Top 10 ACT Tips for a Higher Score
The ACT is a fast‑paced exam that rewards efficiency and strategy. CollegeVine advises students to answer every question because there’s no penalty for guessing and emphazises time management, noting that the English section gives only 36 seconds per question. Our experienced tutors have compiled a list of the top 10 ACT tips to help you maximize your score. These strategies combine universal best practices with insights from our students’ success stories. Whether you’re aiming for a 30 or a 36, these tips will help you perform your best on test day.
Top Tips
- Answer Every Question: There is no penalty for wrong answers on the ACT. Guessing is always better than leaving a question blank.
- Pace Yourself: For English, you have 75 questions in 45 minutes—about 36 seconds per question. Keep a steady rhythm and avoid spending too much time on any single question.
- Mark Up Your Test Booklet: Annotate passages, circle important information and jot down quick calculations. This can save time and reduce careless errors.
- Focus on Easy Points First: Start with questions you know; skip tough ones and return later. This strategy prevents you from wasting valuable time.
- Use Process of Elimination: Cross out clearly wrong answers to narrow your choices and improve guessing accuracy.
- Know Your Formulas: While the ACT provides some formulas, memorising common ones (area, perimeter, slope) saves time.
- Practise in Realistic Conditions: Take timed practice tests to simulate the stress of test day.
- Read Answer Choices Carefully: Don’t rush; subtle wording differences can change the correct answer.
- Stay Calm Under Pressure: Develop stress‑management techniques like deep breathing or positive visualization.
- Review Mistakes Thoroughly: After each practice test, understand why you missed certain questions and devise strategies to avoid repeating mistakes.
Conclusion
These ACT tips are straightforward but powerful when applied consistently. Master the art of timing, answer every question and review your mistakes to achieve a high score. Need one‑on‑one ACT coaching? Schedule a free consultation with East Coast Scholars to work with an expert tutor.
