The Reading and Science sections got cut out, so here they are:
Reading: 40 questions - 35 minutes
The reading test can be the one that most people struggle with because it pushes you to the time limit. Don’t be the fool who runs out of time because of a lack of preparation. Take note of the four style passages you will come across: social studies, natural sciences, prose fiction, and humanities. Become familiar with these four and pick up on the one that you feel most comfortable with, and the one that you feel least comfortable with. Manage your time from the get go by recognizing that the four passages will always appear in the exact same order every time. Start with your easiest passage and then move to the last.
Some people will advise you to read the questions then go scavenge the passage for the answers, while others will suggest reading the passage in its entirety first and then answering the questions. I chose the latter over the former. The first works, but you can get too caught up in trying to find an answer that you lose track of time, and time is vital in this section. I realize that sometimes your mind drifts off into mindless thoughts while reading information that does not seem interesting whatsoever, and I am guilty of doing this all too often. I found something that works that prevents me from doing this. Here’s how it works:
Pretend that the passage before you is the most interesting piece of literature you have ever invested your time in. Engage yourself in its content as if you were speaking to the very author. Then, take your pencil and place it to the word you are reading. Follow along with your pencil until you finish reading the entire passage. Why does this work? Well first, it ensures that you become aware of every piece and part of the passage. If you later read a question, you will either know the answer right off of the bat, or you will know exactly where to look to find the answer. Second, it forces your mind to multi-task and thus prevents it from trailing off. Your mind has to recognize the words and process them while simultaneously moving the pencil across the page. It’s a form of speed reading, and will end up earning you a couple minutes to answer more questions in the long run.
I’m not gonna lie and tell you I did loads of practice tests for this section. In fact, I only did one, and the method works out just fine. Try it out for yourself, and adjust according to your strengths and weaknesses. You will find that you will end up finishing with a surplus of time leftover rather than scrambling to use every last second.
Science: 40 questions - 35 minutes
By the time you reach the science section you will quickly realize that the ACT is more a test of endurance than anything else. Bring a snack or water bottle to eat and drink during your break to keep your energy up. Don’t fool yourself into thinking the science section is chemistry and biology. Instead, recognize that it is more of interpreting data and finding the answer. There are three styles of passages you will come across in the science section: data representation (graphs and charts with very little words), research summaries (graphs and charts with included paragraphs of explanation), and conflicting viewpoints (paragraphs of theories regarding a specific topic).
Don’t get caught up in trying to understand the information, the test is written so you only have to interpret it. This, like the math and english section, will require you to take a couple of practice tests to learn where your strengths lie. I showed the most improvement with this section by taking a couple of practice tests. They really do work and will help you to get a feel for this test. Don’t impose time restrictions your first time. They only add stress. Focus on learning to interpret the different style charts and whether or not you want to read the passages or not. This relies heavily on the individual taking the test, and there is no right or wrong way to do it.
For the data representation and research summaries I read one question, then answered, then moved to the next. For the conflicting viewpoints, I read every question and then the passages, and then went through the question. You can do this with this passage as it only appears once versus the three times the other two will appear. As you get used to the format of the test begin to impose time restrictions and just continue practicing until you yield similar results each time.
I guess that closes out my “guide.” Best of luck to any of you who planning on taking the upcoming ACT! I hope this helped you and if you have any other questions feel free to ask them down below. 