The ACT Embedded Field Test, Explained
Most major standardized tests include unscored questions as part of the test development process. Depending on the test, these may be called experimental questions, pretest questions, or something else entirely. The ACT calls them field-test questions.
Field-test questions are future test questions in their final stage of review. Before ACT can use a question on an official test, it needs to verify that the question is fair, that it measures what it’s intended to measure, and that its difficulty is properly calibrated. The most reliable way to do that is to administer the question to real students under real testing conditions.
On the legacy ACT, the field test was its own standalone section at the end of the exam. Because students knew it didn’t count toward their scores, many students didn’t take it as seriously as the rest of the test. That made it difficult for ACT to collect reliable data on future questions.
The enhanced ACT solved this by embedding field-test questions directly into each section of the test. This change helped shorten the overall test by eliminating the 5th section. More importantly, students now have no way of knowing which questions are part of the field test, so every question gets the same effort and attention, giving ACT more reliable data on new questions.
How Many Field-Test Questions Are There?
The core ACT includes 23 field-test questions overall. If you are taking the optional Science section, the total is 29.
The number of field-test questions varies by section. Here’s the breakdown:
- English: 10 field-test questions (1–2 passages)
- Math: 4 field-test questions
- Reading: 9 field-test questions (1 passage)
- Science: 6 field-test questions (1 passage)
Can I Tell Which Questions Are Part of the Field Test?
No. Field-test questions are designed to be indistinguishable from operational questions. There is no label, no formatting difference, and no other signal that a question is unscored. From a student’s perspective, every question looks the same.
It’s worth noting that although ACT initially indicated that field-test questions would not appear as the first or last question in a section, that guidance no longer appears in ACT’s published materials. Some older prep resources may still reference it and advise students to complete the first and last passage on the English, Reading, and Science sections first. There’s no harm in following this pattern, but students should still treat every question as operational and avoid skipping any passage entirely.
Can I Skip a Passage to Save Time?
No. It’s not worth the risk.
In theory, you could skip an entire passage on Reading or Science without affecting your score if you guessed the right passage to skip. But in practice, you have no way of knowing which passage to skip. Skipping a passage on the assumption that it might be the field test is a gamble that isn’t worth taking. If you guess wrong, you’ve left a significant portion of the questions that do count unanswered.
The safest approach is to treat every passage and every question as if it counts. Because as far as you know, it does.
How Should I Approach the ACT Field Test?
The embedded field test doesn’t change how you should approach the ACT. You can’t identify field-test questions, and trying to guess which questions are unscored isn’t a productive use of your time or energy. Just take the test.
On a test like the ACT, your goal is to answer as many questions correctly as possible. If you get stuck on a question, skip it and come back later. Time is better spent securing easier points first. To learn how to build pacing skills in practice, see our guide to improving your pacing.
Your Guide to the Enhanced ACT
This post is part of our comprehensive series on the 2025/2026 ACT updates. Explore our guides for every section of the new test:
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Sara Laszlo
Sara Laszlo has nearly ten years of experience in private tutoring. An opera singer by training, Sara is especially interested in exploring better ways to practice and improve skills, whether musical or test-related. She holds a B.A. in Classical Civilization from Duke University and a Certificate of Merit in Voice from the New England Conservatory of Music.
