<p>So I keep hearing that there was a fifth section to the ACT (and no it wasn't the writing section). This was the second time I have taken the ACT and I hadn't ever seen this before. I've heard that it was a reading section from some people and that it was math from others...... I didn't take it. Did anyone else take it? Does anyone know why it was there? Has it always been there?
Thank you</p>
<p>I took the act this morning and there was no such 5th section. The answer sheet doesn’t even have space for it, and there is no precedent for experimental sections like there is on the SAT. Also, since the act is only sections, with each section being 40-60 minutes, adding a fifth section is a huge change and would force some students to stay for a much longer time than others.</p>
<p>This is almost certainly just a rumor.</p>
<p>Not a rumor. I planned to get out at 11:45am since I had to get to work, then BAM, “You have 20 minutes to complete section 5. Even though there are 30 answer spaces, you may not have 30 questions.”</p>
<p>Yeah. Mine was a math section with just four questions. They asked you to not only answer the question, but to work out and explain your thought process. It had a big gridded section for you to draw and write in. It was weird.</p>
<p>It’s real. Fairly sure it’s only for non-writing. Even was on the bottom of the answer document.</p>
<p>Mine was 17 questions of science. We were given 20 minutes.</p>
<p>We didn’t have one, but our test admin mentioned it.</p>
<p>Also, it’s worth noting that they reiterated to us that the 5th section would have no impact on our ACT score. Supposedly it was just for survey purposes or something. Defintely was harder than the Workkeys or whatever (though mine was science, which I typically struggle with anyway). It felt like an extension of the ACT for whichever section you got.</p>
<p>I heard from 3 different people- one had science, one had math, and the other had reading. One proctor made them take it and the other 2 proctors didn’t. They HAVE done this before, but I always thought it was only for students who didn’t take the writing portion. Today it was given to students with the writing portion. </p>
<p>They are going to start giving the test via computer in about 2-3 years…I wonder if this has anything to do with that. ( weird that they asked to see the work as one poster commented. I guess they want to see where you could mess up the problem and that’s how they figure out the other wrong answer choices???) who knows…</p>
<p>At the university I took it at, me and three of my friends (we were in three different rooms) were all required to take a fifth test. It was ridiculously easy, not scored, and just required some basic math knowledge and logic. I made my point and surrounded it with a bunch of extra “padding” and fluffy language to make my answer sound way more complicated than it actually was. Honestly, it was just annoying because at that point my brain was mush after it’s mental marathon and I just wanted to get away. </p>
<p>Having said that, another friend took the writing section and I know she didn’t have a fifth test.</p>
<p>I had a 5th test, and it was a simple reading test.</p>
<p>Mine was math. I took the ACT Plus Writing. The proctor did not make us do it though. There was no space on the answer sheet to answer the questions.</p>
<p>My dd took the ACT June 2013 and there was definitely a 5th section. Her group was not told that there was no impact on score, just that they had 20 minutes to complete. Definitely not a rumor as some have indicated.</p>
<p>Yeah, there was a fifth test. Mine was reading, but because our room was a mix of No Writing and With Writing students, no one was required to take it. Not that I minded; I would’ve BSed it anyway at that point. I’m like, seriously? You drain us of all mental capability after a 3 hour test and still expect us to take seriously a fifth test? No thanks.</p>
<p>I also took the act+writing test, and I had the 5th section. I think it was math, but i didn’t get to look. Our proctor didn’t make us take it, since we didn’t have an answer section for it</p>