Optional section, timed practice

ACT Writing Practice Tests

One essay in 40 minutes, written to an issue with three perspectives, as on the ACT. Practice with original prompts, score yourself on the four official domains with model essays beside you, or get AI feedback.

Start Test 1All 20 prompts
  • 1 essay prompt40 minutes
  • Three perspectivesAs on the ACT
  • Model essaysTwo per prompt, with commentary
  • AI feedbackFree on every essay

About the ACT Writing section

The optional ACT Writing test gives you one prompt: a short description of an issue, three perspectives on it, and 40 minutes to write an essay that states your own position and relates it to at least one perspective. Essays are scored on four domains (Ideas and Analysis, Development and Support, Organization and Language Use and Conventions) and reported from 2 to 12. Writing does not affect the Composite.

Every prompt is free.

After you write

Compare your essay with two model responses, score it against the rubric, or get AI feedback. AI evaluation is free.

All 20 Writing prompts

  • Writing section

    ACT Writing Test 1

    • 1 essay
    • 40 min

    AI essay evaluation scores all four domains with comments

    Start Test

  • Writing section

    ACT Writing Test 2

    • 1 essay
    • 40 min

    AI essay evaluation scores all four domains with comments

    Start Test

  • Writing section

    ACT Writing Test 3

    • 1 essay
    • 40 min

    AI essay evaluation scores all four domains with comments

    Start Test

  • Writing section

    ACT Writing Test 4

    • 1 essay
    • 40 min

    AI essay evaluation scores all four domains with comments

    Start Test

  • Writing section

    ACT Writing Test 5

    • 1 essay
    • 40 min

    AI essay evaluation scores all four domains with comments

    Start Test

  • Writing section

    ACT Writing Test 6

    • 1 essay
    • 40 min

    AI essay evaluation scores all four domains with comments

    Start Test

  • Writing section

    ACT Writing Test 7

    • 1 essay
    • 40 min

    AI essay evaluation scores all four domains with comments

    Start Test

  • Writing section

    ACT Writing Test 8

    • 1 essay
    • 40 min

    AI essay evaluation scores all four domains with comments

    Start Test

  • Writing section

    ACT Writing Test 9

    • 1 essay
    • 40 min

    AI essay evaluation scores all four domains with comments

    Start Test

  • Writing section

    ACT Writing Test 10

    • 1 essay
    • 40 min

    AI essay evaluation scores all four domains with comments

    Start Test

  • Writing section

    ACT Writing Test 11

    • 1 essay
    • 40 min

    AI essay evaluation scores all four domains with comments

    Start Test

  • Writing section

    ACT Writing Test 12

    • 1 essay
    • 40 min

    AI essay evaluation scores all four domains with comments

    Start Test

  • Writing section

    ACT Writing Test 13

    • 1 essay
    • 40 min

    AI essay evaluation scores all four domains with comments

    Start Test

  • Writing section

    ACT Writing Test 14

    • 1 essay
    • 40 min

    AI essay evaluation scores all four domains with comments

    Start Test

  • Writing section

    ACT Writing Test 15

    • 1 essay
    • 40 min

    AI essay evaluation scores all four domains with comments

    Start Test

  • Writing section

    ACT Writing Test 16

    • 1 essay
    • 40 min

    AI essay evaluation scores all four domains with comments

    Start Test

  • Writing section

    ACT Writing Test 17

    • 1 essay
    • 40 min

    AI essay evaluation scores all four domains with comments

    Start Test

  • Writing section

    ACT Writing Test 18

    • 1 essay
    • 40 min

    AI essay evaluation scores all four domains with comments

    Start Test

  • Writing section

    ACT Writing Test 19

    • 1 essay
    • 40 min

    AI essay evaluation scores all four domains with comments

    Start Test

  • Writing section

    ACT Writing Test 20

    • 1 essay
    • 40 min

    AI essay evaluation scores all four domains with comments

    Start Test

How to approach it

Three habits that raise Writing scores

  1. Take a clear position

    Decide what you think in the first five minutes and say it plainly in the introduction. The best essays argue one idea well rather than three ideas thinly.

  2. Engage the perspectives

    Explain where you agree or disagree with at least one of the given perspectives and why. Analysis of the other views earns more than restating them.

  3. Leave three minutes to fix

    Reread for sentence errors and vague words. Language Use and Conventions is a quarter of the score, and quick edits raise it.

Want more structure first? Read a prompt and its model essays before you write your own.

Keep going

The other sections

English50 questions, 35 minMath45 questions, 50 minReading36 questions, 40 minScience Optional40 questions, 40 minFull-length testsAll sections, real timing

Writing questions

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Short, direct answers about this part of the site and the ACT itself.

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Is ACT Writing required?

No. Writing is optional, is scored separately from 2 to 12 and does not change your Composite. Some colleges ask for it, so check the requirements of the schools you are applying to before deciding.

How is the ACT essay scored?

On four domains: Ideas and Analysis, Development and Support, Organization and Language Use and Conventions. Each domain receives a 2 to 12 score, and your overall Writing score is the rounded average of the four. Here you score each domain from 1 to 6 with the rubric, or request free AI feedback; both are unofficial estimates.

How long should the essay be?

There is no required length. Strong essays usually run several paragraphs: a clear position, two or three developed reasons with specific examples, engagement with at least one given perspective, and a brief conclusion.

How many Writing prompts are free?

All of them, and AI feedback on your essays is free too.