ACT

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The English section covers rules of punctuation, phrasing, and grammar. A typical question underlines a word or phrase in a passage, and offers 3 revised versions, as well as an option to leave the passage as-is. The student is directed to select the choice that most closely follows the rules of standard written English.

The Math section draws most of its material from topics commonly studied in Algebra I, Algebra II, or Geometry. This is supplemented by a small selection of advanced topics from Functions or Trigonometry. Use of a calculator is allowed throughout; however, most questions require exact numerical or algebraic answers, where a calculator is not necessarily helpful.

The Reading section offers the student four passages on a variety of topics. The student reads each passage and then answers nine questions about the passage's content. In doing so, the student may have to consider the author's use of ideas or vocabulary; nuances of perspective or viewpoint (the author's or a character's); distinguishing main ideas from supporting details; or other aspects of careful, critical reading.

The optional Science section presents the student with seven passages, most containing data in the form of tables or figures, as well as descriptive paragraphs summarizing concepts, methods, or tools the scientists might have used in conducting their experiments. This material will almost certainly be brand-new to most students, not a topic they would have covered in one of their science classes. The student then uses the data from the tables and figures, or the concepts described to interpret the results of individual trials; extrapolate or interpolate trends within the data; or consider the role or purpose of various components or concepts, in light of the standard principles of the design of experiments.