The ACT is a widely accepted Post secondary entrance test and possibly the test, which is least demanding financially for admissions to American colleges. This test is not an aptitude test, but is a curriculum based test designed to put students at ease and at the same time evaluate them on a broader content.

The ACT was institutionalized in 1959, when there were a large number of students who wanted to enter the few universities in US and colleges wanted objective criteria on which they could make admission decisions of the applicants.

• to help students make better decisions about which colleges to attend and which programs to study
• to provide information helpful to colleges both in the process of admitting students and in ensuring their success after enrollment

The test today is conducted across 50 States with all Ivy League institutions accepting ACT Scores.

The ACT test assesses high school students' general educational development and their ability to complete college-level work.

• The multiple-choice tests cover four skill areas: English, mathematics, reading, and science.
• The Writing Test, which is optional, measures skill in planning and writing a short essay.

Content Covered by the ACT Mathematics Test

In the Mathematics Test, three sub scores are based on six content areas: pre-algebra, elementary algebra, intermediate algebra, coordinate geometry, plane geometry, and trigonometry.

Pre-Algebra (23%) -5 hours

1. Operations using whole numbers, decimals, fractions, and integers
2. Place value
3. Square roots and approximations
4. The concept of exponents
5. Scientific notation
6. Factors
7. Ratio, proportion, and percent
8. Linear equations in one variable
9. Absolute value and ordering numbers by value
10. Elementary counting techniques and simple probability
11. Data collection, representation, and interpretation
12. Understanding simple descriptive statistics

Elementary Algebra (17%) - 3 hours

1. Properties of exponents and square roots
2. Evaluation of algebraic expressions through substitution
3. Using variables to express functional relationships
4. Understanding algebraic operations
5. Solution of quadratic equations by factoring

Intermediate Algebra (15%) - 4 hours

1. Quadratic formula
2. Rational and radical expressions
3. Absolute value equations and inequalities
4. Sequences and patterns
5. Systems of equations
6. Quadratic inequalities
7. Functions
8. Modeling
9. Matrices
10. Roots of polynomials
11. Complex numbers.

Coordinate Geometry (15%) - 3 hours

1. Graphing and the relations between equations and graphs including points, lines, polynomials, circles, and other curves
2. Graphing inequalities;
3. Slope
4. Parallel and perpendicular lines
5. Distance
6. Midpoints
7. Conics

Plane Geometry (23%) - 4 hours

1. Properties and relations of plane figures, including angles and relations among perpendicular and parallel lines
2. Properties of circles, triangles, rectangles, parallelograms, and trapezoids
3. Transformations
4. Concept of proof and proof techniques
5. Volume
6. Applications of geometry to three dimensions.

Trigonometry (7%) - 3 hours

1. Trigonometric relations in right triangles
2. Values and properties of trigonometric functions
3. Graphing trigonometric functions
4. Modeling using trigonometric functions
5. Use of trigonometric identities
6. Solving trigonometric equations