ACT+Writing Information for Families

ACT and DPI work together to ensure that the ACT assessments measure what students have learned through the Wisconsin Academic Standards. Students taught to the Wisconsin Academic Standards should be well prepared to be successful with the ACT assessments. The Wisconsin Academic Standards define the knowledge and skills students should take away from their K-12 schooling to be successfully prepared for postsecondary and career opportunities.

Wisconsin high school students in grade 11 will take the ACT with writing® which includes Reading, Math, English, Science, Writing. The ACT is an in-person assessment that districts may administer on paper or online. 

The ACT+Writing is a timed test; each content area has a specific maximum amount of time for a student to answer the questions in that section.

The time allowed for each content area is as follows:

English = 45 minutes

Mathematics = 60 minutes

Reading = 35 minutes

Science = 35 minutes

Writing = 40 minutes

The total time allowable for a student to answer the questions is 235 minutes, including built-in breaks.

Spring 2024 Administration Date: March 11

This will be an in-person day for Grade 11 students, students in grades 9, 10, and 12 will have an "asynchronous" instructional day.

Accommodations window: March 11 - March 21

(Makeup Date: April 8, 2025)

• MyACT – ACT’s online registration website where students can see their scores electronically and is used to send scores to colleges.  Scores are also available from a school's guidance staff.

The ACT+Writing is a state mandated test; students are expected to take this assessment in grade 11.  This is the only opportunity for students to take the test at the state's expense.

The federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and Wisconsin State Statute 118.30