Top Ten ACT Tips
If you’ve only got time to know a few quick things, here they are!
1. STRATEGY
Formulate a strategy. Know how you will approach each section. Plan for how to manage your time. Have an idea of how many questions you need to get right in each section to earn the score you want! (If you don’t know how to figure that out, check out our blog post on making your plan!)
2. UNDERLINE
You are allowed to make marks in your test booklet! (If you are taking an electronic version, you can use the highlighter or note-taking tool!) Underline things that are important. Circle things. Put checkmarks beside things. Cross out wrong answers. Use your pencil to help you think!
Like this!
Bubble your guesses in a row, straight down. It doesn’t matter which letter you choose, just make it a straight line!
3. Pick a row and go!
When you need to guess - whether it’s because you don’t know an answer or because you are running out of time - pick a row of letters and bubble straight down. Why? Here’s the explanation.
4. Eliminate wrong answers
Sometimes it’s easier to identify wrong answers than it is to identify right answers. Cross out those wrong answers!! Why?? Because…
5. REMEMBER: there is ALWAYS ONLY ONE correct answer!!
Some answer choices seem kinda-sorta right…and that’s not enough. A little bit wrong…is WRONG. Even one word can make the entire answer choice wrong! Choose the answer that is completely correct.
6. SKIP QUESTIONS THAT TAKE TOO LONG.
By “skip” I do not mean “leave blank”. No. Don’t do that! If a question is sucking up all your time, put a big circle around it so you can find it at the end, bubble in your favorite letter, so at least there’s a guess on the answer sheet, and THEN keep on going. You can come back to that question later if you have time.
The best way to save time on the ACT (or any standardized test) is not to “think faster” or “go faster” but to “give up faster” when something is pulling you down the rabbit hole. Pull yourself out, mark it, and come back to it later.
Who’s in charge?
You are!
Don’t let the test run you over.
YOU decide which questions to answer and which to come back to later.
7. ANSWER QUESTIONS IN THE ORDER YOU DECIDE.
This goes with #6 above. You do not have to answer the questions in order. (Important note!! You DO need to stay in the right section of the test!! Don’t go over into Science when you’re supposed to be working on Reading. That’s a surefire way to get your test nullified. Stay in your section!!) How does this work? For example, if you are working on a Reading passage, and the first question is “What is the overall theme of this passage?” - save that question til last! Go do the SPECIFIC questions first, like “As it is used on line 25, what does the word popular mean?” or “What is the narrator saying about his trip to Paris in the second paragraph?” After you’ve done the specific questions, work your way toward the more general questions about tone, theme, attitude, and purpose.
8. VALUE YOUR TIME.
The ACT (much more so than the SAT) is a test of your time management skills. If you’re not sure how to manage your time, we have advice for you here! You cannot just sit and take the test without paying attention to the time, or it will bite you! Be prepared with a plan to manage your time.
9. VERIFY YOUR ANSWERS ON THE BUBBLE SHEET.
This seems like a no-brainer, but we’ve had students put their English answers in the Reading section of the bubble sheet and then have to transfer them and erase them all…losing precious time. We’ve had students skip an entire row on the bubble sheet. Crazy things can happen when you’re nervous! Pay attention to those sections and rows!
10. YOU GOT THIS!!
You got this!
Yes, you do.
Give yourself a pep talk!! Talk to yourself like you’d talk to a good friend. None of this “I’m not very good at testing” stuff. Shut that down!! Positive self-talk only!!
We made these top ten tips easy to remember:
Strategy - Underline - Pick a row - Eliminate wrong answers - Remember: only one right answer!
Skip questions that take too long - Answer in your own order - Value your time - Verify your answers - You got this!