General Strategies

Familiarize yourself with the content of the ACT test.

• Review the test information provided in the next lesson. Notice the content areas that make up the majority of the test and the content areas that don't.
• The specific topics included in each content area are examples of possible topics. It does not cover all possibilities.
• Refresh your knowledge and skills in content areas
• . Make sure there is nothing new in your memory of what you have learned. Spend time honing your knowledge and skills in the content areas that make up the bulk of the test.

Identify content areas you haven't learned.

If unfamiliar subject areas dominate the exam, consider taking coursework to help build your knowledge and skills in those areas before taking the ACT. Because the ACT measures knowledge and skills acquired over a period of time, a "policing" course that covers unfamiliar material is unlikely to help improve your score. Long-term research courses are most useful as they aim to improve your knowledge through continuous learning and practice.

• General Test-Taking Strategies for the ACT Test

  The ACT test contains multiple-choice tests in four areas: English, mathematics, reading, and science. Each of these tests contains questions that offer either four or five answer choices from which you are to choose the correct, or best, answer. The following suggestions apply to all four tests:

• Pace yourself.

  The time limits set for each test give nearly everyone enough time to finish all the questions. However, because the English, reading, and science tests contain a considerable amount of text, it is important to pace yourself so you will not spend too much time on one passage or question. Similarly, try not to spend too much time puzzling over an answer to a specific problem in the mathematics test. Go on to the other questions and come back if there is time. Your supervisor will announce when you have five minutes remaining on each test.

• Read the directions for each test carefully.

  Before you begin taking one of the tests, read the directions carefully. The English, reading, and science tests ask for the “best” answer. Do not respond as soon as you identify a correct answer. Read and consider all of the answer choices and choose the answer that best responds to the question. The mathematics test asks for the “correct” answer. Read each question carefully to make sure you understand the type of answer required. Then, you may want to work out the answer you feel is correct and look for it among the choices given. If your answer is not among the choices provided, reread the question and consider all of the answer choices.

• Read each question carefully.

  It is important that you understand what each question asks. Some questions will require you to go through several steps to find the correct or best answer, while others can be answered more quickly.

• Answer the easy questions first.

  The best strategy for taking the tests is to answer the easy questions and skip the questions you find difficult. After answering all of the easy questions, go back and answer the more difficult questions if you have time.

• Use logic on more difficult questions.

  When you return to the more difficult questions, try to use logic to eliminate incorrect answers to a question. Compare the answer choices to each other and note how they differ. Such differences may provide clues as to what the question requires. Eliminate as many incorrect answers as you can, then make an educated guess from the remaining answers.

Answer all questions.

• Test scores are based solely on the number of questions answered correctly. There is no penalty for guessing. Therefore, you must answer each question within the allotted time for each test.
• check your work.
• If you still have time left after answering all the questions on the test, go back and review the content of that test. After the test expires, you cannot return to another test or grade test responses.
• Please mark the answer document correctly.
• Please fill in the correct ellipse correctly on the reply document. Make sure that the oval line numbers in your answer document match the number of the question you are answering, and that you mark only one answer for each question.
• Remove it completely. If you change your multiple-choice answers, use a soft eraser that leaves no smudges and completely erases unintentional marks. Do not cross answers or use correction fluid or tape. Correction fluid/tape, dirt, or unintentional marks that must be removed may cause scoring errors.
• For students admitted to testing at national testing centers for extended periods:
• You can work on multiple-choice tests at your own pace, including breaks between tests, for a total of 5 hours. If you take the ACT as a written exam, you can work up to a total of 6 hours on all five exams.

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