The ACT is one of the two major college admissions tests in the United States, accepted by every four-year college alongside the SAT. About 1.4 million students take it each year. Unlike the SAT, which tests reasoning and problem-solving, the ACT is more straightforward — it tests what you know and how quickly you can apply it. That's good news, because it means targeted preparation can produce significant score improvements.
The ACT has four required sections: English, Math, Reading, and Science. There's an optional Writing section that some colleges require. Each section is scored 1-36, and your composite score is the average of the four required sections. The key to improving your composite is understanding what each section actually tests and preparing accordingly.
ACT English: Grammar Rules and Rhetorical Skills
The English section gives you five passages with underlined portions that may or may not contain errors. You have 45 minutes for 75 questions — just 36 seconds per question. Speed matters, but accuracy matters more.
Master the core grammar rules. The ACT tests a predictable set of grammar concepts. If you know these cold, you can answer most questions quickly and confidently:
- Subject-verb agreement (including tricky cases with intervening phrases)
- Pronoun-antecedent agreement and pronoun clarity
- Comma rules: joining independent clauses, setting off nonessential information, items in a series
- Apostrophe usage: possessives vs. contractions vs. plurals
- Verb tense consistency
- Parallel structure
- Sentence fragments and run-on sentences
- Modifier placement (dangling and misplaced modifiers)
When in doubt, choose concise. The ACT strongly favors concise, clear writing. If two answer choices are grammatically correct, the shorter one is almost always right. Redundancy is the most common error type — phrases like "past history," "completely eliminate," or "12 noon" add unnecessary words.
Read the whole sentence. Many students only look at the underlined portion, but the error often depends on context. Read from the beginning of the sentence to beyond the underlined section to catch agreement errors and contextual issues.
ACT Math: Content Knowledge and Speed
The Math section has 60 questions in 60 minutes — exactly one minute per question. It covers pre-algebra, elementary algebra, intermediate algebra, coordinate geometry, plane geometry, and trigonometry. Unlike the SAT, there's no formula sheet provided, so you need to memorize everything.
Know what's tested and at what frequency. The ACT Math breakdown is roughly: pre-algebra and elementary algebra (40%), intermediate algebra and coordinate geometry (30%), plane geometry and trigonometry (30%). If you're aiming for a 25-28, mastering the first two categories is sufficient. For 30+, you need all three.
Essential formulas to memorize:
- Area formulas for triangles, rectangles, circles, trapezoids, and parallelograms
- Pythagorean theorem and special right triangle ratios
- SOH-CAH-TOA for basic trigonometry
- Slope formula, midpoint formula, distance formula
- Quadratic formula
- Laws of exponents and logarithms
- Probability and combinations/permutations basics
Pace yourself carefully. The questions roughly increase in difficulty, so the first 30 should go quickly (under 45 seconds each) and the last 15-20 may take longer. Don't spend three minutes on question 42 when questions 43-50 might include some you can solve in 30 seconds. Make a quick pass, answer everything you can, then return to the harder ones.
Use backsolving and plugging in. These strategies work on the ACT just as well as on the SAT. When a multiple-choice algebra question stumps you, try substituting the answer choices back into the problem. Start with the middle value to narrow it down efficiently.
ACT Reading: Speed and Comprehension
The Reading section is where many students struggle most. You have 35 minutes for four passages and 40 questions — about 8.5 minutes per passage including questions. That's not much time, and it requires a specific strategy.
Read the passage first, then answer questions. Some prep guides suggest reading the questions first. For most students, this doesn't work on the ACT because there are too many questions per passage (10 each), and you can't hold all ten questions in working memory while reading. Read the passage actively — noting main ideas, key details, and the author's tone — then move to the questions.
Read actively, not passively. Don't just let your eyes move across the words. As you read, actively identify: What is the main point of each paragraph? What is the author's overall argument or purpose? What is the tone? Underlining or briefly annotating as you read keeps your brain engaged and makes finding answers faster.
Know the four passage types. The passages always follow the same order: Literary Narrative (or Prose Fiction), Social Science, Humanities, and Natural Science. Each type requires slightly different reading strategies. Science and social science passages are more fact-dense and typically have more detail questions. Literary passages focus more on character, tone, and inference.
Answer based on the passage, not your knowledge. The ACT Reading section tests reading comprehension, not subject knowledge. Even if you know a lot about the topic, every answer must be supported by something in the passage. If you can't point to specific lines that support your answer, it's probably wrong.
ACT Science: Data Interpretation (Not Science Knowledge)
The Science section intimidates many students, but here's the secret: it barely tests science knowledge. It's a data interpretation section. You're given graphs, tables, experiments, and conflicting viewpoints, and you need to read and interpret them. A strong reader with basic graph skills can do well regardless of their science background.
Focus on the data, not the passage. Most students waste time reading the scientific background in detail. Skip straight to the figures, tables, and graphs. Look at the axes, labels, and units. Understand what's being measured. Then read the questions and refer back to the passage only when needed for context.
For conflicting viewpoints passages: These are the most reading-intensive. Two or three scientists present different explanations for the same phenomenon. Read each viewpoint carefully, identify the key difference between them, and note what evidence each scientist cites. Questions will ask you to compare, contrast, or evaluate the viewpoints.
Watch for trends. Many Science questions ask about trends: as Variable X increases, what happens to Variable Y? Practice identifying direct relationships (both increase), inverse relationships (one increases, the other decreases), and no relationship from graphs and tables. This is the most common question type.
Time management is critical. You have 35 minutes for 40 questions across 6-7 passages. That's about 5 minutes per passage. Move quickly through the data interpretation passages (they're usually shorter) and save more time for the conflicting viewpoints passage (it requires more reading).
Building Your ACT Study Plan
Start with a full-length, timed practice test to establish your baseline. You can use official ACT practice tests or CramClub's ACT prep tools. Identify which sections need the most improvement and allocate your study time proportionally.
A realistic timeline depends on your starting score and target:
- 1-3 point improvement: 4-6 weeks, 30-45 minutes daily
- 4-6 point improvement: 8-12 weeks, 45-60 minutes daily
- 7+ point improvement: 3-6 months, 60+ minutes daily
Use active recall for grammar rules and math formulas (flashcards with spaced repetition are ideal). Use timed practice for Reading and Science sections to build speed. Take a full practice test every 2-3 weeks to track progress and recalibrate your study plan.
The ACT rewards preparation. Unlike aptitude tests that claim to measure innate ability, the ACT tests learnable skills. Grammar rules can be memorized. Math procedures can be practiced. Reading speed can be improved. Every hour of focused preparation moves your score. Start now, study smart, and trust the process.
— Peter