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ACT reading: passages, question types and practice

ACT reading has 36 questions in 40 minutes, and 27 of them are scored. You read passages like the ones in first-year college courses, some long and some in shorter pairs, and answer questions about what they say and how they’re written. ACT reading doesn’t test outside facts or isolated vocabulary, so everything you need is in the text.

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Updated October 2026 · Written from official sources, listed at the bottom of this page

What’s in the ACT reading section

Some parts have one long passage and others have two shorter ones, with some questions about both. Each passage starts with a heading naming the author and source, sometimes with background you need. One passage may come with a graph, figure or table, and some of its questions ask you to use it.

Reporting categoryShare of the testWhat it asks
Key Ideas and Details44-52%Central ideas and themes, summaries, inferences, and sequence, comparison and cause-effect relationships
Craft and Structure26-33%Word and phrase meanings, word choice, text structure, the author’s purpose and point of view
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas19-26%Claims and evidence, fact versus opinion, and connections between related texts

Do you need to study vocabulary for the ACT?

Not word lists. ACT says the reading section has no isolated vocabulary questions. What it does ask is what a word or phrase means in the passage, which you work out from context. In English, the vocabulary side is choosing the most precise and concise word for the sentence.

ACT doesn’t publish a vocabulary list. Reading widely, and practicing questions in context, matches what the test actually asks.

ACT English →

How do you prepare for ACT reading?

  • Read each passage carefully before you answer, and watch how the ideas connect. ACT suggests taking notes on the important ideas.
  • Go back to the passage for every answer. Some answers are stated outright, and others you have to infer.
  • Practice with ACT’s free QuizMe reading quizzes, the reading sections of its four full-length tests, and the Official Reading Guide if you want a book.

ACT’s reading benchmark is 22. In ACT’s rank table, a 24 in reading ranks at 75%, lower than the same score in English, math or science.

ACT percentiles and benchmarks →ACT test strategies →

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Everything else, in one place

OverviewThe ACT testFormat and lengthACT test format: how many questions, how long, and what’s on itScoringHow ACT test scores are calculatedRegistrationACT test registration: how to sign upCostHow much does the ACT cost? Test fees and waiversTest dayACT test day: what to bring and what happensOnline testCan you take the ACT test online?ResultsACT test results dates: when scores come out and how to get themPercentilesACT test score distribution: percentiles and averages by stateACT vs SATSAT or ACT: which test is better for you?Writing testThe ACT writing test: prompts, rubric and whether to take itAccommodationsACT test extended time and other accommodationsPreACTPreACT: the pre-ACT test for grades 8 to 10Test datesACT test dates for 2026-27MathACT math: what’s on it and how to practiceEnglishACT English: what it tests and how to practiceScienceThe ACT science test: what’s on it and whether to take itStrategiesACT test strategies and tipsStudy guideACT study guide and practice test PDFsPractice testFree ACT practice testWhere to learnACT prep: where to study for the ACTStudy plannerStudy for the ACT with a plan that fits your date
Sources: ACT and 4 more. Checked October 2026.

Rules and fees can change, so check the official site before your test.