Sign up freeSign in

Exam prep · ACT

ACT flashcards for English, Math, Reading and Science

The ACT is a speed test as much as a knowledge test. Flashcards remove the recall delay on grammar rules and formulas so the time goes into reading the question. Start with the decks below and add your own from class notes.

Start studying free Turn my prep book into flashcards

Updated 2026-10-23. Decks are shared by Quizcard and its users; study them on the page or copy them into a free account.

ACT at a glance

Format
English, Math and Reading are required; Science became optional with the enhanced ACT in 2025. Writing is a separate optional essay.
Length
About 2 hours 5 minutes for the three core sections, longer with Science or Writing.
Scoring
1 to 36 per section; the composite is the average of English, Math and Reading. Science is reported separately when taken.
Calculator
Permitted on Math, with restrictions on CAS models.
Dates
Seven national test dates a year. Register at act.org.

What the ACT tests

  • English. Usage and mechanics (punctuation, grammar, sentence structure) and rhetorical skills (strategy, organization, style). Study guide →
  • Math. Pre-algebra through algebra II, coordinate and plane geometry, and a little trigonometry. Study guide →
  • Reading. Passages from literature, social science, humanities and natural science; main idea, detail, inference and vocabulary in context. Study guide →
  • Science (optional). Interpreting data, experiments and conflicting viewpoints. Reasoning matters more than memorized facts. Study guide →

ACT unit study guides

Each guide is the unit on one page: a mindmap, the ideas in order, a worked exam-style question, the mistake students make most, then the flashcards and quiz for it.

  • EnglishStudy guide and mindmap
  • MathStudy guide and mindmap
  • ReadingStudy guide and mindmap
  • Science (optional)Study guide and mindmap

Free ACT flashcard decks

  • Algebra and Geometry: Essential Formulas30 cards · High school · Algebra · Geometry
  • Geometry: Proofs, Triangles, and Circles30 cards · High school · Angles · Circles · Logic · Polygons
  • English Literature: Literary Terms and Devices30 cards · High school · Argument · Figurative language · Meaning · Narrative
  • SAT Vocabulary: 40 High-Frequency Words40 cards · High school · A–D · E–M · N–R · S–Z
  • GRE Quantitative: Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry and Data Formulas37 cards · University · Algebraic Identities · Circles · Counting · Divisibility & Remainders
  • ACT Science: Experiments, Data and Reasoning Vocabulary37 cards · High school · Conflicting Viewpoints · Core Science Facts: Density · Core Science Facts: Genetics · Core Science Facts: Newton's Laws
  • ACT English: Grammar, Punctuation and Rhetoric Rules42 cards · High school · Apostrophes · Colons · Commas · Concision & Redundancy
  • SAT Reading and Writing: Grammar and Conventions Rules41 cards · High school · Apostrophes and Possessives · Commas with Clauses and Lists · Modifiers and Parallelism · Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement
  • SAT Math: Algebra, Advanced Math and Data Formulas36 cards · High school · Circles · Exponents · Growth & Percent · Linear Equations
  • ATI TEAS 7 Math: Numbers, Algebra and Measurement44 cards · University · Decimal/Percent Conversions · Descriptive Statistics · Equations and Inequalities · Estimation and Rounding
  • Linear Algebra: Vectors, Matrices, and Eigenvalues30 cards · University · Applications · Eigen · Matrices · Orthogonality

Missing a topic? Upload the chapter from your prep book and Quizcard builds the deck for you, grouped by topic, with figures kept from PDFs. How it works.

Test yourself: free ACT practice quizzes

  • Algebra and Geometry: Essential Formulas quiz18 multiple-choice questions with explanations · no account needed
  • SAT Vocabulary: 40 High-Frequency Words quiz24 multiple-choice questions with explanations · no account needed
  • GRE Quantitative: Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry and Data Formulas quiz15 multiple-choice questions with explanations · no account needed
  • ACT Science: Experiments, Data and Reasoning Vocabulary quiz15 multiple-choice questions with explanations · no account needed
  • ACT English: Grammar, Punctuation and Rhetoric Rules quiz20 multiple-choice questions with explanations · no account needed
  • SAT Reading and Writing: Grammar and Conventions Rules quiz20 multiple-choice questions with explanations · no account needed
  • SAT Math: Algebra, Advanced Math and Data Formulas quiz15 multiple-choice questions with explanations · no account needed
  • ATI TEAS 7 Math: Numbers, Algebra and Measurement quiz20 multiple-choice questions with explanations · no account needed

Each quiz scores you at the end and explains every answer. Redo it any time; the questions reshuffle.

Sample cards from “Algebra and Geometry: Essential Formulas”

Pythagorean theorem

Answer: a² + b² = c²

Explanation

c is the hypotenuse of a right triangle.

Similar triangles: what is preserved?

Answer: Corresponding angles are equal and corresponding sides are proportional.

Explanation

Area scales by the square of the side ratio.

Triangle inequality theorem

Answer: The sum of any two sides of a triangle must be greater than the third side.

Explanation

Used to test whether three lengths can form a triangle.

What are complementary and supplementary angles?

Answer: Complementary angles add to 90°; supplementary add to 180°.

Explanation

C comes before S, and 90 comes before 180.

Equation of a circle

Answer: (x − h)² + (y − k)² = r²

Explanation

Center (h, k), radius r.

SOH-CAH-TOA

Answer: sin = opposite/hypotenuse; cos = adjacent/hypotenuse; tan = opposite/adjacent

Explanation

Right-triangle trig ratios.

Showing 6 of 30 cards. Study the whole deck or copy it into your account.

A flashcard study plan for the ACT

  1. Take one full practice ACT with a timer. Card every missed question as concept plus fix.
  2. Daily: ten minutes on grammar rules and ten on formulas. The English and Math decks below cover the core.
  3. Twice a week: a timed Reading section. Card the question types you fall for (“except” questions, inference traps).
  4. If you take Science, card the vocabulary of experiments: independent and dependent variable, control, trend, outlier.
  5. Final two weeks: second practice test, then study only the missed deck.

How to write ACT cards that work

  • Grammar cards work best as before-and-after: a wrong sentence on the front, the corrected one on the back with the rule named.
  • Math cards should include the setup, not just the formula: “average speed = total distance / total time, not the average of the speeds.”
  • Pace cards help too: write the minutes-per-question target for each section on a card and review it before every timed section.

Questions

Should I take the ACT science section?

Check what the colleges on your list require. If none require it, your time is better spent on English, Math and Reading.

Can I use SAT decks for the ACT?

Largely yes. The algebra, geometry and grammar content overlaps; the ACT has a bit more trigonometry and no calculator-free part.

Can I build decks from my ACT prep book?

Upload the PDF and Quizcard generates a deck grouped by topic. Two generated documents are free.

Other exams

  • SATFree SAT flashcards for vocabulary, algebra and geometry, the digital SAT format at a glance, and an 8-week flashcard study plan. Turn your prep book PDF into cards.
  • NCLEX-RNFree NCLEX-RN flashcards for pharmacology, anatomy and physiology, medical terminology and nutrition, the NGN format and client-needs weights, and a 6-week flashcard study plan.
  • ATI TEASFree TEAS flashcards for anatomy and physiology, chemistry, biology, math and English, the ATI TEAS 7 format at a glance, and a 4-week flashcard study plan for nursing school applicants.
  • MCATFree MCAT flashcards for biology, biochemistry, general and organic chemistry, physics, psychology and sociology, the MCAT format at a glance, and a 3-month flashcard study plan.

Official information: ACT: test prep. Formats and weights change; check the official page before test day.

Try it with your own material

Upload a PDF, slides or notes and study the deck in minutes. Making your own cards is free with no limits.

Make flashcards from my prep bookSee how Quizcard works