could unfairly let you finish more questions, thereby improving your score substantially. Remember that ACT practice tests should be reliable indicators of your real ACT score. If you give yourself more time than what's allowed on the test, you won't be able to see where you're actually scoring.
#3: Review Your Answers
At the end of every test, be sure to review every mistake you made as well as every question you got correct. If you bypass this step, you're not going to learn from your mistakes, and you'll continue making the same ones over and over again.
A rule of thumb is to spend at least two hours reviewing every full ACT practice test you take. Though this is time consuming, it's important that you emphasize quality of learning over quantity of learning. In the end, it's better to take three tests with detailed review than it is to take six tests with no review.
#4: No Improvement? Supplement Your Practice Tests
While some students can learn from their mistakes, others need guidance to point out where their weaknesses are and assignments to help them directly improve upon their weak points.
A good prep program can supercharge your ACT prep so that you're always focusing on the best material. Check out our industry-leading online ACT prep program. We've designed it to cover all the advantages of ACT books and tutors—and more—at an affordable price. Featuring in-depth strategy lessons and thousands of practice questions, our program uses the best content from the leading prep books.
It also guides you step by step through what you should be working on at every moment to best improve your ACT score. This works by customizing to your strengths and weaknesses, and then giving you focused practice to help you learn the patterns on the test. Finally, it motivates you to study so that you put in enough time.
There's a 4-point guarantee, too—meaning that if you don't improve your score by 4 points or more, you'll get all of your money back!
For other ACT prep resources, take a look at our guides to the best ACT prep books, the best ACT websites, and how to find an ACT tutor.
What's Next?
Want more ACT practice? Check out our massive collection of official and unofficial ACT practice tests. And if you're hoping to hone your math skills specifically, we've compiled the best ACT Math practice tests in a separate guide.
Taken the ACT already but unhappy with your score? Use our guide to decide whether you should retake the ACT.
Not sure when to take the ACT? Get a complete study plan for the ACT to figure out the best date for you.
Did you know that the ACT might be going digital? Here's what you need to know about the upcoming digital ACT test.
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