10 Best ACT Test Prep Tips and Tricks
You've chosen the ACT for its straightforward approach and faster pace. Now it's time to prepare effectively with these proven strategies that will help you maximize your score. Pair these tips with ACT practice tests and check your gains using the ACT score calculator.
Getting Started: Focus on learning and practicing strategies specific to the ACT. This will help you gain familiarity with the test format, improve your timing, and discover the methods that work best for you. The tips below cover both preparation strategies and test-day techniques.
ACT Test Prep Tips
1
Seek Out Resources and Support
Start by using Study Share's comprehensive ACT test prep materials, which help you review concepts and include practice tests. Study Share provides everything you need to prepare effectively. As you're reviewing, don't hesitate to reach out for help when you need it. While you can find answers to many questions online, don't forget about your human helpers! Teachers, tutors, and even your peers can provide valuable assistance when you need to brush up on a concept or learn something new.
2
Get to the Root of the Matter
One of the most effective ACT test prep tips is to enhance your vocabulary, which will definitely help when tackling the reading section. A great way to work on your vocabulary is by studying Greek and Latin roots of words. For instance, once you understand that "Biblio" comes from the Greek word meaning "book" and "phil" from the Greek word "love," it will be easier to decipher "bibliophile" as someone who loves books. This approach helps you build vocabulary and improve reading comprehension more efficiently than memorizing individual words.
3
Spend Time Reading Outside of School
Read anything—books, poetry, newspapers, or short stories. Find subjects that interest you and read as much as you can. Students who perform best on reading comprehension are typically those who read extensively outside the classroom. Reading will also naturally increase your vocabulary and provides excellent practice for a test that requires you to quickly and accurately understand what you read.
4
Work on Reading Speed
As you read more, you'll naturally increase your reading speed—a big advantage on the timed ACT. If you find yourself struggling to read through long passages or running short on time, research speed reading techniques or work with a tutor. Some effective strategies for faster reading include skimming, using your peripheral vision, and focusing on important words. You should also underline, circle, or mentally review important concepts, main ideas, and supporting details to ensure you're actually comprehending what you read. Practice on all kinds of materials, even outside of schoolwork, to make the most progress.
5
Learn to Read and Interpret Diagrams
Some students get intimidated by the science section on the ACT, concerned that they won't recall science facts they learned in school. Surprisingly, the science section is more about your ability to read charts and graphs and derive data from them than it is a memory test. Make sure you know how to identify and read axes, titles, keys, and increments on graphs. Know how to analyze charts and figures. For practice, use Study Share's science practice questions which include various types of charts, graphs, and data analysis scenarios.
6
Practice Like You Will Take It
Take several practice exams under conditions as close as possible to what you'll experience on test day. Taking shortcuts won't help you gain points. Take the test uninterrupted, using the same time allotment per section you'll have for the actual test. Use Study Share's practice tests which simulate the actual test format. Practice answering questions in the same format you'll use on test day. Some students skip this step, but procedural details matter, and you'll be grateful you practiced the right way when test day arrives.
ACT Test-Taking Tips for the Big Day
7
Complete the Math Section in a 3-Pass Approach
While math questions are generally organized from easy to difficult, the ACT does mix some simple and hard questions throughout the section. In your first pass, do all the quick and easy questions first, skipping over the harder or time-consuming questions, which you'll do on your second pass. In your third pass, guess or plug in the answer choices on any remaining questions you don't know. This strategy ensures you secure points on questions you can answer confidently before spending time on challenging problems.
8
When Plugging in Answer Choices, Start with C (or H)
Because answer choices are usually arranged from smallest to largest, starting with the middle answer choice (C for questions 1-30, H for questions 31-60) eliminates the need to check all options. If C (or H) is too big, then you know the correct answer must be either A or B (or F or G). If it's too small, you know the correct answer must be either D or E (or J or K). This technique can help you save valuable time on the ACT exam.
9
Focus on the Wrong Answer, Not the Right One
Remember that all multiple-choice questions have a correct answer—and finding it is really a process of elimination. If you're not sure which answer is correct, look for the ones that are certainly incorrect. Cross these off, then work on deciding which of the remaining answers seems to be the best fit. This approach is often more efficient than trying to identify the correct answer directly, especially when you're uncertain.
10
Don't Get Hung Up on One Question
There are no penalties for wrong answers on the ACT, which means it's in your best interest to answer as many questions as you can. However, the test is also timed, so don't spend too long waffling on a question you're really not sure about. Dedicate a minute or two to that question, and if the answer isn't coming to you, either guess or mark it to come back to if you have time at the end. Remember: all questions are worth the same points, so it's better to answer many questions than to spend excessive time on a few difficult ones.
Ready to Put These Tips Into Practice?
Start preparing with Study Share's comprehensive test prep resources: