Syllabus
The ACT English test assesses candidates across three skills, each dedicated to assessing the different skills of the candidates. The skills and their weightage in the paper are as follows.
- Production of Writing – 29 to 32%
- Knowledge of Language – 13 – 19%
- Conventions of standard English – 51 – 56%
Starting with section 1, the production of writing tests the ability of candidates to understand the goal behind a written piece. This section expects the candidate to detect if the text has conveyed its message and check whether the flow of the passage lines up with its intended focus.
In the next section of the ACT English test, the examination committee develops questions that check candidates' ability to present their ideas clearly and concisely. This section also inspects the use of consistent style and tone.
Section 3 has the most weightage and checks for basic grammatical knowledge and its application. Applicants can encounter questions about punctuation, sentence structure and formation, and English usage.
Question Types
The questions are usually in the form of underlined portions to assess the candidate's language knowledge. Each type of question will have a different passage dedicated to it. Here is a list of all question types and examples to understand them better.
- Choose the alternatives for the underlined parts: In these questions, candidates are provided a passage, along with certain underlined parts.
The questions are MCQs with four different options. In some passages, applicants may encounter an option called 'NO CHANGE,' which is to be chosen if none of the alternatives seem correct.
Here is an ACT English test sample question to understand it better.
Passage excerpt:
As a ten-year-old, I was supremely unenthusiastic
about swinging a hoe in the garden when I could be out
playing with my friends. Having tried and failed [4],
my father was unable to make a gardener of me.
Related question:
Choose the best answer.
Q) Which of the choices best emphasizes how much the father wanted his son to share his avid interest in gardening?
- NO CHANGE
- Because of my indifference to his hobby,
- Contrary to this thinking,
- Despite his repeated attempts,
Answer:
Option 4, despite his repeated attempts.
- Direct questions: The ACT English test can also pose questions that check how well candidates have read the passages. For example, consider the following ACT English test sample.
Sample 1:
Surrounded by the ancient city of
Rome, Vatican City is an independent nation on the west bank of the Tiber River. This tiny country—about one-sixth of a square mile in all—is also home to a disproportionately large number of sites with great historical, artistic, and which have religious significance.
The Vatican Museums house a great many valuable paintings, sculptures, pieces of jewelry, and tapestries, as well as the world’s most extensive collections of ancient manuscripts. Scholars often probe the museums’ archives of early written works for insights into lives led long ago.
Q) Given that all of the choices are true, which one best supports the claim about Vatican City's status as an independent nation?
- NO CHANGE
- with an interesting past.
- with its own government, banking system, postal service, and army.
- that has to import most of its supplies, even such necessities as food and water.
Answer:
Option 3, with its own government, banking system, postal service and army.