ACT Math Test

Description: This course is designed to help students with the ACT Math test.

Objective: Become familiar with what's on the Math test, strategies, and more.

The math portion of the ACT is designed to test the math skills you’ve learned up through the start of your senior year. It includes 60 multiple-choice questions. You have 60 minutes to complete it. The test makes you use reasoning skills to solve practical math problems. It tests your knowledge of basic formulas and computational skills, not complex formulas. You can use a calculator for this portion of the test.

The math test includes six different sections—pre-algebra, elementary algebra, intermediate algebra, coordinate geometry, plane geometry, and trigonometry.

You receive four scores on the math test: one overall score out of 60; a pre-algebra and elementary algebra sub-score out of 24; an intermediate algebra and coordinate geometry sub-score out of 18; and a plane geometry and trigonometry sub-score out of 18.

Several tips will help you through the ACT math test:

• Pace yourself. Try not to spend more than a minute on each question. If you can spend less than a minute per question, you’ll have time to review your work at the end.

• Don’t waste time using your calculator if you don’t need it. You should be able to solve all the calculations without it. Sometimes, using scratch paper is more efficient than using a calculator.

• Try to work forward instead of backward to solve the problem. This will save time. Use scratch paper as needed.

• Find the solution in the multiple-choice answers. If it’s not there, review the question to make sure you didn’t miss any information, and double check your work.

• Make sure you’re answering the right question. Incorrect multiple-choice answers often include the correct answers to a different problem, or an incomplete solution for the right problem.

• Use common sense to make sure your answer is plausible for the problem. Take a moment to think about your answer before going to the next question.

• If you have time remaining at the end, go back and re-read the questions and double check your answers.