Proper time management of the reading test is of utmost importance as you only have 35 minutes to answer 40 questions in 4 different reading sections (passages and related questions). Here's an example timeline breakdown for the reading test.

Up to 8 minutes per segment. Up to 3.5 minutes to read each sentence the first time. In sections with two short passages, try to spend the same amount of time reading each passage. Time left to answer the question (~4.5 minutes). This strategy leaves 3 minutes of "padding" at the end of the trial. This is in case you need to spend extra time on a particularly difficult section or to check if you bubbled your answer sheet correctly.

ACT passages have a degree of difficulty (or textual complexity). So some sentences take longer to read than others.

To estimate how long it will take you to read a passage, find the reading practice section, read the passage from start to finish, and time it. Do this for at least four sections, including at least one passage of each type (literary narrative, social studies, humanities, and science). Be sure to read both of the two short text sections.

If his average time per run is less than 3.5 minutes, he's on target.

As you continue to practice for the exam, test your speed on occasional passages. It is neither necessary nor recommended to measure yourself for each exercise passage. Focusing only on time makes it difficult to learn strategies to improve your reading comprehension. Also consider whether speeding up passages will affect your overall score. If you're reading too quickly and you've missed more items, slow down. The goal is to find the best balance between speed and accuracy.

Note that if your average time per passage exceeds 3.5 minutes, reading additional complex text, including ACT practice passages, may improve your reading speed.

If you're worried about not having enough time to read all the sentences and complete a section, use strategy**. Before the test,** check how long it took you to read each sentence. Are there types of paths that seem to take longer than others, or do sections of paired passages take the longest to read? If so, save this section for last . After you have completed the remaining sections, you can take the remaining time to read the final section and answer the questions. If you run out of time during the test, don't panic. Read the first and last paragraphs of the passage and skim the middle.

Be sure to answer each question, even if you have to guess.