ACT English capitalizes proper nouns and the first word of a sentence. It does not capitalize a common noun just because it feels important. The act is wrong when you mean the test's name. My School is wrong when you mean any school. Punctuation and mechanics are in ACT punctuation rules.
Names, not categories
Capitalize a specific person, place, organization, or title used as a name. Lincoln High School, Coach Rahman, English as the language or the course. Do not capitalize the category: a high school, my coach, an english class is wrong only because English is a proper adjective. A history class stays lowercase.
Directions are capitalized when they are regions. The South, not walk south. Seasons stay lowercase.
Titles and compounds
A title before a name is capitalized: Principal Alvarez. The same job after the name usually is not: Alvarez, the principal. Hyphen rules for modifiers are separate, in hyphenated modifiers. The grammar list is in ACT grammar rules, and diction is in word choice.
The bottom line
Capitalize the specific name. Leave the ordinary noun alone.
Start practicing
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This article offers general ACT prep guidance. The ACT can change from year to year, including its format, scoring, policies, test dates, and fees, so always confirm the latest details on the official ACT website at act.org before you make decisions. ACT® is a registered trademark of ACT, Inc. thirty-six is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by ACT.