How long is the ACT?
The ACT takes 2 hours and 5 minutes without the optional sections: English 35 minutes, Math 50 and Reading 40. Add Science and it takes 2 hours 45 minutes. Add Science and Writing and it takes 3 hours 25 minutes. On test day, plan extra time for check-in, instructions and a short break.
These are the times for the enhanced ACT, the current format as of October 2026. It replaced the old version online in spring 2025 and on paper in September 2025. The test is 75 minutes shorter and has 44 fewer questions than before, and math questions now have four answer choices instead of five.
Science and Writing are optional. Your Composite score, from 1 to 36, is the average of English, Math and Reading only. If you take Science, you also get a Science score and a STEM score. Check whether your colleges or scholarship programs want Science or Writing before you register.
The core test has 131 questions: 50 in English, 45 in Math and 36 in Reading. Science adds 40 more. That works out to about 42 seconds per English question and a little over a minute per Math and Reading question, so timed practice matters as much as content review.
| Section | Questions | Time |
|---|---|---|
| English | 50 | 35 minutes |
| Math | 45 | 50 minutes |
| Reading | 36 | 40 minutes |
| Science (optional) | 40 | 40 minutes |
| Writing (optional) | 1 essay | 40 minutes |
| Total, core sections | 131 | 2 hours 5 minutes |
| Total with Science | 171 | 2 hours 45 minutes |
| Total with Science and Writing | 171 plus an essay | 3 hours 25 minutes |
- 1Decide on Science and Writing first by checking what your colleges ask for.
- 2Take a full timed practice test in the format you will sit, online or on paper.
- 3Pace each section: about 42 seconds per English question and just over a minute per Math and Reading question.
- 4Practice the full length at least twice, including any optional sections you signed up for.
- 5On test day, arrive early, bring an approved calculator and use the break to eat and reset.