The ACT test is a three-hour multiple choice examination of English, mathematics, reading, and science. Including the instruction and break times, this test will last approximately 4 hours. The Writing test, or Essay section, is optional and measures skill in planning and writing a short essay. The Writing test adds an additional 40 minutes to the testing time.

The ACT is scored on the number of correct answers, there is no penalty for guessing. The scores for each test are converted to scaled scores from 1-36.  The test consists of the following:

To register for the ACT, go to www.actstudent.org.

NOTE: Starting with the class of 2013, Minneapolis Public Schools now offers the ACT to all Juniors in Spring of their junior year. Juniors at Southwest will register for this MPS District-wide ACT prior to the test date during the school day with their counselors. Students will not need to register for this ACT online. The scores from the MPS District-wide ACT offered at school are official, students can submit these scores to colleges to satisfy college admissions testing requirements. For more information please see our ACT at Southwest webpage.