Undergraduate Admissions
Curriculum based undergraduate admissions test scored 1 to 36, with science now optional.
The ACT is a curriculum based undergraduate admissions test from ACT Education Corp, accepted by universities across the United States and beyond. Under the enhanced ACT the core test covers English, Math and Reading, with Science and Writing as optional add-ons. The Composite, reported 1 to 36, averages English, Math and Reading.
8 Weeks
Course length
Composite 1-36, each section 1-36, optional Writing 2-12
Score scale
Online (Live + Study Material Access)
Mode
₹32,450
incl. 18% GST
The ACT is a curriculum based undergraduate admissions test from ACT Education Corp, accepted by universities across the United States and beyond. Under the enhanced ACT the core test covers English, Math and Reading, with Science and Writing as optional add-ons. The Composite, reported 1 to 36, averages English, Math and Reading.
The ACT measures what students have learned in school across English, mathematics and reading, giving universities a curriculum based indicator of readiness for undergraduate study.
Students who need a Composite score for undergraduate admission
Focus
Accepted by
Students applying to STEM programmes or to universities that ask for the science section
Focus
Accepted by
Students applying to universities that require or recommend the optional essay
Focus
Accepted by
| Version | Who it is for | Focus | Accepted by |
|---|---|---|---|
| ACT core test | Students who need a Composite score for undergraduate admission | English, Math, Reading | United States universities, Universities in Canada and selected other countries |
| ACT with Science | Students applying to STEM programmes or to universities that ask for the science section | English, Math, Reading, Science | Universities that request or recommend a science score, STEM programmes using the STEM score |
| ACT with Writing | Students applying to universities that require or recommend the optional essay | English, Math, Reading, Writing | Universities that require the Writing test, Programmes using the ELA score |
Core test of English, Math and Reading in about 2 hours 5 minutes, with optional Science and Writing
50 questions
Skills tested
Question types
Marked on
45 questions
Skills tested
Question types
Marked on
36 questions
Skills tested
Question types
Marked on
40 questions
Skills tested
Question types
Marked on
One essay prompt with multiple perspectives
Skills tested
Question types
Marked on
Students outside the United States generally take the ACT on computer at authorised international test centres, including centres in Indian cities.
Paper administration used for national test dates within the United States, where the enhanced format has applied since September 2025.
Composite 1-36, each section 1-36, optional Writing 2-12
| Score | Level | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| 33-36 | Highly competitive | Top of the scale and in the range associated with the most selective universities and strong merit scholarship consideration. |
| 28-32 | Strong | Competitive at many well regarded universities and often sufficient for scholarship shortlists. |
| 24-27 | Above average | Above the typical national average and workable across a wide band of universities. |
| 20-23 | Moderate | Around the middle of the distribution and acceptable at institutions with broader admission ranges. |
| 1-19 | Developing | Below the profile of most selective programmes and usually a signal to strengthen fundamentals before retaking. |
| 2-12 Writing | Optional essay scale | The optional Writing test is reported from 2 to 12 as the sum of domain scores and is not included in the Composite. |
Register at the ACT site using your name exactly as printed on the identification you will carry to the test centre.
Decide whether you will sit the core test only, add Science, add Writing, or take both add-ons, since this determines the fee you pay.
Choose an international test date and a centre in your city. Seats at Indian centres are limited, so register as early as possible.
Provide a compliant headshot, which is printed on your admission ticket and checked against your identification on test day.
Pay online by card. The international fee level depends on whether you selected Science, Writing, both or neither.
Pricing includes reports for you and up to four colleges when you provide their codes at registration, so enter codes before you submit.
Charged by the awarding body. Separate from GCQ360 coaching fees.
| Test | Fee |
|---|---|
| ACT (English, Math, Reading), non USCore international test fee for students testing outside the United States, published by ACT as USD 188.50. | See official site |
| ACT with Science, non USCore test plus the optional Science section, published as USD 198.50. | See official site |
| ACT with Writing, non USCore test plus the optional Writing test, published as USD 213.50. | See official site |
| ACT with Science and Writing, non USCore test plus both optional sections, published as USD 223.50. | See official site |
| Late registrationCharged when you register after the regular deadline, published as USD 42. | See official site |
| Test date or centre changeCharged to move your existing booking to another date or centre, published as USD 49. | See official site |
| Additional score reportsPer report beyond the reports included with registration, published as USD 20. | See official site |
Fees as published by ACT on the non US student registration fees page, checked 14 August 2026. ACT publishes international fees in US dollars only, so no INR figure is shown here. All pricing includes reports for you and up to four colleges when codes are provided at registration. Verify current fees before booking.
Book the official ACT testStructured over 8 Weeks.
Instructor led sessions covering English, Math and Reading, with optional Science and Writing modules for students who need them.
Structured speed training, since the ACT allows less time per question than most tests Indian students have taken before.
An entry diagnostic sets your baseline, followed by sectional drills on the specific content areas costing you the most marks.
Timed simulations of the enhanced format, configured to match whether you are taking Science and Writing.
Focused practice on reading charts, tables and research summaries quickly, for students taking the optional Science section.
Support on score reporting, university shortlisting and scholarship deadlines once your scores are released in MyACT.
Week 1-2
Set a baseline, decide whether you will take Science and Writing, and learn the enhanced format.
Week 3-4
Work through English usage and rhetoric, the Math syllabus and Reading question types systematically.
Week 5-6
Move to full section timing, which is the single biggest challenge on the ACT.
Week 7-8
Run complete tests in your chosen configuration and close the remaining gaps.
Mistake
Assuming Science still counts in the Composite
Do this instead
Since September 2025 the Composite is the average of English, Math and Reading only, so plan your target score around those three sections.
Mistake
Skipping Science without checking requirements
Do this instead
Science is optional, but some universities and STEM programmes still ask for it or use the STEM score, so check each target institution before you register.
Mistake
Practising without a clock
Do this instead
The ACT is unusually time pressured, so build strict section timing into practice early rather than treating pace as a final week concern.
Mistake
Over reading ACT Reading passages
Do this instead
Questions are answerable from targeted returns to the text, so learn to locate evidence rather than reading every passage exhaustively.
Mistake
Bringing a prohibited calculator
Do this instead
Check your model against the current ACT calculator policy well before test day, because a prohibited device can cost you the Math section.
Mistake
Registering for the wrong test option
Do this instead
Your fee and your test day sections are set by the option you choose at registration, so confirm whether you need Science, Writing or both before paying.
The enhanced ACT core of English, Math and Reading runs about 2 hours 5 minutes, a meaningfully shorter sitting than the previous format.
You can skip the Science section and still receive a valid, college reportable score, since the Composite is based on English, Math and Reading only.
An approved calculator is permitted for the whole Math section, so the section rewards method rather than mental arithmetic speed.
The 1 to 36 Composite is simply the average of three section scores rounded to the nearest whole number, which makes target setting easy.
Taking Science gives you a STEM score and taking Writing contributes to an ELA score, which some programmes use alongside the Composite.
Questions map closely to school syllabus content, which suits Indian students who prefer testing what they have studied over abstract reasoning.
The ACT was shortened and restructured. Science became optional, and since September 2025 the Composite score is the average of English, Math and Reading only. The core test is English (50 questions in 35 minutes), Math (45 questions in 50 minutes) and Reading (36 questions in 40 minutes), about 2 hours 5 minutes in total.
No. Science is optional and adds 40 minutes and 40 questions. You can skip it and still receive a valid, college reportable score, because the Composite excludes Science. However, some universities and STEM programmes still ask for a science score, so check your target institutions before registering.
The Composite is the average of your English, Math and Reading scores, rounded to the nearest whole number, and is reported from 1 to 36. Each of those sections is also reported from 1 to 36. Science, when taken, is reported separately and does not enter the Composite.
ACT publishes non US fees as USD 188.50 for the core test of English, Math and Reading, USD 198.50 with Science, USD 213.50 with Writing, and USD 223.50 with both. Late registration is USD 42, a date or centre change is USD 49, and additional score reports are USD 20 each.
ACT states that over 97 percent of scores are available online within 1 to 4 weeks of the test date, viewable in your MyACT account. Computer delivered results are generally faster than paper results, which matters for students in India since international testing is usually computer based.
Writing is an optional essay task scored from 2 to 12, the sum of domain scores across Ideas and Analysis, Development and Support, Organization, and Language Use and Conventions. It is not included in the Composite. Take it only if a university you are applying to requires or recommends it.
Neither is easier overall. The ACT is more curriculum based and gives you less time per question, so it rewards speed and school syllabus knowledge. The SAT is adaptive with more time per question. Take a timed practice test of each and choose the one where you score better relative to the scale.
Yes, an approved calculator is permitted for the entire Math section. ACT prohibits certain models, including some with computer algebra systems, so check your calculator against the current ACT policy well before test day and bring a compliant backup if possible.
ACT permits multiple attempts and many students test two or three times. International test dates are limited, so plan your attempts around the published international schedule and your application deadlines rather than assuming you can retake at short notice.
ACT states that all pricing includes reports for you and up to four colleges, provided you enter those college codes when you register. If you add codes later or need more than four, additional score reports cost USD 20 each, so enter your codes at registration where you can.
A counsellor can confirm what your target universities actually accept before you book anything, and map a preparation timeline to your application deadlines.
