The ACT has four required sections and one optional section. Each has its own time limit. The following table shows you how many questions each ACT section has and how much time you have to answer them.
In total, you have 216 questions to answer in 205 minutes. You get one ten-minute break between the second and third tests (the Mathematics and Reading Tests). If you opt not to take the optional Writing Test, you may be asked to take an additional section of questions. The ACT folks are trying these questions out for future tests, so your answers in this additional section won't count in your scores.
ACT Breakdown by Section
Test | Number of Questions | Time Allotted |
English | 75 in 5 passages | 45 minutes |
Mathematics | 60 | 60 minutes |
Reading | 40 in 4 passages | 35 minutes |
Science | 40 in 6 pasages | 35 minutes |
Writing (optional) | 1 | 40 minutes |