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What you will get from this master guide:
A breakdown of the most important grammar and punctuation rules tested
Step-by-step strategies for approaching different question types
Tips to quickly identify and avoid common traps
Confidence to walk into the ACT English section prepared
English Section Breakdown
Time: 45 minutes
Questions: 75
Passages: 5
Questions per passage: 15
1–10: 30+ questions wrong
11–20: 15–29 questions wrong
21–30: 6–14 questions wrong
31–36: 0-5 questions wrong
Commas: Used to separate items in a list, join two independent clauses with a conjunction (and, but, or), and set off nonessential information. If the sentence still makes sense without the phrase, it usually needs commas.
Apostrophes: Show possession or replace missing letters in contractions. Never use apostrophes to make a word plural.
Dashes: Act like strong commas. Used to add extra information or emphasis. If you use one dash, you need another.
Semicolons: Join two complete sentences that are closely related. They can replace a period but cannot join incomplete thoughts.
Colons: Introduce a list, explanation, or example. The sentence before the colon must be complete.
Subject-Verb Agreement: Singular subjects take singular verbs; plural subjects take plural verbs. Ignore prepositional phrases when identifying the subject.
Commas: Do not separate a subject from its verb or a verb from its object.
Verb Tense: Stay consistent unless the time clearly changes. Look for time words to guide you.
Adjectives: Describe nouns. If it describes a noun, it’s an adjective.
Adverbs: Describe verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. Often end in -ly.
Pronoun Cases: Use subject pronouns (I, he, she) for subjects and object pronouns (me, him, her) for objects.
Dependent and Independent Clauses: Independent clauses can stand alone. Dependent clauses cannot.
Run-On Sentences and Comma Splices: Two complete sentences cannot be joined by just a comma.
Misplaced Modifiers: Modifiers should be next to the word they describe.
Conjunctions: Use coordinating conjunctions (and, but, or, so) to join complete ideas correctly.
Parallelism: Items in a list must have the same grammatical form.
Parenthetical Information: Extra information should be set off with commas, dashes, or parentheses.
Sentence Fragments: Incomplete sentences are wrong unless clearly intentional (rare on ACT).
Pronoun Agreement: Pronouns must agree in number and clearly refer to a noun.
Grammar Basics: Choose answers that follow standard written English, not how people talk.
Subject-Verb Agreement: Ignore phrases between the subject and verb.
Verb Tense: Check surrounding sentences for time consistency.
Adjectives and Adverbs: “Good” is an adjective; “well” is usually an adverb.
Important Set of Adverbs: Too, very, really, quite <— often unnecessary and tested for concision.
Pronoun Cases: Remove extra words to test which pronoun sounds correct.
Idioms: Never change prepositions unless the sentence clearly improves.
Comparatives and Superlatives: Use “-er” or “more” for two items; “-est” or “most” for three or more.
Neither/Nor: Verb agrees with the closer subject.
Singular and Plural: Watch words like “each,” “everyone,” and “anyone” because they are singular.
Who vs. Whom: Replace with “he/him” to decide.
Word Choice: ACT prefers clear, literal meanings over creative wording unless specifically requested in the question (e.g., asks for the most illustrative description of an event).
Writer’s/Essay Goal: Ask: What is the author trying to do here… explain, argue, describe, or narrate?
Adding or Deleting Sentences: Keep sentences that support the main idea. Remove ones that repeat or go off topic.
Best Illustration Questions: Choose the option that best supports the point being made.
Least Acceptable Questions: Eliminate answers that are off-topic, too extreme, or awkward.
Redundant Meaning: If two words say the same thing, one should be removed.
Ambiguous Pronouns: Pronouns must clearly refer to one noun.
Concision and Wordiness: Shorter is usually better if meaning stays the same.
Clarity in Phrasing: Choose the option that is easiest to understand.
Tone: ACT prefers formal, neutral tone, not casual or emotional.
The ACT English section rewards rule knowledge and pattern recognition. Focus on grammar rules, choose the clearest option, and avoid answers that add unnecessary words. When stuck, read the sentence without the underlined portion and pick what fits best.
A breakdown of the most tested math topics
Clear steps for solving common ACT question types
Tips to avoid common mistakes
Practice methods to improve speed
Time management strategies for all 60 questions
Confidence to approach even the hardest problems
Time: 60 minutes
Questions: 60
Calculator allowed
The questions generally increase in difficulty as you move forward. The first 20 are usually more basic, the middle 20 moderate, and the last 20 more challenging.
Real Number Properties: Includes positive, negative, fractions, and decimals. Know how numbers behave when added, subtracted, multiplied, and divided.
Positive and Negative Numbers: Same signs multiply to positive. Different signs multiply to negative. Be careful with subtraction.
Mental Math: Estimate before solving. This helps eliminate answer choices quickly.
Order of Operations: Follow PEMDAS: Parentheses, Exponents, Multiply/Divide, Add/Subtract. Work left to right.
Decimals: Line up decimals when adding or subtracting. Count decimal places when multiplying.
Rounding: Look at the digit to the right. If it’s 5 or more, round up.
Multiples of 10: Moving decimals left or right makes solving faster.
Fractions: Keep denominators the same when adding or subtracting.
Conversions of Fractions and Decimals: Divide the top by the bottom to convert to a decimal.
Fraction Properties: You can multiply straight across. Reduce when possible.
Operations with Fractions: Multiply first before canceling large numbers to simplify.
Operations with Proportions: Cross multiply to solve proportions.
Word Problems with Fractions: Translate words carefully before solving. Don’t rush.
Percents: Percent means “out of 100.” Convert percent to decimal by moving the decimal two places left.
Tricks for Percents: 10% is easy to find. Build from there.
Percent Increases: Original number × (1 + percent as decimal).
Percent Decreases: Original number × (1 − percent as decimal).
Sequential Percent Changes: Do not add percentages together. Apply one change at a time.
Simple and Compound Interest: Simple interest is based only on the starting amount. Compound interest grows each period.
Ratios: Ratios compare two quantities. Keep units consistent.
Combining Ratios: Find a common value before combining.
Ratios and Rates: Rates compare different units (like miles per hour).
Divisibility: Know rules for 2, 3, 5, 9, and 10.
Multiples: Multiples are results of multiplication.
Prime Numbers: Only divisible by 1 and itself.
Prime Factorization: Break numbers into prime pieces.
Greatest Common Factor (GCF): Largest number that divides both numbers.
Least Common Multiple (LCM): Smallest number both numbers divide into.
Even and Odd Integers: Even ± Even = Even / Odd ± Odd = Even / Odd ± Even = Odd
Simplifying Expressions: Combine like terms only.
Multiplying Expressions: Multiply every term carefully.
FOIL: Used when multiplying two binomials.
Factoring the GCF: Factor out the largest number shared by all terms.
Factoring the Difference of Two Squares: Recognize patterns like a² − b².
Factoring Quadratics: Look for two numbers that multiply and add correctly.
Basic Equation Solving: Do the same operation to both sides.
Eliminating Fractions: Multiply every term by the denominator.
Quadratic Equations: Set equal to zero before solving.
Substitution and Elimination: Used for systems of equations.
Absolute Value Equations: Create two equations — one positive, one negative.
Function Notation: Plug in the value for the variable.
Inequalities: Flip the sign when multiplying or dividing by a negative.
Absolute Value Inequalities: Treat like distance from zero.
Miscellaneous
Word Problems: Translate words into math first. Underline important numbers. Always check that your answer makes sense in context.
Powers and Roots: Know how exponents work. When multiplying same bases, add exponents. Square roots undo squaring.
Geometry: Know area and perimeter formulas. Understand triangles, circles, and basic coordinate geometry. Draw diagrams if one is not provided.
Trigonometry: Know sine, cosine, and tangent in right triangles. Use SOH-CAH-TOA. Calculator is helpful here.
Statistics: Mean is average. Median is middle. Mode is most frequent. Range is highest minus lowest.
Counting: Use organized counting. For arrangements, order matters. For combinations, order does not.
Probability: favorable outcomes ÷ total outcomes = probability. Answer should be between 0 and 1.
Data Interpretation: Read graphs carefully. Pay attention to labels and units. Estimate when exact numbers are not required.
ACT Math rewards strategy as much as skill. Move quickly through easier problems, stay calm on harder ones, and use estimation and answer choices to your advantage. Practice timing just as much as content. With consistent practice, accuracy and speed improve together.
Clear strategies for each ACT Reading passage type
Step-by-step methods for finding answers in the text
Techniques to identify trap answers quickly
Practice approaches to improve speed and accuracy
Time management strategies to finish all passages
Confidence to approach any reading passage under pressure
Time: 35 minutes
Questions: 40
Passages: 4
Questions per passage: 10
1–10: 19+ questions wrong
11–20: 9-18 questions wrong
21–30: 4-8 questions wrong
31–36: 0-3 questions wrong
ACT Reading rewards efficiency and evidence-based thinking. Focus on understanding structure, rely on the passage for proof, and eliminate answers that go beyond what is stated. With consistent practice, your speed and accuracy will improve together.
What you will get from this master guide:
A breakdown of how ACT Science passages work
Step-by-step strategies for each question type
Tips to avoid common trap answers
Practice methods to improve speed and accuracy
Time management strategies to finish all passages
Confidence to handle unfamiliar scientific topics
Time: 35 minutes
Questions: 40
Passages: 6–7
Important note: Most questions focus on reading charts, graphs, and experiments. You do not need advanced science knowledge to do well.
1–10: 0–3 questions wrong
11–20: 4–8 questions wrong
21–30: 9–18 questions wrong
31–36: 19+ questions wrong
Science Knowledge: The ACT tests basic concepts from biology, chemistry, physics, and Earth science. However, most answers come directly from the passage, not from memorized facts.
Math Problems: Some questions require simple math, like finding differences, averages, or percentages. The math is usually basic and based on numbers in the charts.
Scientific Method: Know the difference between independent and dependent variables. Understand control groups, hypotheses, and how experiments test ideas.
Understanding Tables, Graphs, and Figures: Read titles, labels, and units carefully before answering. Many mistakes happen because students ignore what the axes represent.
Finding Trends and Patterns: Look for increases, decreases, or patterns as one variable changes. Questions often ask what happens when one value goes up or down.
Linking Tables and Graphs: Sometimes you must use information from more than one figure. Make sure you match the correct variable with the correct chart.
Conflicting Viewpoints Passage: This passage compares two or more scientists’ opinions. Focus on how their ideas differ, not on small details. Most questions ask what each scientist believes.
Answering the “Yes”, “No”, and “Because” Questions: For these questions, check both parts of the answer choice. Even if the first part is correct, the explanation must also match the data.
Finding Hidden Hints in the Answer Choices: Sometimes the answer choices guide you to the correct figure or part of the passage. Use them as clues to know where to look.
Spend about 5–6 minutes per passage. If a question is taking too long, skip it and return later. Accuracy matters, but finishing the section is just as important.
ACT Science is more about reading data than knowing science facts. Focus on charts, pay attention to labels, and use the passage as your main source of information. With practice, you will start to recognize patterns in how questions are asked, and your speed will improve naturally.
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