ACT Preparation Tips 2023: Check Section-wise Prep Tips and Study Material & Guide

The ACT exam syllabus and pattern differ for every section that is assessed. There are four major sections in the ACT exam and students can devise their plan of action based on their strong and weak points. It is always recommended to go step-by-step to get done with the final preparation. The best way would be to pick one section of the ACT exam and get done with it starting from scratch till the student gets expertise in it. Once a section is complete, the next step would be to move on to another section and so on.

Students should be able to divide their time for ACT exam preparation in such a manner, that they have ample time to revise and sit for mock tests in order to get a good score. A regular check on vocabulary plus reading a newspaper is always helpful in the long run as well and not just for ACT exam preparation. In this article, we have prepared a section-wise approach with ACT preparation tips covering the entire syllabus of the exam.

ACT Exam Prep Strategies

Students who are keen on studying abroad and wish to submit their ACT test scores can follow the test strategies for the ACT exam so that they are able to crack the exam and get selected for the college of their choice:

1. Know the syllabus and check which topic has the maximum weightage and the ones with the least weightage.
2. Get back to the basics of conceptual clarity and start from the lowest level and work your way up in preparing for the ACT. Plus check concepts where you have least or no clarity about and then get to those where your knowledge is apt.
3. While attempting the MCQs in the ACT exam, be careful about - your speed, read the instructions in questions asked carefully, mark each answer and use logic in difficult questions.
4. Reviewing your answers in the ACT exam is equally crucial, hence, time yourself in such a manner that there is sufficient time to come back to the questions attempted and review them.

The following preparation tips to crack ACT in a well-thought-out plan would help students more in their preparation phase.

ACT Preparation Tips 2023

There are four sections that are tested in the ACT exam - English, Mathematics, Science and Reading sections. These sections comprise a total of 215 questions in the MCQ format. The first step towards preparation is to be thorough with the ACT exam syllabus and then section-wise chalk out which sections would take the maximum time to prepare and which ones would take lesser time to prepare. Check out the ACT prep tips below, step-wise in order to crack the exam:

Those topics which the applicant feels would take more time to prepare should be taken up first and those with lesser time can be picked up later. Making a schedule and sticking to it is important. Regular revision of already completed topics can be beneficial, students will gain confidence with each revision. The mock tests are necessary for the students to understand their overall performance. Hence, if these tips are followed, the student will be able to crack the ACT exam with good scores. 

Follow the following ACT prep tips for each section in detail below.

ACT Prep Tips: English Section

As per the ACT exam syllabus, the English section comprises 75 questions. The time allotted for this section is only 45 minutes, hence you need to be really quick.

Always remember the key to Promptness: Speed comes with practice!

• Observe the writing style in every passage you have to attempt.
• You need to carefully observe the elements of writing such as tone and emphasis that the text conveys.

• Be mindful of inquiries with no underlined divides—that implies you will be gotten some information about a segment of the entry or about the section all in all.
• Examine each answer decision and decide how it contrasts with the others. A considerable lot of inquiries in the test will include more than one part of writing.
• Select the best answer. Peruse and consider the entirety of the appropriate response decisions before you pick the one that best reacts to the inquiry.
• Reread the sentence, using the answer you have selected.

Also Read: How to Calculate SAT and ACT Superscore?

ACT Prep Tips: Mathematics Section

The Mathematics section, which has 60 questions, is granted a time slot of 60 minutes. It means that on average, we need to answer 1 question in 1 minute. It seems exhausting, doesn’t it? Luckily Mathematics is a subject, which can be practised as much as possible to increase our speed. Phew!

Calculation Tips: Practice makes a man perfect!

• The questions are generally twisted, which we often call trick questions. It is suggested that you carefully read the questions in order to understand the kind of answer applicable.
• Do not rely on a calculator unless you are not sure that it is permitted in the exam and exam centre. Bigger problems can be solved using calculators, which are allowed in such exams.
• Keep updated with the latest information on types of calculators that are allowed to avoid taking with you a forbidden calculator. Nevertheless, the exam consists of basic level Mathematical problems that can be solved over the fingertips.

• Increase the basic skills of mathematics by daily practising it daily life. Get thorough with the basics: Addition and Subtraction of large numbers as well as Multiplication and Division in 2-3 digit numbers.

ACT Prep Tips: Reading Section

The ACT Reading Test comprises 40 inquiries that need to be answered in 35 minutes.

• Read all the passage(s) cautiously.
• Read and consider the entirety of the appropriate responses before picking the one that is suitable to react to the inquiry.
• Refer to the passage(s) while solving the questions.

ACT Prep Tips: Science Section

A genuine ACT Science Test comprises 40 questions that need to be replied in 35 minutes only.

• Read the entire passage cautiously.
• Refer to the logical data given in the passage while addressing the question.
• Read and consider all the choices given before picking the one that best reacts to the question.
• Note viewpoints that are conflicting in certain passages.

ACT Preparation: Writing Sample Essays

Essay Tasks

Write a unified, coherent essay about the increasing presence of intelligent machines. In

•  Clearly express your own viewpoint on the issue and analyse the connection between your point of view and at least one other point of view
•  Give reasoning and examples to develop and support your thoughts
•  Your ideas should be clear and logical
•  Communicate your ideas in an effective standard written English

Your viewpoint might be the same as the given or it may match partially or it can be completely different

About the ACT Writing Test

The ACT writing test is a 40-minute essay test designed to measure the writing skills of the applicant. This is a paper-and-pencil test. This test comprises one writing prompt that will describe a complex issue and present three different perspectives on that issue. Candidates have to write an essay with a pencil on the lined pages of an answer folder that is provided to them.

The ACT writing test is meant to complement the English and reading tests. The results derived from these tests help undergraduate colleges with students’ understanding of the conventions of standard written English and their skills to produce a direct sample of writing. Further, the writing test can only be taken after taking all four multiple-choice tests in the same session.

Candidates are asked to read the prompt given and write an essay in which they can develop their own perspectives on the issue. The essay written by you should analyse the relationship between your perspective as well as one or more other perspectives. Candidates are allowed to adopt a perspective from the prompt, partially or fully. Apart from this, candidates are also allowed to generate their own perspectives. Your ACT score will not be affected by the point of view you select on the issue.

Few colleges ask for the ACT writing test score. So, candidates should decide whether they have to take the test or not based on the requirements of the colleges they are applying to.

Why is the ACT Writing Test Optional?

As undergraduate institutions have different requirements, we offer the ACT writing test as an option.

• Undergraduate institutions decide whether they require ACT writing test scores for admissions or for course placement purposes. 
• Aspirants themselves decide whether they have to take the writing test or not based on the requirements of the colleges they are trying to take admission to. 

Aspirants need not take the test they do not want to take and incur unnecessary expenses, and colleges also have the freedom to ask for tests that meet their information needs.