Free ACT Practice Questions

Question 1

In the sentence below, which punctuation best joins the two independent clauses?

The hikers reached the summit at noon, and they celebrated with a quick lunch before the descent.

Accepted Answer

NO CHANGE

Answer

summit at noon; and they celebrated

Answer

summit at noon and they celebrated

Answer

summit at noon, and, they celebrated

Question 2

Select the choice that creates a grammatically correct sentence.

The collection of vintage postcards, along with several old letters, _____ going to the museum.

Accepted Answer

is

Answer

NO CHANGE

Answer

were

Answer

have been

Question 3

Which revision of the sentence below is clearest?

Emily had overslept and was rushing to catch her bus. When Sara called Emily, she was already running late.

Accepted Answer

Emily was already running late when Sara called her.

Answer

NO CHANGE

Answer

Sara was already running late when she called Emily.

Answer

She was already running late when Sara called Emily.

Question 4

Select the choice that corrects the dangling modifier.

Running down the street, the bus pulled away just as Maya reached the stop.

Accepted Answer

Running down the street, Maya saw the bus pull away just as she reached the stop.

Answer

NO CHANGE

Answer

The bus pulled away just as Maya reached the stop, running down the street.

Answer

Maya, running down the street, the bus pulled away just as she reached the stop.

Question 5

Which choice best eliminates redundancy while preserving the sentence’s meaning?

The new policy is both innovative and original; it introduces ideas that have never before been considered.

Accepted Answer

The new policy is innovative; it introduces ideas that have never before been considered.

Answer

NO CHANGE

Answer

The new policy is innovative and original; it introduces original ideas that have never before been considered.

Answer

The new policy is new and original; it introduces ideas that have never before been considered.

Question 6

The writer is considering adding the following sentence to an essay:

His older sister had won the same science fair three years earlier.

Given that the paragraph focuses on the student’s own project, should the writer make this addition?

Accepted Answer

No, because it shifts the focus away from the student’s project.

Answer

Yes, because it shows the student’s family has scientific talent.

Answer

Yes, because it explains why the student chose the topic.

Answer

No, because it contradicts the previous sentence.

Question 7

Select the choice that uses commas correctly.

My chemistry teacher Ms. Alvarez assigns a lab report every Friday.

Accepted Answer

My chemistry teacher, Ms. Alvarez, assigns a lab report every Friday.

Answer

NO CHANGE

Answer

My chemistry teacher, Ms. Alvarez assigns a lab report every Friday.

Answer

My chemistry teacher; Ms. Alvarez, assigns a lab report every Friday.

Question 8

If 2(x − 3) + 5 = 3x − 1, what is the value of x?

Accepted Answer

0

Answer

1

Answer

−1

Answer

2

Question 9

At a bake sale, cookies cost $2 each and brownies cost $3 each. If 50 items were sold for a total of $118, how many cookies were sold?

Accepted Answer

32

Answer

18

Answer

25

Answer

42

Question 10

A plumber charges a one-time $60 service fee plus $45 for each hour of work. Which of the following functions gives the total charge C, in dollars, for h hours of work?

Accepted Answer

C = 45h + 60

Answer

C = 60h + 45

Answer

C = 105h

Answer

C = 45(h + 60)

Question 11

A store reduces the price of a jacket by 20%. During a special sale, the already-reduced price is reduced by another 25%. The final price is what percent of the original price?

Accepted Answer

60%

Answer

45%

Answer

55%

Answer

65%

Question 12

A bread recipe calls for 3 cups of flour for every 2 cups of sugar. If a baker uses 15 cups of flour, how many cups of sugar are needed?

Accepted Answer

10

Answer

9

Answer

12

Answer

22.5

Question 13

A rectangle has a perimeter of 34 centimeters and a length of 11 centimeters. What is the area of the rectangle, in square centimeters?

Accepted Answer

66

Answer

22

Answer

60

Answer

121

Question 14

A bag contains 4 red marbles, 5 blue marbles, and 6 green marbles. If one marble is selected at random, what is the probability that the marble is NOT green?

Accepted Answer

3/5

Answer

2/5

Answer

6/15

Answer

1/2

Question 15

The morning train was already twenty minutes late, and Lila had begun to pace the platform, her boots clicking against the cold concrete. Across the tracks, an elderly man in a wool cap was feeding bits of bread to a flock of pigeons. He moved slowly, as if each gesture required a negotiation with time. Lila checked her phone again, then tucked it into her coat pocket with a sigh. The man looked up, caught her eye, and smiled—a small, unhurried curve of his mouth. She found herself smiling back before she could decide whether to. Around them, the station announcements droned on about mechanical delays, but Lila barely heard them. For the first time that morning, the delay felt less like an obstacle and more like a small, unexpected gift.

According to the passage, what do the station announcements say about the train?

Accepted Answer

The train is delayed by mechanical problems.

Answer

The train is arriving early.

Answer

The train has been cancelled.

Answer

The train is stuck in heavy traffic.

Question 16

The morning train was already twenty minutes late, and Lila had begun to pace the platform, her boots clicking against the cold concrete. Across the tracks, an elderly man in a wool cap was feeding bits of bread to a flock of pigeons. He moved slowly, as if each gesture required a negotiation with time. Lila checked her phone again, then tucked it into her coat pocket with a sigh. The man looked up, caught her eye, and smiled—a small, unhurried curve of his mouth. She found herself smiling back before she could decide whether to. Around them, the station announcements droned on about mechanical delays, but Lila barely heard them. For the first time that morning, the delay felt less like an obstacle and more like a small, unexpected gift.

The passage most strongly suggests that Lila’s attitude toward the delay changes because she is influenced by the man’s:

Accepted Answer

calm, unhurried manner

Answer

frustration with the noisy pigeons

Answer

desire to start a conversation

Answer

impatience with the station announcements

Question 17

The morning train was already twenty minutes late, and Lila had begun to pace the platform, her boots clicking against the cold concrete. Across the tracks, an elderly man in a wool cap was feeding bits of bread to a flock of pigeons. He moved slowly, as if each gesture required a negotiation with time. Lila checked her phone again, then tucked it into her coat pocket with a sigh. The man looked up, caught her eye, and smiled—a small, unhurried curve of his mouth. She found herself smiling back before she could decide whether to. Around them, the station announcements droned on about mechanical delays, but Lila barely heard them. For the first time that morning, the delay felt less like an obstacle and more like a small, unexpected gift.

As it is used in the passage, the word “negotiation” most nearly means:

Accepted Answer

careful adjustment

Answer

argument

Answer

compromise

Answer

conversation

Question 18

For years, educators assumed that the more notes students took, the more they learned. But recent research suggests the tool matters as much as the volume. In a 2014 study, psychologists Pam Mueller and Daniel Oppenheimer asked college students to take notes on TED talks either by hand or on a laptop. Even when laptop users wrote more words, hand-writers scored better on conceptual questions afterward. The researchers argued that handwriting is slower, which forces students to summarize and organize ideas rather than transcribe them verbatim. That extra processing, they concluded, is what helps the material stick. The finding does not mean laptops should be banned, but it does suggest that students who type may need to be more deliberate about how they record information.

According to the passage, what did Mueller and Oppenheimer find about students who typed notes on laptops?

Accepted Answer

They wrote more words but scored lower on conceptual questions.

Answer

They took fewer notes than hand-writers.

Answer

They performed better on factual questions than on conceptual questions.

Answer

They were less likely to use complete sentences.

Question 19

For years, educators assumed that the more notes students took, the more they learned. But recent research suggests the tool matters as much as the volume. In a 2014 study, psychologists Pam Mueller and Daniel Oppenheimer asked college students to take notes on TED talks either by hand or on a laptop. Even when laptop users wrote more words, hand-writers scored better on conceptual questions afterward. The researchers argued that handwriting is slower, which forces students to summarize and organize ideas rather than transcribe them verbatim. That extra processing, they concluded, is what helps the material stick. The finding does not mean laptops should be banned, but it does suggest that students who type may need to be more deliberate about how they record information.

The passage most strongly suggests that the main advantage of handwritten notes is that they:

Accepted Answer

force students to process and organize information rather than transcribe it

Answer

produce a more accurate record of every word spoken

Answer

allow students to write faster than they could on a laptop

Answer

improve students’ handwriting over time

Question 20

For years, educators assumed that the more notes students took, the more they learned. But recent research suggests the tool matters as much as the volume. In a 2014 study, psychologists Pam Mueller and Daniel Oppenheimer asked college students to take notes on TED talks either by hand or on a laptop. Even when laptop users wrote more words, hand-writers scored better on conceptual questions afterward. The researchers argued that handwriting is slower, which forces students to summarize and organize ideas rather than transcribe them verbatim. That extra processing, they concluded, is what helps the material stick. The finding does not mean laptops should be banned, but it does suggest that students who type may need to be more deliberate about how they record information.

As it is used in the passage, the word “verbatim” most nearly means:

Accepted Answer

word for word

Answer

summarized

Answer

aloud

Answer

briefly

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