College Entrance Testing

ACT (American College Testing)

The ACT is a standardized test with four multiple-choice sections: English, Math, Reading, and Science. The total time for the exam is 2 hours and 55 minutes (3 hours 35 minutes with Writing). The ACT test is scored from 1 to 36, and the composite score is the average of the scores from all four tests. An optional writing section is available but does not factor in your composite score.

Components of the ACT:

English: 75 questions in 45 minutes. The questions are based on testing grammar and rhetoric.

Math: It consists of 60 questions to be completed within an hour. The math subjects are Algebra, Geometry, and Trigonometry, but using a calculator is allowed.

Reading: 40 questions to be answered in 35 minutes, drawn from four passages.

Science: This involves 40 questions that must be completed within 35 minutes, and the candidate must analyze scientific data.

SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test)

The SAT has three sections: Reading, Writing, and Math—each of these three sections scores between 200 and 800. Therefore, the total SAT score range is 400 to 1600. In addition to the three sections, an optional fifty-minute essay is available.

Components of the SAT:

Reading: 65 minutes on 52 questions, a product of 5 passages from different subjects.

Writing: 44 questions in 35 minutes that deal with editing and improving specific parts of the text.

Math: 80 minutes containing the No Calculator session (25 minutes, 20 questions) and the Calculator session (55 minutes, 38 questions).

AP Exams

The scale on which AP Exams are scored is from 1 to 5, and a score of 3 or higher may result in college credit. AP tests are designed differently than college entrance exams, and their results can significantly enhance a college application.

CLEP (College Level Examination Program)

The Spanish Language CLEP exam takes 45 minutes and has 120 questions. It is designed to test the Spanish language equivalent of two to four college semesters.

* Upward Bound provides ACT and SAT fee waivers and aids in paying for tests.