SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips

If you’re considering taking the ACT or if you’ve already started prepping for it, you’re likely wondering how many questions you’ll face come test day. 

We know, we know—you probably have questions like, “how many questions are on the ACT in general?” and, “how many Math questions are on the ACT?” as well as how many can you expect to see on the English and Reading sections. 

We’re going to break it all down for you!

How Many Questions Are on the ACT in Total?

The ACT has a total of 215 questions divided into 4 sections: English, Math, Reading, and Science, plus an optional essay/Writing section. 

Take a look at the number of questions per section:

*For more information on what to expect on test day, check out the ACT’s website. 

The highest score you can get on the ACT is 36. There are more than 36 questions, though—many more! 

How Long Do I Have To Answer Each Question?

The English, Math, Reading, and Science sections of the ACT take a total of 2 hours and 55 minutes. If you average all 215 questions together, you have a little under 49 seconds per question on the entire test. 

That’s not really how the test works, though. Some question types take you longer than others, especially if you have strengths and weaknesses across the different sections of the test. 

For example, if it takes you a little extra time to read and comprehend longer pieces of writing, you might find that you need more than 49 seconds on text-heavy questions on the ACT Reading or ACT Science sections. 

Additionally, some ACT sections have more questions than others. For instance, the ACT English section has 25 more questions than the ACT Reading section…which means the amount of time you have per question will vary, too!  

So instead of averaging the time you have per question for the entire test, let’s take a look at each section of the ACT to find out exactly how long you have per question on each!

Grab a pen and paper...we're gonna break down the number of ACT questions on each section of the test.

How Many Questions Are on the ACT English?

The first section of the test is ACT English. There are 75 questions in this section, and you have 45 minutes to complete this part of the test. 

Here’s the breakdown:

With so many questions to answer in just 45 minutes, you have the least amount of time per question in this section—about 36 seconds each. Knowing what kinds of questions are on ACT English is really important if you want a chance to answer all 75 of them!

Just like all of the sections of the ACT, ACT Reading has specific strategies, tips, and rules you’ll want to know before your big day. Our articles cover everything from how to approach long reading passages to top time-saving strategies so that you’re ready to zip through this section as quickly as possible.

How Many Math Questions Are on the ACT?

Up next on the test is ACT Math. One of the most asked questions we see is, “how many math questions are on the ACT?” 

You have 60 minutes to complete 60 questions on the ACT Math section. 

Here’s the breakdown:

With 60 questions in 60 minutes, you have 60 seconds per question on ACT Math. That’s the longest amount of time you have per question on the entire test, which can be super helpful when you come across tricky math problems! 

ACT Math is no joke! You’ll want to give yourself plenty of prep time to learn about the content on ACT Math, as well as the strategies, tips, and rules you should know before going in. It’s also a good idea to familiarize yourself with what kinds of questions and content you’ll see on ACT Math so you can pace yourself accordingly.

How Many Questions Are on the ACT Reading?

ACT Reading is the third section of the test. So, how many questions on ACT Reading can you expect? 40! You have 35 minutes for ACT Reading, which is little under a minute per question—52.5 seconds, to be exact. 

Here’s the breakdown:

The questions on ACT Reading stump lots of students each year, so take extra time to get to know the test format and question types before your big test day.

How Many Questions Are on the ACT Science Test?

If you don’t take ACT Writing, ACT Science is the last section on the test. Another question we hear a lot is, “how many questions are on the ACT Science test?” Just like with ACT Reading, you have 40 questions to answer in 35 minutes—so about 53 seconds per question. 

Here’s the breakdown:

Many students struggle with ACT Science, so give yourself plenty of time to practice and learn the material and helpful strategies for this part of the test!

How Long Is the ACT Writing Section?

After you take the ACT English, Math, Reading, and Science, you have the option to complete a single essay question for the ACT Writing. This is the very last part of the test, and you have 40 minutes to complete it. 

Here’s the breakdown:

For this section, you’re given a single prompt to write an essay about. Taking the ACT Writing increases the total test time to 3 hours and 35 minutes—not including breaks.

If your school requires ACT Writing for applications or if you think taking it will make your application stand out, make sure to devote enough time to your ACT Writing prep!

We'll walk you through how to figure out the ACT score you need to reach your goals...or your graduation tam. 

How Many Questions on the ACT Do You Have To Get Right for a Good Score?

Now that you know how many questions are on the ACT Science test, how many math questions are on the ACT, and what to expect on the ACT Reading and English sections, you should feel a little more prepared for the test.

But, how many questions on the ACT do you have to get right for a good score?

First, take a look at how the ACT is scored. This will help you understand exactly how many questions you need to answer correctly on each section to get a certain ACT composite score.

“Good” scores vary between students, schools, and programs—one person’s good score may be another person’s average, just like one school’s minimum score may be well above another school’s average.

So, defining what a good score is for you depends on your circumstances. In short, what score do you need to get into the college of your choice?

There are generally three ways to find out what a "good" ACT score is for you:

• Compare your ACT composite score to the national average
• Compare your ACT composite score to ACT score percentiles
• Check out the scores of other students admitted to your schools
  
  

Here’s the most recent ACT score report from 2022-2023 you can use to do this.

The national average ACT composite score for 2022 is 20.3. So, if you score over a 20.3, you will have beaten out 50% of test takers! If that’s how you define a good score, then 21 would be considered a good ACT composite score for you.

If you compare your ACT composite score to ACT score percentiles, you can see exactly how many test takers scored the same as or better than you. 75th percentile or better is generally considered a good score for students looking to get into more competitive schools. 

But a national composite score doesn’t give you the whole picture. You should also check the average scores for admitted students at each college on your list. For instance, although the national ACT score average is 21, the average ACT score for admitted students at MIT is 35. That means that students who get into MIT score in the 99th percentile of all ACT test takers! 

That’s a huge difference, and it’s one you’d miss if you didn’t check each school. The good news is that PrepScholar has the average ACT score for almost every U.S. college on our blog! You can google your school name + “ACT Score” to find the information you need in just a few seconds. 

Once you know exactly what ACT composite score you’re shooting for, you’re ready to begin your prep and start working towards it!

Helpful Tips for the ACT

The ACT may seem like a massive test with its 215 questions (and optional essay), but think of it this way: you’re taking four smaller tests that just happen to combine to form the entire ACT. This means that the ACT is broken down into smaller, more manageable parts that you can study for. 

Knowing the content of the ACT English, Math, Reading, and Science is crucial for performing well on the test, but we have a few helpful tips you can use across the entire ACT.

Tip 1: Manage Your Time

Pacing yourself is one of the most important things to practice while you’re prepping for the ACT, because there’s nothing worse than running out of time before you’ve seen all 215 of the questions! There’s no better way to practice your pacing than to take official ACT practice tests and time yourself for each section. 

Every time you take a practice test, you can see which kinds of questions take you the most time and which sections you’re not able to get all the way through before the time runs out. Then, you can pinpoint your ACT prep to target those specific questions or sections.

Tip 2: Know the Types of Questions on Each Test Section

Surprises are great, but the ACT isn’t exactly where you want to encounter them—finding out how the test is structured and what the questions look like on the day of your test is definitely not the best way to succeed! 

Take time before test day to learn what to expect from the questions on each section of the test. That way you won’t have to spend extra time navigating each question type on test day if you’ve prepared in advance. This saves lots of time because you can quickly assess the question type and move right into solving it the way you’ve practiced. 

Tip 3: Answer Every Question

All 215 questions on the ACT are multiple choice. You aren’t penalized for wrong answers, so you should definitely put down an answer for every question, even if you’re stumped about which one is correct. 

You have a 0% chance of earning points on questions you don’t answer, so even a guess is better than no answer at all.

This is yet another great reason to practice your pacing for the ACT. You need to leave yourself enough time to return to skipped questions at the end of each section, so work that time in when taking your practice tests!

Tip 4: Skip Harder Questions and Return to Them at the End

Once you read through a question on the test, you should have an idea of whether you know how to find the answer or not. If you feel confident that you do, go for it! If you’re not sure or you know you’re stumped, move on to the next question. You don’t want to spend time rereading and working through a question you don’t even feel confident about answering.

Instead, skip hard questions and answer the ones you feel confident about first. Spend your time working through those, since the payoff for right answers (1 point each) is more than the consequence for wrong answers (0 points each). 

When you finish, you can return to those harder questions and spend the remaining time solving them. You should still leave some time at the very end to fill in remaining answers to questions you don’t have time to solve.

These takeaways aren't as delicious as take out Chinese, but they're still satisfying.

Takeaways: How Many Questions Are On The ACT?

Knowing how many questions you’ll need to answer on test day can help you streamline your prep to make sure you’re managing your time wisely, both during your study sessions and on the day of the exam. 

Here’s a quick recap of the questions we answered in this article: 

How Many Questions Are on the ACT? 

There are 215 multiple choice questions spread across 4 different sections: ACT English, ACT Math, ACT Reading and ACT Science.

How Many English Questions Are on the ACT And How Much Time Will I Have?

You have 45 minutes to answer 75 multiple choice questions—36 seconds each.

How Many Math Questions Are on the ACT And How Much Time Will I Have?

You have 60 minutes to answer 60 multiple choice questions—60 seconds each.

How Many Questions Are on the ACT Reading And How Much Time Will I Have?

You have 35 minutes to answer 40 multiple choice questions—52.5 seconds each.

How Many Questions are on the ACT Science Test And How Much Time Will I Have?

You have 35 minutes to answer 40 multiple choice questions—52.5 seconds each.

If I Take the Optional ACT Writing/Essay, How Long Will I Have?

You have 40 minutes to write one essay.

What's Next? 

Now that you know how many questions are on the SAT, it's time to start studying. This complete guide to acing the ACT will get you started. 

One of the best ways to track your progress is by taking practice tests on a regular basis, so don't miss this massive list of FREE ACT practice exams.  

Everyone loves a good lifehack, especially if it raises your ACT score. These 18 expert ACT tips can give you the extra lift you need to reach your goal!