Here are some Top Tips & Pitfalls that will help you
increase your score.
1. Understand that time matters
Understand that the section is timed and know in advance that you need to pace yourself to provide adequate time to answer all of the questions. As mentioned earlier, spending too much time on one question is not an option since you will take away from much-needed time to complete the rest of the section.
Instead, skip harder questions and return to them with any remaining time you
have upon completing the rest of the section. The best way to do this is bring
your own watch (without an alarm) to the testing site.
2. Know the test structure
One of the best things that can maximize your time is by taking multiple practice tests and being familiar with the ACT structure.
The directions do not change from test to test; therefore, if you are completely
aware of how the test progresses, you will be able to briefly skim the directions instead of taking too much time reading. Those that score high on the ACT typically use this method to allow for more time to complete each section.
3. Be conscious of your answer sheet
Make sure you briefly check throughout each section to make sure you are
making on the appropriate answer number.
Frequently when taking a timed test students will rush through and accidentally mark two answers on the same line–this is especially important if you decided to skip a question. Regularly checking your answer sheet will help to minimize this time-consuming error.
4. Make educated guesses
So many people get discouraged when they come to a question they do not
know the answer to immediately. In this situation some will mull over it for entirely too long and hinder themselves by causing them to rush through the remainder of the test, while others will just guess.
Randomly guessing is highly discouraged; instead, make an educated guess.
This simply means you need to stop, think about the question, observe the
answer, and immediately eliminate that answers you are certain could not be
correct.
Think of it as choosing the 50-50 lifeline on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire—by
eliminating two of the wrong answers you instantly have a 50% chance of getting it correct; these odds are much better than a 25% chance.
5. Ignore the irrelevant
Many questions on the ACT are placed within the test to check your ability to
look at the big picture.
For instance, sometimes when performing a question in the English section you will be given a small paragraph with an underlined sentence. The answer will have multiple grammatical changes that can be made as well as an option to “OMIT the underlined portion.” In this scenario it is important to make sure the sentence you are amended even fits into the paragraph.
Sometimes what you think may be a grammatical question could actually be one that tests your ability to spot repetition or unneeded information. Never get boggled down with information that could be irrelevant. Always look at the bigger picture and then move inward.
6. Reference the passages
Especially in reading and science reasoning, it is essential that you reference
back to the passage.
More often than not the information surrounding the given sentence of question will be easier to answer when taken in context with the rest of the passage.
7. Be prepared to plan quickly (only applies to writing section)
For the writing section you will have a very short period of time to complete an
entire essay. Be sure to quickly plan which direction you would like to go with
your essay and move forward.
Allow enough time to go back and correct spelling and grammatical mistakes,
but remember that the big picture is very important in this section. The judges
are aware of your limited time, and their score is based on an overall
impression. Be sure to have an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion.
Click here to learn about the Common ACT pitfalls and how to avoid them.
Learn how ACT Winners Improve their Reading skills here.
Get some practice solving typical ‘End-of-the-section’ tough Math questions here.