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ACT Explained (2026): Sections, Scoring, Science Optional & How to Study

Audio from the Open Exam Hub video of the same name; the video shows the numbers and practice questions on screen.

The ACT in plain English: the three required sections (English, math, reading), the optional science and writing tests, how the 1 to 36 composite is calculated, why there is no passing score, registration, a practice question, a study plan, and retake limits. Facts checked against ACT as of October 2026; fees and school policies change, so confirm on act.org.

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Chapters
0:00 The Short Answer
0:38 What the ACT Is
1:11 The Required Sections
1:53 Science and Writing
2:27 How the ACT Is Scored
2:57 Cost, Registration and Test Day
3:30 Try a Question
3:58 How to Study
4:39 Retakes and Superscoring
5:07 Recap

Exam facts are from the official ACT, Inc. pages as of 2026-10-19. Fees and rules can change, so confirm on the official site before you enroll. Open Exam Hub is an independent study resource, not affiliated with ACT, Inc.. Practice questions are not from a real exam. Narration is an AI-generated voice.

Music
"Carefree" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

"Fresh Air" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

"Reminiscing" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

"Almost Bliss" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

Sound effects: Kenney (kenney.nl), CC0.

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