Math: Statistics-Heavy and Getting Harder
Math was the most complained-about section by a wide margin. A common thread across student reactions was that this administration felt harder than June's, with several students saying they regretted underestimating the previous test after struggling more this time.
Heavy statistics content: Multiple students specifically flagged a large amount of statistics on this form, with several saying they would have struggled significantly without having taken AP Statistics. This is a notable shift for students who prepared primarily with algebra- and geometry-heavy practice materials.
Advanced geometry and coordinate geometry: A circle/triangle arc-measure question generated significant back-and-forth over the correct answer, and a coordinate geometry question involving graphing an ellipse (framed as a bridge-beam problem) and finding the distance between its intersection points with a horizontal line stood out as an unusually advanced application question.
A recursive function question late in the section: Several students mentioned a recursively defined function near the end of the section—given a starting value and a rule relating each term to the one before it, asking for a term far down the sequence—that ate up time they didn't have. Students who hadn't practiced recursive sequences reported having no clear way to approach it under time pressure.
Topic mix varies by form: Interestingly, at least one student who had specifically prepared for matrices said they didn't see them on their form. This is a useful reminder that the exact topic distribution shifts between administrations and even between forms on the same day, so broad content coverage matters more than trying to predict specific topics.
Multiple students described the final stretch of the section as especially difficult, with some saying they had no idea how to approach the last several questions at all.
Science: “Actually Hell”
Science drew some of the most visceral reactions of the day, with students consistently describing it as significantly harder than expected.
A confusing apples-and-scale passage: Several students singled out a passage involving apples and a scale as nearly unreadable under time pressure, with more than one student saying they had to guess on every question in that passage because they couldn't parse what the experiment was actually measuring.
A two-viewpoint bacteria/memory passage: A paired-passage set on bacterial behavior (framed as Passage A and Passage B) asking how each passage characterized bacterial "memory" and behavioral response caused confusion, with students landing on different answers for how the two viewpoints compared.
Guessing on entire passages due to time: More than one student reported running out of time on a full passage and resorting to picking the same letter for every question rather than working through it—a sign that pacing, not just content difficulty, was a major factor this administration.
Speculation about the experimental passage: As usual, students tried to guess which passage might be an unscored experimental passage, though there was no consensus—a reminder that this speculation is rarely productive and shouldn't factor into how you approach any passage on test day.
Reading: Engaging Passages, Tricky Figurative Language
Reading reactions were more mixed than Math or Science. Several students said they genuinely enjoyed the passage topics this time, while a handful of specific questions still generated debate.
Passage topics: Students mentioned passages on piano lessons (a personal narrative), physics, and neurons, with more than one commenting that these were more interesting than typical ACT Reading passages. A passage involving a female botanist and her advocacy for preserving a flower species also came up repeatedly, as did a passage touching on philanthropy paired with a bar graph.
Figurative-language questions caused the most friction: Multiple students specifically struggled with "which choice is meant figuratively" style questions, including one tied to a passage referencing perfume and another asking for the best word to describe a character's response in the piano-lessons passage. As with past administrations, these questions rewarded students who traced the specific wording in the passage rather than relying on a general impression.
Unscored-passage speculation: Similar to Science, some students guessed at which Reading passage might be the unscored experimental one (the philanthropy/bar-graph passage was mentioned more than once), though again there was no clear consensus.
English: Redundancy and Transition-Word Debates
English didn't draw the same volume of complaints as Math or Science, but a few specific questions generated real disagreement among students comparing answers afterward.
A closely contested redundancy question: A question asking students to pick the least redundant phrasing about crabs making sounds split opinion—some students picked the shorter option ("Crabs make sounds"), while others argued the longer option ("Crabs make sounds to deter predators") was actually correct because the added phrase carried necessary information rather than being redundant. This is a good reminder that on ACT English, the shortest answer isn't automatically the best one; if trimming a phrase removes meaning the sentence needs, it's not truly redundant.
Transition-word nuance: A rhetorical-skills question in the botanist passage asked for the best transition into a sentence about her conservation advocacy, with students split between two options that both felt plausible in context. Debates like this reinforce that transition questions need to be evaluated against the specific logical relationship between sentences, not just general fit.
Vocabulary-in-context: A handful of questions asked students to distinguish between closely related word choices (for example, "elicit" versus "motivate," and pairs involving words like "insightful"), with students reporting real uncertainty about which option best matched the intended shade of meaning.
Digital Testing Disruption and Other Logistics
Beyond section-level content, this administration included a notable operational hiccup at some test centers.
Digital tests failing to launch: Multiple students reported that their center experienced a launch failure for the digital ACT, preventing testing from starting on schedule. Affected students were sent home and told to contact ACT directly to arrange a reschedule. If this happened to you, follow up with ACT support as soon as possible to confirm your makeup date and understand whether it will still count toward your original score-release timeline.
Individual circumstances: As with any test date, some registered students were unable to test at all—including at least one who became ill before the exam. If illness or another emergency prevented you from testing, contact ACT about your options; standard test-day illness policies typically allow you to reschedule.
Scoring Expectations and Score Release
Given how consistently students described Math and Science as harder than usual, curve expectations are a major topic of discussion.
Curve expectations: Because so many students reported feeling like they did worse than usual—particularly on Math and Science—there is reason to expect a more forgiving curve on those sections than on an easier administration. Do not assume a rough experience translates directly into a low score; ACT's equating process exists specifically to account for differences in difficulty between forms and dates.
Score release timeline: According to ACT's published schedule, scores for the July 11, 2026 test date are set to release on July 21, 2026. Students affected by the digital testing disruption or who tested on a makeup date should confirm their individual release timeline directly with ACT, since it may differ from the standard schedule.
What to Do Next
Whether Math wrecked your confidence or Reading felt manageable, here is how to move forward productively before scores are released.
- If Math or Science felt brutal, you're not alone. The volume and consistency of complaints about both sections suggest genuine difficulty, not just individual bad luck. Wait for your actual score before assuming the worst.
- If you're planning to retake in September: Prioritize statistics topics (including probability and data analysis) alongside the usual geometry and trigonometry review, and practice recursively defined sequences and functions, since both appeared as sources of difficulty on this form.
- Practice pacing on Science specifically. Multiple students lost an entire passage to time pressure. Timed, passage-by-passage drills can help you recognize early when a passage is taking too long so you can make a strategic guess-and-move decision instead of losing the whole passage.
- On English, don't default to the shortest answer. This administration's redundancy question is a good example of why: evaluate whether trimmed wording actually preserves the sentence's meaning before assuming shorter is better.
- If your test was disrupted or you couldn't test at all, contact ACT directly to confirm your rescheduled date and how it affects your score timeline, rather than relying on the standard July 21 release date.
- Avoid over-analyzing individual remembered questions. Post-test debates about specific answers are common but rarely conclusive, and they tend to create unnecessary anxiety. Focus your energy on reviewing content areas that felt weak instead.