5 Essential Tips for Taking the ACT
Smart strategies to manage your time, reduce stress, and avoid common pitfalls on test day.
Do the Easy Stuff First
You don't have to get all of the questions right to get a great score on the ACT. Bypass "pockets of resistance"—go around trouble spots rather than through them.
It is a much better use of your time and energy to pick up all of the correct answers that you can early on, and then go back and work on the tougher questions.
The Strategy:
Make three or four passes through the test section, always being sure to work on the easiest of whatever material remains. This is both a time management and a stress reduction strategy.
Manage the Answer Grid
Do not go to your "bubble sheet" after each question. This is dangerous and wastes time. You run an increased risk of marking your answer grid incorrectly (off-by-one errors) and you lose focus switching back and forth.
Do this instead:
- English, Reading, Science: Transfer answers after each passage. This gives you a mental break between topics.
- Math: Fill in bubbles every two pages or so.
Warning: Never use the "dot now, fill later" strategy across sections. You cannot go back to a previous section to fill in bubbles. This is considered cheating and can get your scores cancelled.
Use the Test Booklet
An ACT test booklet is meant to be used. You are expected to do all note taking and figuring on the booklet itself.
Write all over it. Underline key terms, cross out wrong answers, do math calculations in the white space. No one grades the booklet, so use it as your scratch paper to offload mental work.
Be Aware of Time
You really don't want it to be a surprise when the proctor yells "Time!" Time yourself during practice exams to get used to the pace.
The Watch Trick
Use an analog (dial face) watch. Set it to 12:00 at the start of a section.
- Math (60 min): Set to 11:00. You are done when it hits 12:00.
- Reading/Science (35 min): Set to 11:25. You are done when it hits 12:00.
This avoids doing math to calculate remaining time and helps you focus solely on the test.
Don't Second Guess Yourself
You need to find out whether you are an answer changer or not.
Ask yourself during practice:
"If I change an answer, am I more likely to change it TO the correct answer or FROM the correct answer?"
You can only learn this fact about yourself by doing practice exams and paying attention to your tendencies. For most students, your first instinct is often the best one unless you find clear evidence you misread the question.