The ACT college-admissions test was first introduced in 1959.
University of Iowa professor Everett Franklin Lindquist developed the ACT as an alternative to the SAT. The first test was delivered on November 7, 1959, to 75,406 students. Its original sections were English, mathematics, social studies, and natural sciences.
The test was designed to emphasize achievement and readiness for college-level work rather than focusing only on aptitude. Over time, its structure changed: social studies became reading in 1989, and the natural-sciences section was renamed Science Reasoning. An optional writing test was added in 2005.
The ACT is commonly associated with U.S. undergraduate admissions, although testing policies vary by institution and year. Its composite score has traditionally been reported on a 1-to-36 scale, based on the English, mathematics, reading, and science areas when science is included.