The ACT is one of two major tests designed to help colleges make admittance decisions. The other is the SAT. Although scores from either test are acceptable to college admission offices, there are regional patterns, with the ACT more commonly taken by students in the middle of the country and the SAT by those students on the East and West Coasts. In 2006, the ACT was administered to approximately 1.2 million students.

This entry begins by discussing the purpose and uses of the ACT and its history. It then describes the test, its score scales, and its technical quality. Lastly, the use of the ACT in identifying gifted and talented students is explained.