ACT Resource Hub (2026)
Written by: Eric Kim, Founder of Matter
Updated:
June 18, 2026
Introduction
The ACT is a national college-admissions test owned and administered by ACT Inc., taken mainly by high school juniors and seniors for US undergraduate admission. In September 2025 the test was updated to the Enhanced ACT, an optional Science section, and the Composite score derived from English, Math, and Reading only.
This is Matter’s parent guide to everything we get asked about the ACT: what changed in 2025, how it is scored, what each section measures, and its two formats. Every factual claim here and in the four deep-dive guides below is cited to ACT or a comparable authority, and we update these pages as ACT updates its materials.
Sources we cite for ACT facts ↘
ACT snapshot
Who takes it: Typically high school juniors and seniors applying to US colleges. Some students opt to test earlier once they are consistently scoring within their target range.
Format: Paper or computer; both options deliver the same content.
Structure: Three required sections, English (50 questions, 35 min), Math (45 questions, 50 min), and Reading (36 questions, 40 min); an optional Science (40 questions, 40 min) and Writing (1 essay, 40 min) section can be added.
Scoring: Composite is the average of English, Math, and Reading (each section scored 1-36), rounded to the nearest whole number; no penalty for guessing - students should answer every question.
Optional sections: Science and Writing do not affect the Composite.
How long: The three required sections run 2 hours 5 minutes; the optional Science and Writing sections add 40 minutes each.
Test Dates, Registration Deadlines, & Score Release Dates
2026-2027
ACT offers seven national test dates per year. Register through a MyACT account; deadlines expire at 11:59 CT.
Test Date
Registration
Score Release
September 19, 2026
August 14, 2026
October 6, 2026
October 17, 2026
September 11, 2026
October 27, 2026
December 12, 2026
November 6, 2026
December 22, 2026
February 27, 2027
January 22, 2027
March 16, 2027
April 10, 2027
March 5, 2027
April 20, 2027
June 12, 2027
May 7, 2027
June 22, 2027
July 10, 2027
June 4, 2027
July 20, 2027
When does registration open? Registration for the entire school year typically opens in July.
How much does the ACT cost? $70 for the three required sections (English, Math, and Reading), +$5 for Science, and +$25 for Writing.
When to start preparing
The honest answer depends on a student’s baseline, score goals, and timeline.
Reading rewards months of reading habits and steady practice. It responds slowly to last-minute drilling.
English and Math reward weeks to a few months of focused practice on a defined set of rules and problem types. They move faster with targeted work.
To move all sections meaningfully, plan on 6 to 12 months. If most of your gains have to come from English and Math, those respond quickly, so a focused 3-5 month push should suffice.
For which skill each section actually probes, see what each ACT section measures.
Read the deep dives
You’ve just read the orientation. The four parent-focused guides below give you the full breakdown.
The 2025 Enhanced ACT Explained
In September 2025 the ACT changed. Science is now optional and excluded from the Composite; the Composite is comprised of English, Math, and Reading only, and each section is shorter.
ACT Score Report Explained
Your child’s report shows a Composite out of 36, section scores, percentiles, and (optionally) STEM, ELA, and Writing scores. This guide explains what each number means, how superscoring works, and what counts as a strong score.
What Each ACT Section Actually Measures
This guide covers the English, Math, Reading, Science (optional), and Writing (optional) sections, the skills tested on each, the prep move each rewards, and an original sample question per section.
Paper vs Digital ACT: Which to Choose
The ACT comes in two formats, paper and online, with identical content. This guide compares them on tools, devices, calculators, and score release timing, and gives Matter’s take on how to choose.