If you’re aiming for a top score on your ACT® — especially a 30 or above — mastering the English section is essential. Understanding the format, question types, and skills assessed will give you a clear advantage. Learn how to study smarter.
About the ACT® English Test Section
The English section of the ACT evaluates grammar, punctuation, and rhetorical skills through a series of multiple-choice questions (MCQs) based on short essays or passages. They assess concepts you’ve likely encountered during high school.
Most ACT English questions focus on:
- Correcting grammar and punctuation
- Improving sentence structure
- Enhancing the clarity and effectiveness of writing
You’ll need to apply your understanding of standard written English and sharpen your ability to revise content for better coherence and logic
ACT English Test Format
The ACT English section is 45 minutes and comprises 75 multiple-choice questions across 5 passages. Each passage includes:
- 4-5 Production of Writing questions
- 2-3 Knowledge of Language questions
- 7-8 Conventions of Standard English questions
Want to know more? Read our ACT Test format and sections guide for a comprehensive overview.
ACT English Question Types
You will see 3 types of questions on the ACT English section:
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Production of Writing
These questions assess your ability to understand the purpose of a passage and revise it for logic, organization, and flow. You’ll see 22-24 questions from this category.
To do well, practice identifying the intent behind specific lines or phrases and evaluating whether they effectively support the main idea. You should also be able to recognize irrelevant content and suggest edits that improve the structure of a passage.
Focus on the logical sequence of ideas — every well-written piece has a clear beginning, middle, and end. You’ll need to assess how effectively transitions are used and whether the paragraph structure enhances the clarity of the text.
-
Knowledge of Language
These questions focus on word choice, clarity, tone, and conciseness. You’ll encounter 10-14 questions that test your ability to use language with precision while maintaining a consistent style throughout the passage.
Good writing is concise and purpose-driven. You should practice spotting redundancies and unnecessary wordiness. In addition, work on identifying when the tone of a passage shifts unexpectedly and how to fix it for better consistency.
To prepare, read various texts and analyze how word choices affect meaning and style. Understanding how to refine sentence flow and tone will help you excel in this part of the ACT English test.
-
Conventions of Standard English
This section includes 38-42 questions that test your grasp of standard grammar rules, sentence structure, and punctuation.
You’ll be expected to revise text for clarity and correctness — correcting verb tense errors, subject-verb agreement, comma splices, and more. You’ll also need to apply rules related to punctuation marks like commas, semicolons, colons, apostrophes, and hyphens.
To perform well, spend time reviewing grammar rules and practice editing sentences for grammatical accuracy and smoothness of flow.
Explore our guide on the ACT syllabus for more about the concepts and skills tested.
How Hard Is the ACT English Test?
The English section has the most questions on the ACT, which makes time management challenging. The questions appear in mixed order and are not arranged by difficulty level.
Here are ACT score trends:
| Year | Total Students | Avg. ACT English Score | Students Scoring a Perfect 36 | % of Students Who Met College Readiness benchmark | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number | % age | ||||
| 2024 | 1,374,791 | 18.6 | 11,026 | 0.80% | 51 |
| 2023 | 1,386,335 | 18.6 | 8,722 | 0.63% | 51 |
| 2022 | 1,349,644 | 19 | 11,716 | 0.87% | 53 |
| 2021 | 1,295,349 | 19.6 | 13,177 | 1.02% | 56 |
The average ACT English score has dropped slightly over the years, making targeted prep more important than ever. For practice that mirrors the real test, check out our ACT practice questions.
How to Calculate Your ACT English Score
Your ACT English score is reported on a 1-36 scale. Here's how it's calculated:
- Raw Score: Number of correct answers (no penalty for wrong answers)
- Scaled Score: Raw score converted to a 1-36 scaled score
- Your English scaled score contributes to your composite ACT score (average of all 4 test sections).
Once your scaled score on the English test has been derived, it is added to the scores from your Mathematics, Reading, and Science sections. This score is then averaged (divided by 4) to derive your composite ACT score.
ACT English Review Tips
To boost your ACT English section score, keep the following strategies in mind:
- Practice Time Management: With just 45 minutes for 75 questions, pacing is key. Practice completing sections under timed conditions to build speed.
- Focus on Grammar: Brush up on sentence structure, punctuation rules, and parts of speech. Grammar mastery will greatly improve your ACT English score.
- Think about Word Choice: Practice selecting concise and precise vocabulary. You’ll often be asked to eliminate redundancy and improve sentence tone.
- Understand Question Types: Be familiar with all ACT English question types — Production of Writing, Knowledge of Language, and Conventions of Standard English.
- Practice Smart: Use ACT-style questions with detailed answer explanations to reinforce your learning. Our full-length ACT practice test and ACT assessment practice test offer realistic prep.
The best way to build confidence for the ACT English section is through consistent practice with questions modeled after the actual exam. Look for resources that include detailed explanations for each answer. Understanding why an answer is correct is just as important as getting it right.
Prepare for the ACT English section using UWorld’s ACT Practice Questions. It offers thousands of realistic practice questions, in-depth answer explanations, and real-time performance-tracking tools to help you identify and improve your weak areas.
With the right practice and guidance, you can sharpen your skills and reach your full scoring potential on the English section of the ACT.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the passing score for ACT English?
There is no passing score for the ACT. However, a good ACT English score meets or exceeds the college readiness benchmark. For most colleges, that means an 18 or above, though competitive schools often expect higher.
What is the average English ACT score?
The average ACT English score for 2021-24 is 18.95.
What is a bad ACT English score?
Scores below the college readiness benchmark (typically 18) may be considered low, depending on your target college.
References
- ACT. (n.d.). ACT exam sections and structure. ACT, Inc. Retrieved April 7, 2025, from https://www.act.org/content/act/en/products-and-services/the-act/test-preparation/act-exam-sections-and-structure.html
- ACT. (2022). The condition of college and career readiness: 2022. ACT, Inc. Retrieved April 7, 2025, from https://www.act.org/content/dam/act/unsecured/documents/2022/2022-National-ACT-Profile-Report.pdf
- ACT. (2023). The condition of college and career readiness: 2023. ACT, Inc. Retrieved April 7, 2025, from https://www.act.org/content/dam/act/unsecured/documents/2023-National-ACT-Profile-Report.pdf
- ACT. (2024). The condition of college and career readiness: 2024. ACT, Inc. Retrieved April 7, 2025, from https://www.act.org/content/dam/act/unsecured/documents/2024-act-national-graduating-class-profile-report.pdf
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