How do I practice reading for ACT?

How to Tackle the ACT Reading Test

  1. Choose Your Own Adventure. On the ACT Reading Test, you only have 35 minutes to answer 40 questions.
  2. Get Plenty of ACT Reading Practice.
  3. Read the Questions First.
  4. Keep Moving.
  5. Look for Transition Words.
  6. Don’t Panic if You Don’t Know the Word.

Why is the ACT reading so hard?

So what makes it (seem) so hard? Timing: The ACT Reading section has 40 questions and a 35 minute time limit. That give students less than one minute per question and does not even factor in time to read the passage. In other words, the ACT Reading moves at a blistering pace, and it can be hard to keep up.

How do you get a 26 on the ACT?

To score a 26, you only need a 40 out of 60 raw score. Put in another way – you can completely miss 20 questions (33% of the test) and still score a 26. Wow – you can completely skip the hardest 30% of all questions and still hit your goal.

Is 3 months enough time to study for ACT?

Three months is a solid amount of time to prep for the ACT. With 3 months, you will be able to spread out your studying and have ample time to work to master concepts tested on the ACT that may be unfamiliar at the start. Studying for the ACT can be a daunting task.

Do colleges prefer SAT or ACT?

Both ACT and SAT scores are used for college admissions decisions and awarding merit-based scholarships. Most colleges do not prefer one test over the other. Neither the SAT or ACT is harder than the other. Different students tend to do better on one test over the other.

How much time should you spend actually reading the passages in the ACT reading test?

On the test, you’ll have 35 minutes to read three single passages and one pair of passages. Each passage is 800 to 1000 words and there are 10 questions per passage. That averages out to under nine minutes per passage to read and answer the questions.

The 7 Best ACT® Reading Strategies

  1. Read Each Passage Before its Questions.
  2. Read the Questions Second.
  3. Manage Your Time Effectively.
  4. Put Yourself Ahead of the Game.
  5. Practice with Many Tests.
  6. Make Educated Guesses.
  7. Read, Read, Read!

Is ACT reading harder than SAT?

In this respect, the SAT Reading Test is easier than the ACT Reading Test. For both the SAT and ACT Reading Tests, strong analytical reading skills are imperative. While the nature of the analysis differs in the two tests, students must be able to read deeper meaning into the content of both kinds of passages.

Why is the reading ACT so hard?

Is the ACT practice test harder?

Most ACT experts agree that they are easier than what you’ll see today. Practice tests 4 and 5 will give you a more accurate sense of the test you’ll be taking.

Are ACT reading questions in order?

Home » Blog » Are ACT Reading Questions in Chronological Order? About 6 out of 10 questions are chronological. Then there will be about 4 global questions that ask you about the passage as a whole or a recurring theme. These are not chronological.

What is a good ACT reading score?

What Is a Good ACT Score Overall?

Percentile Composite Reading
85 27 29-30
80 25-26 27
75 (good) 24 25
50 (median) 19-20 20

How long should I spend reading an ACT passage?

What month is the ACT easiest?

Most early action deadlines are November 1 or 15, so it’s important to take the ACT as early as possible, preferably in June or July before senior year. Taking the test over the summer ensures you’ll have one final chance to retake it your senior year in September (should you still want to raise your scores).

What is the hardest month to take the ACT?

March is the worst! Avoid it like the plague! Don’t you dare take October; that’s when the smart seniors are sitting. All the jocks take December, that’s the surest bet for a high score!

What is the guessing penalty on the ACT Reading test?

no penalty
There is no penalty for guessing on the ACT. Never, ever, ever, leave any answers blank. You have a 25% chance of getting the question right if you guess. So at the very least, always guess!

How long do you have to complete the ACT reading test?

35 min
How many questions are on the ACT?

Time # of questions
Reading 35 min 40 questions
Science 35 minutes 40 questions
Writing (Optional) 40 minutes 1 essay
TOTAL 175 minutes (215 minutes with Writing) 215 questions + 1 Essay

How do you not run out of time on the ACT reading?

The most effective way to increase your pacing in a passage is to find parts of the passage that you do not have to read. The first and most obvious way to increase your pacing on the Reading section is to finish reading the passages more quickly.

Should you read the questions first on ACT reading?

While you’ll want to skip to the questions first, make sure you read at least the first sentence of the passage. This will give you an idea of the topic of the piece to help you better understand the questions and perhaps the direction of the writing. Once you’ve read that, it’s time to go to the question section.