Did you know you can get the questions and answers to the actual ACT that you took? It’s true, because the ACT releases about one-third of the tests it offers through its Test Information Release (TIR) service, an invaluable tool to master the test and one that I highly recommend. There’s a strong case to be made for the idea of “how can I get better at a task, if I am not allowed to see the work I completed and turn that information into strategies for improvement?” The TIR addresses this question, and it’s worth every penny.
Further, since actual tests (not practice versions) are made available, teachers like me can identify, sort, and analyze the questions the ACT offers into actionable data, and there is perhaps no more discussed subject on the ACT (or SAT) than math. Unlike grammar or science, math covers a wide variety of skills and concepts across several branches, including pre-algebra, algebra, geometry, trigonometry, and statistics. I frequently tell my students that ACT math is like a zoo—there are a lot of different ‘animals’ to learn! So, as a practical matter, how does one prepare for such an all-encompassing subject?
The ACT does provide a comprehensive list of ALL of the math skills they test on and expect a student to know. The list is found in their own book, The Official ACT Prep Guide, and spans five pages! Needless to say, that is a lot for anyone to absorb, even if math is your favorite subject. Is there any way to narrow this Himalayan task? The good news is – thanks to the aforementioned TIRs – an unequivocal yes!
After helping students prepare for the ACT for more than a decade, I recently decided to manually tagged every question from 5 official ACT tests — 251 questions in all — by topic(s), skill(s), difficulty (easy, medium, hard), and strategy.
The biggest takeaway from this analysis is this: the ACT math section is considerably more predictable than most students believe. The same topics and skills show up over and over, so if a student focuses on the right things, he or she can make significant progress without trying to learn everything.
Just 20 Topics Cover 80% of the Test
There are lots of possible math topics on the ACT. Nonetheless, when I sorted every topic by how often it appears, these top 20 topics are the primary focus of 202 out of 251 questions (80%).
13 of these topics appeared on every single test I analyzed. In other words, these aren’t isolated findings—they’re recurring patterns across multiple official ACT administrations.
| # | Topic | Questions | % of Test | Consistency |
| 1 | Functions | 29 | 12% | 5/5 |
| 2 | Statistics | 19 | 8% | 5/5 |
| 3 | Probability | 14 | 6% | 5/5 |
| 4 | Triangle Properties | 12 | 5% | 5/5 |
| 5 | Solve for Variable | 12 | 5% | 5/5 |
| 6 | Fractions & Decimals | 12 | 5% | 5/5 |
| 7 | Factoring | 10 | 4% | 5/5 |
| 8 | Systems of Equations | 9 | 4% | 5/5 |
| 9 | Circles | 9 | 4% | 4/5 |
| 10 | Lines | 9 | 4% | 4/5 |
| 11 | Number Properties | 8 | 3% | 5/5 |
| 12 | Polynomials | 8 | 3% | 5/5 |
| 13 | Trig: SOH CAH TOA | 7 | 3% | 5/5 |
| 14 | Complex Numbers | 7 | 3% | 5/5 |
| 15 | Coordinate Plane | 7 | 3% | 5/5 |
| 16 | Unit conversion | 7 | 3% | 4/5 |
| 17 | Ratios | 6 | 2% | 4/5 |
| 18 | Sequences | 6 | 2% | 4/5 |
| 19 | Area | 6 | 2% | 2/5 |
| 20 | Advanced Trigonometry | 5 | 2% | 4/5 |
67% of Questions Only Need ONE Topic
Moreover, 167 out of the 251 questions only require knowledge from a single topic area. In other words, no multiple math topic combinations are needed. If you know the topic (and can identify it), then you can solve it. These single topic questions are also more likely in the first 2/3 of the questions.
The most common single-topic skills (sorted by frequency):
| Skill | Topic | Questions |
| Basic Probability | Probability | 10 |
| Solving Equations for a variable | Solve for Variable | 9 |
| Mean Median Mode | Statistics | 9 |
| Operations with Fractions & Decimals | Fractions & Decimals | 7 |
| SOHCAHTOA | Trig: SOH CAH TOA | 6 |
| Systems of Equations | Systems of Equations | 6 |
| Function Notation | Functions | 6 |
| Factoring Quadratic Expressions | Factoring | 4 |
| Zeroes & Roots of a Function | Factoring | 4 |
| FOIL | Polynomials | 4 |
| Ratios | Ratios | 4 |
| Transforming Functions | Functions | 4 |
| Scalar Multiplication | Matrices | 3 |
| Rational and Irrational | Number Properties | 3 |
| Unit conversion | Unit conversion | 3 |
| Sequence Notation | Sequences | 3 |
| Composite Functions | Functions | 3 |
| Domain & Range | Functions | 3 |
| Optimize Fractions | Fractions & Decimals | 3 |
| Slope Calculation | Lines | 3 |
These are among the highest-return skills on the entire exam — the low-hanging fruit, in other words. Master the top skills and you can pick up some easy points with no other prerequisite knowledge.
Test-Taking Strategies
I tagged which strategies could help on each question, and when I teach my students to do this. 31% of questions benefit from a specific strategy beyond just “solve it algebraically.”
| Strategy | Useful On | % of Test | When To Use It |
| Backsolving | 23 Qs | 9% | Plug the answer choices back into the problem. Start with the middle value (C) to eliminate options efficiently. |
| Plug in Numbers | 21 Qs | 8% | Substitute simple numbers (like 2, 3, 10) for variables to test which answer choice works. |
| Draw a Diagram | 18 Qs | 7% | Draw or annotate a diagram to visualize the problem. Even if no figure is provided, sketching one can make relationships clear. |
| Calculator Comparison | 13 Qs | 5% | Especially useful for problems where the answers are in non-decimal form (e.g., 22/63 or 2√3). Find the answer in decimal form with your calculator, then calculate each answer choice to find the match. Can be faster than algebraic manipulation. |
| Pythagorean Triples | 6 Qs | 2% | Recognize common right triangle ratios (3-4-5, 5-12-13, 8-15-17) and their multiples to skip calculation. |
| Visual Estimation | 3 Qs | 1% | Use the figure to estimate answers. ACT figures are drawn to scale unless stated otherwise. Often, visual estimation can help you eliminate a couple answer choices. (e.g., a visible angle that’s less than 90 degrees can help you quickly eliminate any answers that are 90 degrees or above) |
Backsolving alone could help on 9% of the test. If you get stuck with how to do a problem the “expected” way, you can plug the answers in to some questions (e.g., points on a graph, finding a variable value) as a strategy.
Turn Data into Strategy!
- Start with the top 20 topics. They cover 80% of the test. You don’t need to learn everything.
- Focus on single-skill questions first. 67% of the test only needs one topic — master individual skills before combining them.
- Practice word problem translation. 45% of the test is word problems. The math is usually easy once you understand what they’re asking. Try reading the last sentence first. The last sentence usually has the specific ask and helps prime you for what information you need from the question.
- Learn backsolving and plugging in numbers. These two strategies alone cover many questions where you’d otherwise get stuck.
- Don’t waste time on rare topics. Some topics only appear on 1-2 tests. Guess and move on.
The bottom line is that the ACT’s TIR reports are a significant competitive differentiator, and nowhere is that seen more clearly than on math.
If you’re seeking practical, impactful guidance with content and strategy, then the ACT Test Prep experts at Educational Connections are here to help you take your game to the next level. Schedule a free call to get started today.
About Our Guest Author:
Pete Pecoraro has extensive experience in education as a former high school teacher and current Test Prep Tutor at Educational Connections. He graduated as valedictorian at his high school and then attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he was honored with the Bronze Tablet Award and a bachelor’s degree in teaching. Pete’s had proven success with students who struggle with standardized tests to the academically gifted. Every student he’s worked with has been able to lift his or her SAT or ACT score.