Find out more about J&J Education’s expert ACT tutors here. Through J&J, you will work 1:1 with a specialist ACT tutor who will help you with all sections of the ACT exam. They include ACT specialists from Stanford, Yale, Harvard and more.

We recommend taking lots of practice ACT tests under time conditions, as well as setting up private ACT tutoring with J&J to boost your score. 

There are three categories of requirement for the ACT test and other similar standardised tests. Test blind universities won’t look at your ACT test score and will review your application without taking this data into account. ACT test optional schools, applicants can decide whether or not to submit an ACT score and it will be taken into account as part of their application should they do so. Then there are schools which require an ACT (or SAT) test score for all applicants to apply and who will use the score as part of the admissions process. (It’s worth noting that test blind schools may use your ACT scores for other purposes than admissions, such as course assignment.)

The precise answers will depend on your circumstances, but generally our advice is usually yes - if you think you can gain a competitive score. Admissions officers will look holistically at your application, yet many fellow applicants will have taken the SAT/ACT test, especially for more competitive schools, and this is an added place to demonstrate your abilities. We’d suggest attempting an SAT/ACT test early on in the admissions cycle to see your score, prepare for that test thoroughly and then make an informed decision. Some schools, including MIT, have now moved back to requiring SAT/ACT scores for all applicants.

Super-scoring on the ACT test means you can take the ACT multiple times and declare your highest scores from each section.

The ACT test is scored based on a 1 – 36 scale range. The four sections or subject areas of Reading, Math, Science, and English are given a scaled score of 1-36.

Taking the ACT test several times is often a sensible strategy - you’ll be able to show growth and improvement across time. And don’t worry, many students take the ACT test more than once - a common approach which is accepted and even encouraged by lots of US colleges. The overwhelming majority of students increase their scores on the second and third attempts.