ACT 2026 Syllabus: Check Section-wise ACT Syllabus, Pattern, Study Material

The English section of the ACT exam consists of multiple essays (passages), each of which is followed by a set of multiple-choice questions (MCQs). Some of these MCQs refer to an underlined (for paper-based exam) or highlighted (for online exam) portions of the passage, where you choose the most appropriate alternative. At the same time, other questions ask about a section or the passage as a whole.

ACT Exam's English section mainly focuses on the following areas to understand students' understanding of the language -

1. Production of Writing (29-32% Weightage)

This part tests whether you understand why a writer has written something a certain way - not just if the grammar is correct, but if the content and structure make sense for the passage's purpose. It has two sub-areas:

1. Topic Development: Does a sentence or paragraph serve the purpose of the passage? Questions here ask: Is this sentence relevant? Does this paragraph achieve its goal? Should this sentence be added, removed, or changed?
2. Organisation, Unity and Cohesion: Is the passage logically ordered? Does it flow smoothly from one idea to the next? Does it have a strong opening and a proper conclusion? You may be asked to reorder sentences or improve transitions.

Also Read- ACT Registration. 

2. Knowledge of Language (15-17% Weightage)

This part tests whether you can choose the right word for the right situation. It goes beyond grammar - it is about style, tone and making writing clear and concise. Things you should keep in mind for this are - word choice and precision, and style and tone consistency.

3. Conventions of Standard English (52-55% Weightage)

This is the biggest and most important part. It tests whether you know the basic rules of English, i.e. grammar, punctuation and sentence building. Think of it as your Class 10-12 grammar - but applied in context. It tests your knowledge in the following areas - 

1. Sentence structure and formation: Can you build correct sentences? This covers run-on sentences, sentence fragments, joining clauses properly, and avoiding confusing or awkward sentence constructions.
2. Punctuation: Correct use of commas, apostrophes, colons, semicolons and end marks. You will be asked to fix incorrectly punctuated sentences.
3. Usage - Correct use of words in sentences - subject-verb agreement, pronoun agreement, verb tenses and commonly confused words (e.g. its vs it's, who vs whom).

The ACT Maths section tests the mathematical skills you have built up in your school until class 11 or early 12. It is a comprehensive check of everything you have learnt from your class 9-11 maths. 

Important Note:- The use of a certain kind of calculator is allowed in the ACT exam - by restrictingsome features. Do check the calculator policy from the official source at - https://www.act.org/content/dam/act/unsecured/documents/ACT-calculator-policy.pdf

The ACT Maths section consists of questions from the following areas -  

1. Preparing for Higher Math (57-60% of the paper)

This section covers the kind of maths you'd associate with higher secondary school and early college prep. It is divided into the following five main areas -

1. Number & Quantity (7-10%): This goes beyond basic arithmetic. You'll need to work with real and complex numbers, integer and rational exponents, and have a working understanding of vectors and matrices. If you've studied Class 11 CBSE Maths, you'll recognise questions in this section.
2. Algebra (12-15%): This covers solving, graphing and modelling various types of expressions - linear, polynomial, radical and exponential relationships - as well as systems of equations, including those represented in matrix form. This section covers content that Indian students cover in classes 10-11.
3. Functions (12-15%): Expect questions on function definitions, notation and their real-world applications - including linear, radical, piecewise, polynomial and logarithmic functions. You'll also need to manipulate and translate functions and identify key features of graphs. This maps closely to the functions chapter in CBSE Class 11 and 12. 
4. Geometry (12-15%): This section covers shapes and solids - congruence, similarity, surface area, volume, missing values in triangles and circles - as well as trigonometric ratios and the equations of conic sections. 
5. Statistics & Probability (8-12%): Questions here involve describing distributions (centre and spread), evaluating data collection methods, analysing relationships in two-variable data and calculating probabilities along with their sample spaces.

2. Integrating Essential Skills (40-43% of the paper)

This section is less about individual topics and more about your ability to put together multiple concepts to solve a single, multi-step problem. The challenge here is combining skills across a chain of steps, applying them in unfamiliar contexts, recognising connections between concepts, and demonstrating overall mathematical fluency.

The Reading section is fundamentally about three things: reading closely, reasoning logically using evidence from the text and drawing connections across multiple sources. This section presents some unfamiliar passages and asks you to think on the spot. The passages are drawn from the kinds of texts a first-year college student in the US would typically encounter. So, the passages may feel more academic, argumentative, or abstract than what you're used to from CBSE or ICSE English.

Yes, ACT test syllabus has undergone some major changes in the mid of 2025 and these are the biggest changes to the ACT in decades. The "Enhanced ACT" has been rolling out since early 2025 and is now fully in effect. However, the core syllabus - what you're actually tested on - has not changed. Maths, Reading, English still cover the same concepts and skills. What has changed is the format, structure, duration and flexibility of the exam.

Here's a complete breakdown of what's changed in the ACT Exam 2026- 

1. The enhanced ACT is 75 minutes shorter and has 44 fewer questions overall.
2. Science section is now optional and you can add it if only your college asks for it
3. As a result of the change in point 2, the new ACT Composite score is calculated using only your English, Maths, and Reading scores. Also, starting September 2025, the ACT Superscore Composite is calculated using only English, Maths and Reading - not Science
4. The Maths section has moved from 5 answer choices for its MCQ questions to 4 
5. Reading passages have been shortened to help reduce mental fatigue, while the section still measures the same comprehension and analysis skills

The following table shows time an applicant must spare for each section of ACT test in 2026-

This is just brief on how applicants can time their ACT exam. There may be a case where applicants may require lesser time on one section and more on the other, hence, they can manage their time accordingly depending upon their weak and strong prep on the ACT syllabus. 

Check out the frequently asked questions on ACT exam syllabus below.