Tips to Boost your ACT Reading Score

1. Tips to Boost your ACT Reading Score The ACT is different than tests you take in school, so you should approach it differently, too. Understand exactly what types of reading test questions and passages you'll encounter, and ACT reading tips that can help you score well. What’s on the ACT Reading Test? At the beginning of each reading paragraph, the paragraph is in a different font. Paragraph is worth 10 seconds. It gives you context for the paragraph and helps you prepare your mind for what you are about to read. It also helps you identify which of the 4 types of ACT reading passages you're starting with: 1. Prose Fiction 2. Social Science 3. Humanities 4. Natural Science After each paragraph, you'll need to answer 10 questions that test your understanding of what was directly said and what was implied in the text. What is it? What to expect?

2. Prose Fictio n Excerpts from short stories or novels ● Setting, tone, and the relationships between characters are more important than facts ● Questions likely to involve recognizing the implied meanings vs. what was directly expressed Most passages are contemporary, emphasize diversity, and are often based on family relationships. Social Scienc e Topics: Anthropology, Archaeology, Biography, Business, Economics, Education, Geography, History, Political Science, Psychology, and Sociology ● Organization flows logically with understandable topic sentences and selected shifts to developing the main idea ● The author may have a different viewpoint on the subject or may give informative facts in a neutral tone Huma nities Nonfiction passages—mostly memoirs or personal essays ● A narrative may use a more organic development instead of a straight one ● The tone will be more direct and perhaps more emotional Topics: Architecture, Art, Dance, Ethics, Film, Language, Literary Criticism, Music, Philosophy, Radio, Television, and Theater

3. Natura l Scienc e Topics: Anatomy, Astronomy, Biology, Botany, Chemistry, Ecology, Geology, Medicine, Meteorology, Microbiology, Natural History, Physiology, Physics, Technology, and Zoology ● Lots of details and a few times very technical descriptions ● A linear organization with clear topic sentences and shifts to developing the main concept ● The author may or may not have any point of view on the topic ● Questions generally track the text pretty closely and need you to make some inferences Tackle the ACT Reading Test Now that you understand what to expect, here are some ACT reading tips that can help you ace any passage: Do the passages in any order You will always see 4 paragraphs and you will have to attempt all the 40 questions. There is no negative marking for wrong answers on the ACT. As you practice, you will start to get a feel for which routes are easy and which are a bit challenging for you. For example: If Natural Science is your strength, but the Literary Fiction route bothers you, it might make sense for you to do the Natural Science route first and save the Literary Fiction route for last. Just make sure that you are writing the correct question number on your answer sheet. Time yourself as you practice If you are taking more than 3 minutes to read a passage, you may not be able to complete all the questions in the given time. As you become more confident in your preparation, try to be as precise as possible in the timing of your note taking. Underline or Circle key terms As you read, underline or circle key details in the passage that may help you to answer the questions later. It usually includes names, dates, places, and numbers. As you keep practicing more and more paragraphs, you will understand what to look for and what type of questions will be asked in the later section.

4. By marking your paragraph, you are helping your brain to focus on the important words and move through the paragraph so that you can use your time properly. Find the author’s point of view Do you often find that you get lost in the middle, or read too fast and miss some important information? For the ACT Reading Test, you'll need to find the right balance between reading from the author's point of view and the function of each paragraph, as well as paying attention to the location of important details in case you need to come back to them later. Look for Transition Words Transition words are like road signs. They show you the way, point you towards a detour, and bring you back in the direction of the main idea. Don’t be nervous if you don’t know the word In some questions, you have to identify the meaning of a word or phrase as it is used in context. Most of these questions generally use common words, but their definitions in the paragraph may be more figurative than literal. If the question asks you for a new word, try to come up with your own word that fits the context correctly, and then use the process of elimination on the answers. If you are unable to eliminate three options, guess from what is left and move on. Do ACT Reading practice tests Full-length practice tests are available, you will need to find a quiet place where you can take the practice test, and clear a table or desk. Try to remove all kinds of distractions and do your best to mimic the environment of the exam day. Keep an eye on the clock or timer so you can periodically check in and see how you're doing. Do not rush, but make sure to move from passage to passage with confidence and answer all the questions in the given time. Build the right preparation plan At Reviser, we will help you create a preparation plan that will suit your score goals, study habits and schedule. If you need any personal assistance, reach out to our experts here. We are extremely happy to help in whatever way we can.