Every year, thousands of students register for the ACTs with high hopes and dreams of getting into the best colleges and universities. And every year, thousands do pass, but many fail to meet the benchmarks. Little wonder, there is so much fear and anxiety among students who consider taking the test, and some even decide to skip it altogether. But it doesn’t have to be so.
In fact, students who take both the SAT and ACT say that the ACT is far easier. But don’t take our word for it (we only have anecdotal evidence, after all). But even if you think the test is pretty tough and scary, it is within your control to determine the outcome. There is always something you can do to improve your chances of success. What is meant here? We are going to share some of the best ACT test prep tips that helped high scorers in the past and still work.
5 ACT Test Prep Tips to Help You Ace the Test
Exams are a nerve-racking time for most students, but you can alleviate most of your fears and anxiety by preparing well. Here are some of our top tips on how to do this:
1. Study with Quality Material
One of the common ACT test prep tips you can get is to ensure you are using quality materials for your study. There is a good reason for emphasizing the quality of prep stuff since you will find tons of resources out there, but not all of them are worth the trouble.
So, how do you know if you are using the right thing? Well, there are some top-recommended ACT prep books that are a great place to start. They include the official ACT prep guide, prep booklets, and other excellent materials that help build all the skills you need for the test.
2. Hone Your Skills with Practice Tests
Every high school student knows that a practice test can help you simulate the same environment you will be in as a test taker. Thus, you’ll feel prepared, reduce your fears about the test, and feel more confident or even excited about taking the ACT test. How is that possible?
Well, if you are acing the practice tests, that’s a confidence boost like no other. Only be sure that you are not using outdated test versions. Look online, and you will find tons of free practice tests. Some even offer an AI-powered ACT prep tool that gives you personalized feedback on improving your scores.
3. Memorize Formulas but Focus More on Comprehension
Look, some people say that students shouldn’t memorize stuff. But there are some things you just have to memorize, especially for the ACT maths and science sections. Still, the advice stands. Your goal is not to cram stuff but to understand things like common maths formulas, scientific terminologies, and so on.
Focus more on comprehending, and you’ll find that your ability to recall becomes better. For example, instead of memorizing the answer to the square root of 25, you want to understand why it’s so. Thus, you’ll tackle similar problems even if numbers are changed.
4. Develop Time Management Skills
Unlike the SAT, the ACT actually has a faster pace and requires you to do more within a shorter time window. Being able to answer every question within the allocated time is something that most students want. This is why you must improve your time management skills during the test prep.
Since you have only 36 seconds on average for each question and a minute for each question in the math section, you cannot afford to waste any precious second of your time. Sure, you may not know each correct answer, but you can improve your ACT scores if you learn to answer more questions and do it faster.
5. Identify Complicated Subjects and Devote More Time to Them
We all have a subject or a topic that feels a bit tougher than the rest of the material. So, say you are having some worries about the conic sections of the ACT maths part. Then, you should spend more time learning it. Yes, it is going to be painful, but think of it like this: if you have a pet that is having behavior issues, you wouldn’t lock it away in a room and forget about it, would you? Instead, you will try to find time and teach it with love and patience.
You should apply the same approach here. Don’t lock yourself indoors for days, but remember that even 40 minutes of daily studying can make a difference. Your efforts will pay off as long as you make consistent efforts.
Additional Strategies to Implement During the Test
The best ACT test prep tips should help you get ready for the test and equip you with some crucial tricks for the actual exam. So, here are some of the hacks to get you started on the right track.
- Look through the questions in the science section of the ACT first. Thus, you’ll help your brain pick out the most likely answers as you read the passages.
- Start with easy questions. This advice tends to appear at the top of any list of ACT test prep tips. This approach works as you don’t need to answer the questions in the order they appear or waste time on a question you don’t understand.
- Cross off the wrong answers first. Use the elimination method when unsure of the correct answer. This strategy lets you tick off the variants that are 100% wrong and raises your odds of landing on the correct answer.
- Quickly skim the passages. In the reading section, you might be tempted to read the passage thoroughly and remember every detail, but this can be a waste of time. Simply skim the passage and underline the sentences that capture the main ideas. And when you have to answer the questions, you’ll easily find the paragraph with the correct answer choice.
- Pay attention to the diagrams. Much of the science section will test your ability to interpret data, so pay close attention to the data and diagrams. In fact, many suggest that you tackle these first before you work on the conflicting viewpoints passage.
- When out of options, just guess. Ok, this advice is a good option when you really don’t know what else to do, and the elimination method didn’t help. You don’t get penalized for wrong answers, so try to fill in something on the answer sheet. You might end up guessing right, which gives you better odds than a blank space.
Parting Words
Preparing for all the ACT sections, English, math, reading, and science, can feel a lot like trying to get ready for a major game event. But don’t worry, you can build your skills gradually, from beginner level to pro. Review all the ACT test prep tips you can find, but most importantly, try to incorporate them into your personal strategy and study routines. As you get better at practice tests and time management skills and use relevant resources, you will be ready to take on the test and come out on top.
