For many students, the hardest part about taking the ACT test is the time limit. Every second counts. Mastering these five tips will lessen your stress and boost your confidence.
1. Skip over the directions!
Yes, you read that correctly. There’s no need to read directions on the day of the test because the directions on the test are EXACTLY THE SAME as the directions on every practice test you took. You already know what to do.
2. Circle answers in your booklet as you are taking your test. Transfer answers to your
bubble sheet answer page after completing two pages – not after each question.
Why not? There are 75 questions on the English test. That’s 75 times to lose and regain focus and all those seconds add up to wasted minutes. Do this instead: As you take the test, circle your answers in the test booklet. Keep moving from one question to the next until you have answered all the questions on the first two pages of the test. Every time you need to turn a page in the test booklet, stop and fill in all the bubbles for every question on those two pages. This system works well for all of the sections. But you need to practice doing it this way. Most test-takers have reinforced the inefficient habit of filling in a bubble-sheet answer page after every question. Shifting to a new habit takes time and many repetitions. Use a bubble sheet to record your answers when you take practice tests. Get in the habit of filling in bubbles before you turn a page – not after each question.
3. Answer every question your first time through the test.
When you get to a question that you don’t know how to answer, make a guess and move on quickly. Staring at a problem or re-reading a question multiple times won’t help you answer a question you don’t know how to solve. It’s OK to not know every answer. Just make a guess and keep going. If you finish the entire test before the time is up, you can go back and revisit the questions you found challenging.
4. Pick a letter-of-the-day and use it for all of your guesses.
Every time you make a complete guess, use the same letter. It doesn’t matter which letter you choose as your letter-of-the-day. For example, if you want to pick the first answer choice as your letter-of-the-day, then you will always pick A or F. If you want to pick the second answer, then your letter-of-the-day will always be B or G. The ACT does NOT favor one particular answer choice. Just stick with the same letter (A/F, B/G, C/H, D/J, or E/K) every time you make a guess. Eventually that choice will be correct.
5. When the proctor tells you that the test will end in five minutes, stop working and
follow these steps:
Transfer all your completed answers to your bubble sheet.
Go back to where you left off and continue working until the proctor tells you to stop.
Fill in EVERY unanswered question with your letter-of-the-day.
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