13 ACT Tips

13 ACT Tips

Haven Kirkpatrick

The ACT always seems to be upon us, and everyone has their favorite strategy to get the best score possible.  Below are a few tips from (where?) to help you feel prepared for the big test.

English

1.  Choose the most concise answer: they re looking for the most straightforward, concise sentence structure so make sure it makes grammatical sense and nothing extra

2. Be careful with no-change answers: double check other possibilities before marking no-change answer

Math

3. Pay attention to diagrams: they will give you clues to which answer is most logical

4. Plug in the answer: If the question ask you to solve for X, use the possible multiple choice answers and plug them in

Reading

5. Start with strengths: Start with passages that cover the topics and areas you’re most comfortable with

6. Do NOT skim the passages.  You’ll waste more time going back and hunting for the answers.  Slow down and read the passages fully.  You’ll find you have to refer back to the passage far less often.

Science

7. Rely on visuals: the science section can be difficult, so try to do graph problems first

8. Do the “conflicting viewpoints” section last: this can be a lot of intensive reading so do this part last

Writing

9. Write a great conclusion and introduction: starting on a good note and finishing even better will give the reader a good impression of your essay

Overall

10. Do hard question last: they take more time that you could spend doing easy questions before time runs out

11. Use process of elimination: mark out all choices that you know are not correct to help find the answer

12. Fill in every bubble: If you only get halfway through the section and realize right before the section time is up, fill in every bubble down one column anyway so you can at least guess

13. Stay calm: don’t freak out before the test because it can cause you to be nervous and mess up so just relax and try your best