This is a guest post from David Recine from Magoosh.
10 ACT tips
Do you have what it takes to master the ACT? That’s a rhetorical question, because of course you do! Anyone can get to their target score if they know how. Here are 10 tips you can follow for a path to ACT success.
Tip 1: Do a practice run.
I can’t emphasize this enough: To know your ACT skill level and properly plan your studies, you need to take a full practice test. This alone will give you a 100% accurate picture of what the test is like, and your best ways to prepare for it. This completely free-of-charge mock ACT is a good place to start.
{Stacey’s note: I’m still a huge believer in authentic materials. You can download a practice test directly from the ACT folks here. That being said, I’ve looked over Magoosh’s practice test and it’s a good replica of the real thing.}
Tip 2: Know–and I mean really know–what’s on the test.
Carefully reflect on your practice test experience, and carefully pore through some reliable study guides (such as the official ACT website, or a good third-party site like Magoosh). What math knowledge, vocabulary, and other content knowledge will you need to know? Make a checklist and master everything on it.
Tip 3: Be prepared to work without a calculator.
On ACT Math, you’re allowed to use a calculator. But not so fast! Just because you can use a calculator on ACT Math doesn’t mean you should. A calculator will actually slow you down, because you’ll key in every possible step of a math problem instead of looking for mental math shortcuts. And of course, it’s so easy to mistype the numbers on the small keypad of a calculator. In short, calculator use is often a trap, so avoid the calculator as much as possible.
Tip 4: Also remember that you can’t use a calculator at all in ACT Science.
The math calculations in ACT Science rely largely on correctly reading the Science section’s various charts. You don’t need a calculator for these, and you won’t be allowed to use a calculator for ACT Science on test day. So develop the habit of doing ACT Science calculations in your head.
Tip 5: For ACT English, instinct + knowledge = success.
If you’re like most ACT test-takers, you are either a native English speaker or a fairly accomplished ESL student. Often, you can know when an answer choice “sounds” wrong. But just as often, your “ear” can trick you if you’re not careful, especially in written English. So use your instincts, but also know the grammar rules that are the basis for your instincts. In ACT English, always check what you feel against what you know.
Tip 6: Mind your pacing in ACT Reading.
If you’re not careful ACT Reading can easily take up more time that you think it would. It’s easy to re-check a few parts of a passage more than you need to. Remember to read for the basics, not for the whole picture down to the last detail. In fact, you may want to simply skim the passage initially, then re-check the passage for the info you need once you’re going through the questions.
Tip 7: Use multiple choice to your advantage.
The beauty of the ACT’s multiple choice format is that you never have to come up with an answer from scratch. Instead, the correct answer choice is always right in front of you, amid the other choices. Always remember to eliminate obviously incorrect answers first. This can allow you to choose the correct answer even if your understanding of the content is a little shaky.
Tip 8: On the ACT, work smarter, not harder.
This tip goes hand-in-hand with the idea of multiple choice strategy. Never forget that the ACT is full of tiny hidden shortcuts. The exam tests your learning strategies as much as your actual knowledge. So build up strategic “shortcut” skills such as skimming and scanning (ACT Reading), mental math and estimation (ACT Math), detecting small differences in text (ACT English), detecting the important parts of a chart (ACT Science), and so on.
Tip 9: Set the right ACT test date.
Your chosen test date can make or break your ACT success in two ways. First, the test date determines whether you have enough time to study and get a satisfactory score (including time for a retake if need be!). Second, the test date absolutely must allow you the time you need to get your ACT results and submit them to schools by the application deadlines. For help on this front, check out this guide to selecting the right test date for your ACT.
Tip 10: On the day before your ACT, relax!
We started this list with one of the first things you should do on your ACT journey: take a practice test. Now, we arrive at the very last thing you should do before test day: rest up. I’ve seen so many students needlessly lose points on the ACT because they walked into that testing room tired. Conversely, being well-rested and in a peaceful state of mind can work wonders on your exam score. So take a break on the day before your exam; you’ve earned it!
David Recine
David is an SAT and ACT expert at Magoosh. He has a Bachelor of Social Work from the University of Wisconsin-Eau. He has been teaching K-12, university, and test prep classes since 2007, and has worked with students from every continent. Currently, David lives in a small town in the American Upper Midwest. When he’s not teaching or writing, David studies Korean, plays with his son, and takes road trips to Minneapolis to get a taste of city life.