The ACT test itself, excluding breaks, takes 2 hours and 55 minutes (175 minutes) to complete. This includes four multiple-choice sections: English (45 minutes), Math (60 minutes), Reading (35 minutes), and Science (35 minutes), totaling 215 questions
. There is a 10-15 minute break after the Math section, which extends the total time at the test center to about 3 hours and 30 minutes for the standard ACT without the optional Writing section
. If you opt to take the optional Writing (essay) section, add 40 minutes plus a short break, making the total testing time approximately 3 hours and 40 minutes to just over 4 hours including breaks
. Starting in 2025, the ACT will be shortened to about 2 hours and 55 minutes total with fewer questions, but currently, the full test experience including breaks is about 3.5 hours without writing and around 4 hours with writing
. Summary:
- ACT (no writing): 2 hours 55 minutes testing + 10-15 minute break = ~3 hours 30 minutes total
- ACT with optional Writing: ~3 hours 40 minutes testing + breaks = just over 4 hours total
This includes time for check-in and administrative tasks on test day, so expect to be at the test center for a bit longer overall
