ACT Writing (optional) Practice Tests
10 ACT Writing (optional) practice tests in the real format, timed like the exam, with answers when you finish. The optional ACT Writing test: one 40-minute argumentative essay on an issue with three perspectives, scored 2-12 across four domains. Each prompt has sample essays at scores 12, 10 and 8 with readers' comments; 7ESL Pro members can also get an AI score estimate.
ACT Writing (optional) Practice Test 1 with Answers
A free, interactive ACT English & Reading Writing (optional) practice test with answers, about 40 minutes.
TopicsLessons in the GarageA Small Clip with a Tangled HistoryHow the two-day weekend emergedRestoring silent filmsUrban heat islands and tree canopyMandatory Community Service
This ACT Practice Test 1 (English, Reading & Writing) has 1 paper — Writing (optional). Choose a paper below to start; your browser will load the interactive version automatically.
Writing (optional)
Part 1 — Writing Test — Mandatory Community Service
There is no word limit; strong essays are usually 500–750 words. The essay is not marked automatically: compare it with the Score 12, 10 and 8 samples, or, if you are a 7ESL Pro member, get a four-domain AI estimate.
• state your own perspective clearly and analyze how it relates to at least one of the perspectives given
• back up your ideas with reasoning and examples
• arrange your ideas in a clear, logical order
• express your ideas clearly and correctly in standard written English
You may agree fully or partly with any of the perspectives given, or take a completely different view.
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ACT Writing (optional) Practice Test 2 with Answers
My First Night ShiftThe Forest Beneath VeniceRailroads and standard time zonesKintsugi and the beauty of repairMonarch butterfly migration countsPaying Students for Good Grades
Writing (optional) · about 40 min
Start Test 2 →ACT Writing (optional) Practice Test 3 with Answers
Listening to the WindThe Squares That Read FastThe economics of street foodThe history of the crossword puzzleCoral bleaching and water temperaturePass/Fail vs. Letter Grades
Writing (optional) · about 40 min
Start Test 3 →ACT Writing (optional) Practice Test 4 with Answers Pro
The Foil Boat FleetA Number for Every SubjectWhy London built the first underground railwayHelvetica and the history of sans-serif typeSleep and memoryPublic Funding for the Arts
Writing (optional) · about 40 min
See Test 4 →ACT Writing (optional) Practice Test 5 with Answers Pro
The Quietest Dog in Kennel SixFive Digits That Changed the MailCaravanserais and trade on the Silk RoadsJapanese Noh theater masksSea otters, urchins and kelp forestsLowering the Voting Age to Sixteen
Writing (optional) · about 40 min
See Test 5 →ACT Writing (optional) Practice Test 6 with Answers Pro
Learning to FoldGiants of the Fog BeltThe Pony Express and the telegraphAntoni Gaudí's architectureTraffic noise and birdsong pitchOnline vs. In-Person Learning
Writing (optional) · about 40 min
See Test 6 →ACT Writing (optional) Practice Test 7 with Answers Pro
The Next MarkerThe Travels of the Fortune CookieThe Erie Canal and the growth of New YorkThe rise of the graphic novelCAM photosynthesis in desert plantsCelebrities as Role Models
Writing (optional) · about 40 min
See Test 7 →ACT Writing (optional) Practice Test 8 with Answers Pro
The Coldest First DayThe Summer London Held Its NoseThe shipping container and global tradeRevitalizing endangered languagesWolves, elk, and willows in YellowstoneSecurity Cameras in Public Spaces
Writing (optional) · about 40 min
See Test 8 →ACT Writing (optional) Practice Test 9 with Answers Pro
The Porch Next DoorA Short History of the UmbrellaThe Dust Bowl and soil conservationCabinets of curiosities and the first museumsMicroplastics in riversCompetition in Schools
Writing (optional) · about 40 min
See Test 9 →ACT Writing (optional) Practice Test 10 with Answers Pro
The Salamander That Rebuilds ItselfKeeper of the StoryHow the Dutch reclaimed land from the seaThe lasting appeal of detective fictionArtificial light at night and migrating birdsZoos
Writing (optional) · about 40 min
See Test 10 →
About the ACT English & Reading Writing (optional) paper
The optional ACT Writing test: one 40-minute argumentative essay on an issue with three perspectives, scored 2-12 across four domains. Each prompt has sample essays at scores 12, 10 and 8 with readers' comments; 7ESL Pro members can also get an AI score estimate.
How ACT English & Reading is scored
On the ACT, English, Math and Reading are each scored from 1 to 36, and the Composite score is the average of the three; the optional Science section and the optional Writing test (2-12) are reported separately. On 7ESL, the English and Reading sections are marked instantly. Your score is based on the 40 scored English questions or the 27 scored Reading questions, as on the real test, and is converted to an unofficial 1-36 estimate, with a breakdown by reporting category. Writing comes with sample essays at scores 12, 10 and 8, and Pro members can have an essay scored by the AI examiner.
Other ACT English & Reading papers
ACT English practice tests · ACT Reading practice tests. Or sit a full ACT English & Reading practice test.
7ESL practice material written in the public format of the ACT English, Reading and Writing tests. It does not include the ACT Math or Science sections. 7ESL is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, ACT Education Corp. ACT is a registered trademark of ACT Education Corp. Score estimates are unofficial and for practice only.