ACT Syllabus Tracker
58 Topics · 2026/2027 Official0%
Mastered: 0
In Progress: 0
Unstarted: 58
ACT Syllabus 2026: What's on the Enhanced ACT and How to Cover It
Last checked: 28 September 2026
ACT doesn't publish a chapter list. What it does publish is a description of each test and the skills it measures, and that's what this tracker is built from: 58 topics across English (15), Math (20), Reading (10), Science (9) and the Writing essay (4).
The test itself changed in 2025. The enhanced ACT started on online national test dates in April 2025 and replaced the old version on paper from September 2025. It's shorter, Science is now optional, and your Composite score comes from English, Math and Reading only.
| Section | Questions | Time | Counts toward the Composite? |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | 50 | 35 minutes | Yes |
| Math | 45 | 50 minutes | Yes |
| Reading | 36 | 40 minutes | Yes |
| Science (optional) | 40 | 40 minutes | No. It gets its own score and feeds a STEM score with Math |
| Writing (optional) | 1 essay | 40 minutes | No. It's scored separately |
Format and scoring
- The core test takes 2 hours 5 minutes. ACT says you now get a Composite score after 125 minutes of testing, compared with up to 195 minutes before.
- The Composite is the average of English, Math and Reading, each scored from 1 to 36. Science and Writing are reported separately.
- Math questions have four answer choices, down from five, and you can use an approved calculator on the whole Math test.
- There's no penalty for wrong answers, so never leave a question blank.
- Check whether you need Science. It's optional for the test, but some colleges and scholarship programmes may still ask for it. Look up the requirements for the places you're applying to before you drop it.
What each section tests
- English (15 topics): most questions are on conventions, meaning punctuation, sentence structure and usage (8 topics in the tracker). The rest are on the production of writing, such as whether a sentence belongs or where a paragraph should go (4), and knowledge of language, such as concision and tone (3).
- Math (20 topics): algebra and equations, functions and graphs, geometry and trigonometry (the biggest group, with 7 topics), numbers and vectors, statistics and probability, plus the rates, percentages and proportions that ACT calls essential skills.
- Reading (10 topics): passages in literary narrative, social science, humanities and natural science, including a paired-passage set, with questions on key ideas, craft and structure, and how ideas connect.
- Science (9 topics): reading graphs and tables, understanding experiments, and comparing models or viewpoints. It's mostly about interpreting data, with a small amount of basic science knowledge.
- Writing (4 topics): one essay in which you weigh several perspectives on an issue and argue your own.
How to use the tracker's six milestones
- Concept: learn the rule or method, like when to use a colon or how to find the area of a sector.
- Notes: write a short page with the rule, one worked example and the usual trap.
- Drills: practise untimed until you get the question type right most of the time.
- Official Prep: answer questions from ACT's own practice tests and prep materials, which match the real wording best.
- Timed Drill: practise at test pace. That's about 42 seconds per English question, 67 seconds per Math or Reading question, and 60 seconds per Science question.
- Error Log: write down every miss and why it happened, then redo those questions a week later.
A realistic plan to cover it
- Take a full official practice test first, timed, to see which section is furthest from your target.
- Start with English if you're not sure. The grammar rules repeat from test to test, so many students raise their English score fastest.
- Give Math the most topics per week if it's your weakest section. It has 20 topics in the tracker, and geometry alone has 7.
- Practise Reading and Science by passage, timing each one, because running out of time is the most common problem in both.
- Take a full test every two weeks and spend the week after on your error log.
Can you use old practice tests? For content, yes. The topics are largely the same as before. For timing, use ACT's current practice materials, because the sections are shorter and Math now has four answer choices. For weekly hours, see how many hours to study for the ACT, and for a full method, how to prepare for the ACT.
Common mistakes
- Practising with the old section lengths and then feeling rushed, or oddly relaxed, on test day.
- Dropping Science without checking whether your colleges or scholarships want it.
- Reading every English passage in full instead of working through it question by question.
- Skipping review. The error log is where most of your points come back.
Keep an honest count of your practice time with a free online study timer, and start a session before each timed drill so your hours are logged by section.
Frequently asked questions
What is on the ACT syllabus?
The ACT has three required sections, English, Math and Reading, plus optional Science and Writing. English tests grammar, punctuation and how writing is organised. Math covers algebra, functions, geometry, trigonometry, statistics and probability. Reading uses passages from four subject areas. This tracker splits the whole test into 58 topics.
Is science still on the ACT?
Yes, but it has been optional since the 2025 changes, and it no longer counts toward your Composite score. If you take it, you get a Science score and a STEM score. Some colleges and scholarship programmes may still ask for it, so check before you drop it.
How long is the ACT now?
The required English, Math and Reading sections take 2 hours 5 minutes of testing time. Adding Science takes it to 2 hours 45 minutes, and the optional Writing essay adds another 40 minutes.
How is the ACT Composite score calculated?
It is the average of your English, Math and Reading scores, each on a scale of 1 to 36. Science and Writing are reported separately and don't change the Composite.
What math is on the ACT?
Algebra and equations, functions, geometry and trigonometry, numbers, statistics and probability, and everyday skills like rates and percentages. It covers math up to about early precalculus, and each question now has four answer choices.
Can I still use old ACT practice tests?
Yes, for practising content, since the topics are largely unchanged. For timing, use ACT's current official practice materials, because the sections are shorter than before and Math questions have four choices instead of five.
Sources checked in September 2026: ACT's page on the ACT test, the ACT enhancements educator guide, Understanding your ACT scores and ACT test preparation. Topic counts come from this tracker.
