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ACT Math practice questions and exam guide

80 multiple-choice questions and 250 flashcards, written to the ACT Math content categories: Pre-Algebra; Elementary Algebra; Intermediate Algebra; Coordinate Geometry; Plane Geometry; Trigonometry blueprint. Every question carries a full rationale.

Written and maintained by Nick Burton · last updated 2026-08-22 · how we write and review questions

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About the ACT Math exam

ACT Math content categories: Pre-Algebra; Elementary Algebra; Intermediate Algebra; Coordinate Geometry; Plane Geometry; Trigonometry (60 questions, 60 minutes)

CoStudy's ACT Math bank holds 330 items. Every multiple-choice question carries a written rationale explaining why the correct answer is correct and why each distractor is tempting but wrong.

Free ACT Math practice questions

A sample of 8 multiple-choice questions from the bank, with the full rationale shown.

30-60-90 right triangle has side ratios:

  1. 1 : 1 : √2
  2. 1 : 2 : 3
  3. 1 : √3 : 2 (shortest leg : longer leg : hypotenuse)
  4. 3 : 4 : 5

Answer: C — 1 : √3 : 2 (shortest leg : longer leg : hypotenuse)

30-60-90: 1 : √3 : 2. 45-45-90: 1 : 1 : √2 (isoceles right). Memorize both; ACT tests heavily. 3-4-5 and 5-12-13: Pythagorean triples — useful for shortcuts.

If 30% of a number is 24, what is the number?

  1. 40
  2. 60
  3. 72
  4. 80

Answer: D — 80

Set 0.30 × N = 24, so N = 24 / 0.30 = 80. Quick mental math: 24 ÷ 0.3 = 24 × (10/3) = 80.

Equation of line through (0, 2) with slope 3:

  1. y = 3x + 2 (slope-intercept form: y = mx + b)
  2. y = 2x + 3
  3. y = 3x − 2
  4. 3y = x + 2

Answer: A — y = 3x + 2 (slope-intercept form: y = mx + b)

Slope-intercept: y = mx + b. m = 3, b = 2 (y-intercept). Point-slope alternative: y − 2 = 3(x − 0). General form: ax + by = c.

Express 0.0001275 in scientific notation:

  1. 1.275 × 10⁻³
  2. 12.75 × 10⁻⁴
  3. 1.275 × 10⁻⁴
  4. 1.275 × 10⁴

Answer: C — 1.275 × 10⁻⁴

C) Move the decimal 4 places right; coefficient between 1 and 10. A) Wrong exponent. B) Coefficient must be < 10. D) Wrong sign on exponent.

The interior angles of a regular hexagon sum to:

  1. 360°
  2. 540°
  3. 720°
  4. 900°

Answer: C — 720°

Sum of interior angles = (n − 2) × 180°. For hexagon (n = 6): (6 − 2)(180) = 4 × 180 = 720°. Each interior angle = 720/6 = 120°.

If f(x) = 2x² − 3, then f(−2) =

  1. −11
  2. −5
  3. 11
  4. 5 (2(4) − 3 = 8 − 3)

Answer: D — 5 (2(4) − 3 = 8 − 3)

Substitute x = −2: f(−2) = 2(−2)² − 3 = 2(4) − 3 = 5. Note (−2)² = +4 (parens square the negative). Functions notation: f(input) → output.

Solve the system: 2x + 3y = 12 and x − y = 1.

  1. x = 3, y = 2
  2. x = 1, y = 0
  3. x = 5, y = 4
  4. x = 0, y = 4

Answer: A — x = 3, y = 2

From eq 2: x = y + 1. Substitute: 2(y + 1) + 3y = 12 → 5y + 2 = 12 → y = 2. Then x = 3. Verify: 2(3) + 3(2) = 12 ✓ and 3 − 2 = 1 ✓.

Solve: 3(x − 2) = 2x + 1

  1. x = 5
  2. x = 3
  3. x = 7 (3x − 6 = 2x + 1 → x = 7)
  4. x = −7

Answer: C — x = 7 (3x − 6 = 2x + 1 → x = 7)

Distribute: 3x − 6 = 2x + 1. Subtract 2x: x − 6 = 1. Add 6: x = 7. Check: 3(7−2) = 15; 2(7)+1 = 15 ✓.

ACT Math flashcards

6 sample cards from the 250 in the bank.

Perimeter of rectangle?

2(L + W).

Item $80 with 25% off. Sale price?

$80 × 0.75 = $60.

Composition: f(g(x)) when f(x) = x+2, g(x) = 3x?

f(3x) = 3x + 2.

Discriminant < 0 means?

Two complex/imaginary solutions; no real.

Standard parabola: y = x². Vertex form: y = (x-h)² + k.

Use to graph any parabola.

Right triangle: angle 45°, leg 7. Hypotenuse?

7√2.

Practise the full ACT Math bank

These samples are a small slice. The full bank runs flashcards, multiple choice and timed mock exams with per-chapter progress tracking, on the web and in the iOS app.

Open ACT Math →

ACT Math — frequently asked

How many ACT Math practice questions does CoStudy have?

The ACT Math bank holds 330 items: 80 multiple-choice questions, 250 flashcards. 14 of them are on this page to read free, with no signup.

Do the ACT Math questions come with explanations?

Yes. Every multiple-choice item carries a written rationale that states the controlling principle behind the correct answer and then addresses each wrong option in turn — why it tempts and precisely where it fails. Knowing why the plausible answer was wrong is worth more than knowing which letter was right.

What is on the ACT Math exam?

ACT Math content categories: Pre-Algebra; Elementary Algebra; Intermediate Algebra; Coordinate Geometry; Plane Geometry; Trigonometry (60 questions, 60 minutes)

Are the ACT Math practice questions free?

The samples on this page are free to read in full, rationales included, with no account. The complete 330-item bank, the timed mock exams and per-chapter progress tracking are part of CoStudy on the web and in the iOS app.

How current is the ACT Math content?

Last reviewed 2026-08-22. Banks are written against the certifying body's published exam outline and re-checked when that outline changes — exams get renumbered, retired and reweighted, and a bank written to a superseded outline teaches the wrong proportions. Figures that are re-indexed annually are deliberately not asserted as rules; the questions test the governing principle instead.

Primary source

This bank is written against ACT's published exam material. Check ACT's test descriptions for the current outline, fees and eligibility rules — those change, and the certifying body is the only authority on them. CoStudy is not affiliated with ACT.

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