Ace the ACT: Proven Strategies to Boost Your Score

The ACT is a crucial step on the path to college, and a higher score can unlock numerous opportunities. Unlike regular school tests, the ACT requires a specific approach. This article provides proven strategies to help you maximize your potential and achieve a better score on the ACT.

Tailoring Your Approach to the ACT

The ACT differs significantly from classroom tests, necessitating a unique preparation strategy. The following methods are specifically designed to address the ACT's format and content.

Mastering the ACT: Key Strategies for Success

These simple strategies are tailor-made for the ACT and come from our proven test-cracking methods. Following these tips are some of the best ways to improve your ACT Score.

1. Strategic Question Order: "Do Now, Later, or Never"

Instead of tackling questions in sequential order, assess each one to determine its difficulty level for you. Spending too much time on the hardest problems means you may rush through the easiest. Categorize questions as "Do Now," "Later," or "Never."

NOW: If a question appears manageable and you know how to solve it, do it immediately. Does a question look okay? Do you know how to do it?
LATER: If a question seems time-consuming, mark it to revisit later. Will this question take a long time to work? Leave it and come back to it later.
NEVER: Identify your weakest topics and avoid wasting time on questions you're unlikely to answer correctly. Know the topics that are your worst, and learn the signs that flash danger. Don’t waste time on questions you should never do.

2. The Power of Educated Guessing

Since the ACT doesn't penalize incorrect answers, it's crucial to fill in every blank on your answer sheet. When guessing on "Never" questions, choose a favorite letter combination (e.g., A/F or C/H) and consistently use it. This increases your chances of randomly selecting the correct answer. There is no penalty for wrong answers on the ACT, so you should never leave any blanks on your answer sheet. When you guess on Never questions, pick your favorite two-letter combo of answers and stick with it. For example, always choose A/F or C/H. If you’re consistent, you’re more likely to pick up points.

Read also: A New Approach to Indian Education

3. The Art of Elimination

Multiple-choice tests offer a significant advantage: the correct answer is present on the page. Focus on identifying and eliminating incorrect answer choices to narrow down your options and increase your probability of selecting the right one. Forget the right answer-find the wrong ones. Multiple-choice tests offer one great advantage: They provide the correct answer right there on the page.

4. Efficient Bubble-Filling Techniques

Optimize your answer sheet filling strategy for each section. For English and Math, work on a page at a time. For Reading and Science, complete a passage before transferring answers. Circle your answers in the test booklet first, then transfer them in batches to avoid errors and maintain focus. Work a page at a time on English and Math and a passage at a time on Reading and Science. Circle your answers right on the booklet. Then, transfer a page’s worth of answers to the answer sheet at one time.

5. Section-Specific Strategies

Tailor your approach to each section of the ACT to maximize your score. Tailor your strategy to each section of the ACT.

Achieving a Top Score: Strategies for the 98th-99th Percentile

Reaching a score in the 98th-99th percentile is an ambitious goal that requires dedicated preparation and a strategic approach. It takes multiple tries. For some getting a 33 will be the theoretical max for them and for others, they will be able to move up from a 33 to a 34 or to 35 or 36 with enough deliberate preparation. So let's be clear about something, you might not get to a 33+ score ever. But if you want to try you have to prep differently than you have been because it's not working. Here are my tips for attempting to get a 98th - 99th percentile score.

Investing in Quality Resources

Information to achieve such high scores isn't always readily available. Consider investing in college prep courses from reputable companies like Kaplan, Princeton Review, or SuperTutorTV. -Don't assume this information is readily available in some book, it isn't. You may have to invest some money in taking a college prep course like Kaplan, Princeton Review, or SuperTutorTV (Best ACT course)

Read also: Ace the SAT Math

Recommended Study Materials

For the Love of ACT Science -Michael Cerro
The College Panda's ACT Writing
The College Panda's ACT English
The College Panda's ACT Math
The College Panda's ACT Math Workbook

Practice with Official ACT Materials

Download and utilize as many official ACT practice tests as possible. Previous years' copies of the Official ACT Prep Guide (e.g., from 2019-20, 2020-21) are invaluable resources. -Download as many ACT practice tests as you can find or buy previous years' copies of the Official ACT Prep Guide from 2019-20, 2020-21, etc.

Consistent Practice

Regular practice is crucial. Incorporate daily questions, sample quizzes, and full-length practice tests into your study routine. Practice with daily questions, sample quizzes, and full-length tests in all subjects. Practice ACT questions in math, English, reading, and science with QuizMe. Get a new ACT question daily to challenge your knowledge.

Expert Guidance

Consider seeking expert guidance tailored to your specific needs. Kaplan offers time-saving prep with expert guidance tailored to you! Strengthen your skills, boost confidence, and master test strategies.

Reviewing Questions and Answers

On select ACT test dates, you can get a copy of your question and answers. It's a smart way to see where you can improve and boost your score next time.

Time-Saving Strategies

Even with limited time, you can significantly improve your ACT score by focusing on key concepts and strategies. If you want to maximize your score on the ACT, you’re going to want to learn in detail what’s on the test, identify what concepts you’re shaky on and drill them repeatedly, master the overall strategies that work best for you, and then practice practice practice. But what if you don’t have time for all that?

Targeted Skills and Strategies

Focus on learning high-yield strategies and skills for each section that frequently appear on the test. Will this post give you a killer strategy or skill for each of the four sections on this test that will definitely translate into points almost immediately? Yes it will. And even if you are looking to do a deeper dive on this test (because you honestly think it’s been downhill since Season 1 of Stranger Things and you just can’t keep investing the time), these strategies and hacks are great things to learn right off the bat, because they all come up A LOT.

Realistic Expectations

Be wary of guarantees promising specific score increases in a short amount of time. Individual progress varies, but mastering fundamental skills and strategies will likely lead to considerable improvement. Anyone who guarantees you that they can raise your score by a set number of points in a set number of minutes is selling you a bill of goods. All students are different and they work at different paces and get different results. That said, these skills and strategies come up time and again on this test, so if you get them under your belt your score will likely go up considerably more than three points in no time. So here they are … ten strategies that will boost your score on the ACT.

ACT English Hacks

1. Shorter is Better

Good writing, especially on the ACT, emphasizes clarity and brevity. The ACT favors concise sentences and dislikes unnecessary words or commas. When in doubt, remove it. What makes good writing? Students sometimes suffer from the misconception that good writing means big shiny words, long sentences, and poetic ideas. While there’s a place for all of that, in general good writing is all about expressing your thoughts with clarity and brevity. That is, in as few words as possible. And that’s certainly true on the ACT, which strongly prefers short, clear sentences. In fact, the ACT hates anything unnecessary (words, commas, etc), so here’s your rule of thumb: When in doubt, take it out.

Superhack 1.2

When faced with grammatically correct answer choices, the shortest option is often the correct one. Oftentimes on this test you’ll see a question with four answer choices that are all grammatically correct. On these questions, there will be three longish answer choices and one very short one. Nine times out of ten the short one will be the right answer. Why? Because on the ACT, shorter is better.

2. Semicolons vs. Periods

On the ACT, semicolons and periods serve the same function: separating independent clauses. They will never make you choose between two answer choices that are identical except for the period or the semicolon. Maybe you’ve heard someone explain that the difference between semicolons (;) and periods (.) is that periods separate sentences and semicolons join two more closely related sentences. Whoever told you that is not wrong. But on the ACT, semicolons and periods are THE SAME. They both separate two independent clauses (i.e. clauses that can stand alone as sentences). Why ever use a semicolon, you might ask? That’s actually a good question. The author Kurt Vonnegut (he’s great, 5 stars, would recommend) once said that the only reason to use a semicolon is to show that you went to college. The truth is that some authors like to use them and some authors don’t. It’s a choice you get to make about your own writing style. But on the ACT, periods and semicolons are THE SAME. They will never make you choose between two answer choices that are identical except for the period or the semicolon.

ACT Math Hacks

1. Plug In Your Own Numbers

Transform abstract problems with variables into concrete ones by substituting real numbers. Choose numbers that are easy to work with and follow the problem's rules. Let me ask you a question, would you rather do a math question where you have to work with 2 apples, 5 peaches, and 10 oranges, or one where you have to work with x apples, y peaches, and z oranges? I’m guessing that, like me, you’re in the first camp. Well, thanks to the miracle of plugging in, we can turn those daunting-looking abstract questions full of nasty variables into simple and concrete questions with real numbers.

2. Use the Answer Choices

When answer choices are real numbers, plug them into the problem to see which one satisfies the given conditions. The hard way to do this question is to set up a series of algebraic equations and solve them by using the substitution method. But we don’t need all that fuss. The easier way to do this problem is to pick an answer choice, plug it in, and see if it works out the way the problem is saying it should. If it doesn’t, pick another one and try again.

Superhack

Start with the middle answer choice to quickly determine whether you need a smaller or larger number. When using this strategy it’s almost always best to start with the answer choice in the middle. That way, if that first choice ends up not working, you’ll usually know whether you need a smaller or larger number, and can choose from the two smaller options or the two larger ones.

3. Calculator Programs

Utilize legal calculator programs to simplify complex calculations. Find one; it will be worth it.

ACT Reading Hacks

1. Make Caveman Notes

Summarize each paragraph in two to five words to identify the main idea. This helps you focus on the author's broader point. The reading section on the ACT tests for one major skill above others: The ability to read for and understand the MAIN IDEA (of a passage or paragraph). This is a skill which will serve you well not just on this test, but in college and in life (as opposed to, say, finding the inverse function of a line on a graph). So what does it mean to “read for the main idea?” Well, it means to zoom out from the details of a passage to the broader point that the author is making. And the way I’d recommend doing that is by MAKING CAVEMAN NOTES. Caveman notes are little two-to-five word summaries of each paragraph in a passage. All you have to do is take a moment after reading a paragraph and ask yourself “What was that about?” And here’s the thing … don’t start rambling on about it. I want you to tell me what it was about in two to five words. Like how a (smart) caveman might describe what the author just told them.

2. Paired Passages Strategy

For paired passages, read the first passage and answer its questions before moving on to the second passage. This improves comprehension and helps you understand the relationship between the passages. One of the passages on this section will actually be a paired passage. That means that you’ll get two passages that somehow relate to one another and you’ll be asked to answer questions about both of them. Here’s the highly useful hack: Read the first passage and answer all the questions about it BEFORE you go on to read the second passage. This is going to help for a number of reasons: Firstly, it’s less to keep in your head. Secondly, grappling with the questions actually helps you to understand the passages, so if you answer a few questions about passage one before you move on to passage two, I guarantee you’ll have a clearer sense of what passage one was about, and you’ll have an easier time seeing how passage two relates to it.

ACT Science Hacks

1. Focus on the Questions First

Go straight to the questions without reading the passage first. Let the questions guide you to the relevant information in the text and figures. At first glance the science section can look overwhelming. You’ll be inundated with charts, graphs, text, and terminology-much of it about specific scientific studies that you won’t be familiar with. But you’ll quickly realize that the science test is actually really simple. And the way to master it is by keeping your thinking simple too. As it turns out, you actually don’t usually need to even look at half of what they’re talking about. And you certainly don’t need to understand all of it. Your job is to sift through the rainforest of details that they’re giving you and find the actual information you need to answer the question they’re asking. That’s why your first strategy is to GO STRAIGHT TO THE QUESTIONS. That’s right, when you get to a new science passage, don’t stop to read it! Go directly to the questions and let them point you to the specific spots they want you to look at.

2. Basic Science Reasoning

Focus on basic science reasoning skills rather than in-depth scientific knowledge. The ACT Science section primarily tests your ability to interpret data and understand relationships between variables. Yes, it’s true that there’s some science that you have to know on this test. On maybe like four questions you will be tested on your knowledge of science. But that means that there are at least thirty-six others which are NOT about science knowledge. So what are they about? I like to call it Basic Science Reasoning. What happens to one variable when another variable changes? Does it go up? Down? Maybe it goes up then down? What would happen if you tried a new variable that was slightly different from the first one? On these questions you’ll be looking at charts and graphs and using your basic science reasoning to find the right answers. Oftentimes, that means looking for the relationship between two things. If you said that as age goes up, weight goes down, you’d be right. That’s the kind of basic reasoning that this section is all about.

3. Interpolation and Extrapolation

Master interpolation (finding values within a given data set) and extrapolation (estimating values beyond the data set). One more thing: INTERPOLATION AND EXTRAPOLATION Big words, right?

Reading Graphs and Charts

The ability to interpret graphs and charts is crucial. Focus on understanding the axes, units, and trends displayed in the visuals. By far the most important single skill on ACT Science is knowing how to read graphs and charts. Often, the graph will be in a totally unfamiliar subject you've never learned about. The ACT does this on purpose so that students with advanced science knowledge don't have a huge advantage on the test.

Steps for reading graphs:

Skim the intro text: Often the passage will tell you literally "Figure 2 is about X" and this is a big head start.
Read the axes: What does the x-axis represent, and what changes as you move from left to right? What does the y-axis represent, and what changes as you move from bottom to top?
Understand the general shape of the graph: Where is it going up or down? If there are multiple lines shown, how do they differ? Generally, I see two peaks and a big valley in between. Remember, higher on the y-axis means faster photosynthesis.

Additional Strategies for ACT Success

Consistent Study Schedule

Consistency is key to improving your ACT scores. Create a study schedule that allocates specific times for each subject area three to six months before your scheduled test date-then be sure to stick with it! Breaking down your study sessions into manageable chunks will help you focus on different sections each time.

High-Quality Study Materials

Invest in high-quality study materials such as official ACT prep books, online courses, and reputable study guides.

Full-Length Practice Tests

Start by taking a full-length practice test to establish a baseline score. This will help you identify your strengths and weaknesses.

Test-Taking Strategies

Learn how to quickly eliminate wrong answer choices, manage your time effectively, and guess intelligently based on context clues when needed.

Focus on Weak Areas

After identifying your weak areas through practice tests, dedicate more time to improving those sections. Use study guides, online resources, and tutoring if necessary.

Enhance Core Skills

Strengthen grammar and writing skills: The English section focuses on grammar, punctuation, and rhetorical skills. Brush up on grammar rules and practice identifying errors in sentences.
Improve reading speed: The ACT Reading section can be challenging due to time constraints. Improving your reading speed and comprehension will help you tackle this section much more efficiently.
Enhance your math skills: The Math section covers a wide range of topics from algebra to trigonometry. Review fundamental math concepts and formulas regularly, and work on practice problems to reinforce your understanding and speed.
Science Reasoning: Enhance your skills in interpreting scientific experiments and drawing conclusions from given data. Familiarize yourself with common scientific terms and concepts that frequently appear on the test.

Prioritize Well-being

A healthy body and mind are crucial for optimal test performance. Ensuring you get enough sleep, eating nutritious meals, and exercising regularly are important to do throughout the school year, but it’s especially crucial when you’re preparing for the ACT.

Plan Ahead for Test Day

Be as prepared as possible by researching the testing location, how to get there, and what you need to bring, such as an admission ticket, a photo ID, a calculator, and snacks. Arrive early to avoid any last-minute stress.

Maintain a Positive Attitude

Last but not least, be sure to maintain a positive attitude and believe in your ability to succeed on the ACT. Confidence can significantly impact your performance.

Time Management

ACT Science has tough time pressure. You only have 35 minutes to get through 7 passages and 40 questions. Furthermore, unlike ACT Math, the questions and passages aren't arranged in difficulty.

Tips for time management:

Spend no more than 1.5 minutes reading each passage.
Spend no more than 30 seconds trying to answer each question.
If you get stuck on a question and have no idea how to solve it, MOVE ON.
See a question that you have constant trouble with? Skip it.

Overcoming Weaknesses

To get the biggest score improvement, you need to understand where your greatest weaknesses are.

Steps to address weaknesses:

Categorize every practice question you take by skill, especially for practice tests.
Keep track of how many questions you got right and wrong in each skill.
Identify the skills you're missing the most number of questions in.
Find the best resources to train your weakness.

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