ACT Math · Study Guide
Number & Quantity
Review fundamental number concepts including integers, prime numbers, order of operations, and fraction/decimal conversions that appear throughout the ACT Math section.
About 45 minutes to master
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What you'll learn
- Apply order of operations (PEMDAS) accurately in multi-step problems
- Convert between fractions, decimals, and percentages fluently
- Identify prime, composite, even, and odd number properties
- Solve problems involving greatest common factor and least common multiple
- Perform arithmetic with positive and negative fractions
Key concepts
The ACT Math section has 45 questions in 50 minutes, meaning you have roughly 67 seconds per question. About 20-25% of questions test pre-algebra and elementary algebra concepts such as fractions, decimals, and integer properties. Mastering these basics prevents careless mistakes on easier questions and builds the foundation for harder algebra and word problems. Remember: a fraction a/b is undefined when b = 0, multiplying by a negative flips an inequality, and the product of two negatives is positive.
Pro tips
- Memorize common fraction-decimal-percent equivalents (1/4 = 0.25 = 25%, 1/3 ≈ 0.333, etc.) to save time.
- Always reduce fractions to simplest form before comparing answer choices.
- When a problem says 'integer,' remember that 0 and negative numbers count too. The ACT loves testing edge cases.
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