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By Tricia Peters
Trying to do better when you take the ACT? Use these tips from our teachers to improve your score!
There are many different tips and tricks that juniors and seniors get flooded with while they are preparing for the ACT. Especially at John Curtis, we do a lot of practice tests and workshops leading up to the test dates. This may leave you feeling a little burnt out or overwhelmed with all the information and prep, but here are a few tips to think about even if you can’t remember all the other things that have been being pushed in your face for the last few months. First, for the English section, always choose the most concise answer. Read the paragraphs first, and be careful with the “no change” answers. For math, make sure to pay attention to diagrams, and plug the answers you get back into the equations to check them. For the reading portion, try to skim over the passages if you don’t have time to read the whole passage. Also, try to start with the section you feel is your strength. Lastly, for science, do the sections with conflicting viewpoints last, and try to rely on the visuals provided for you. The official ACT website also says that you should probably retake the test a few times because scores are shown to increase after the first time since you are more comfortable and know what to expect. Also, make sure to answer every single question, and try to stay as calm and focused as possible. Now, read up on some of our teachers’ favorite test tips.
Mrs. Bonck
“Equate practicing ACT questions to doing reps for your favorite activity - football, cheer, band, gaming, etc. Without practicing those activities, you won’t get better - just as without practicing for the ACT your score won’t improve.”
For the best use of your time, go straight to the questions. Make three passes through the test
Pass one - answer all of the quick, easy choices, put a mark next to all “thought” or time-sucking questions, and write a ? next to any question/answer you are unsure of.
Pass two - read and answer all of the questions skipped during the first pass
Pass three - recheck any question/answer you marked with a ? BUT only change the answer if you find evidence that another answer is correct. Otherwise, LEAVE your first answer and GO WITH YOUR GUT CHOICE.
Bubble in A or F for any answer you are guessing at and don’t leave any choices blank.
Also, Mrs. Bonck recommended the following test day tips:
Get a good night’s sleep.
Eat breakfast.
Have your clothes laid out the night before.
Have your calculator, sharpened pencils, photo ID, printed ticket, snack, and water bottle packed the night before.
Don't be late!
My best tips for test day are to wear a digital watch so you can pace yourself, and for any part but reading, read the questions first so you can understand the answers. Here are more tips for each section individually.
English- on any question about how to improve a sentence, always look for the shortest, simplest answer. It's more likely correct.
Math - First 30 questions are easiest. Spend time making sure those are correct.
Reading - Annotate text while you are reading through it quickly because it will make it easier to answer.
Science - Save the conflicting viewpoint passage for last. It's the one with the most words and least graphs, so it takes the longest to answer.
Make sure to take advantage of the break. Move around and drink water to reactivate your brain. If you feel overwhelmed, take a few deep breaths and hold them for a few seconds to refocus your brain and calm down.
Mrs. Muller
Mrs. Guille
“I would say the two most important tips for the math section are to pace yourself and do the first thirty questions as quickly as possible. On the harder questions, when it is possible, try to plug answers in instead of solving all the way through. Start with the middle answer (since they are in numerical order) and go from there.”
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