ACT Tips

Here are some act tips courtesy of mr lyons!


Strategy:
-Take practice tests to find your strengths (your favorite type of passage. During the test, attack them first. Example: I am strongest at Experiments/Research so I will find the 6 question passages and start with them)
-Start with those passages, then move to your second favorite. Then the third type.

Reading a passage: (answering questions)

1. Skim the passage (No more than 1 minute!)

Main points, no details yet.
1st and last sentence in each paragraph
Looking for what is available and approximate location
NO interpretation

2. Read Questions

What is the question asking?
Underline Important words like 'not', 'least/greatest', 'lowest/highest'
Identify kind of question:
(these increase in difficulty, but all are worth the same points!)
-Understanding: Looking up a value or reading a data point, finding a phrase in a passage. Example: 'During the month of may, what is the concentration of NaCl in the water?'
-Analysis: Describe relationship, explain results. Example: 'By looking at the monthly trend, the results of this study showed the concentration of NaCl… (decreased during the summer months and increased in during the winter)
-Generalization: Apply information to new situation. (Predict, Extrapolate) Example: 'If this scientist measured the KCl concentration in the winter to be 1.2 g/l, which of the following would you expect? (KCl should be lower in the summer, KCl should be more similar to NaCl than the other contaminates)

Do generalization questions last, you have to concentrate on specific sections determined by answering the understanding and analysis questions first. You may then have enough of a feel for the passage to answer the generalization question without reading the entire passage.
If you can answer all the questions without any 'extra' reading, you've saved some time! You don’t get points for reading, only answering.

3. Eliminate obvious wrong answers:

Some you are sure are incorrect.
They may contradict data (claiming an increase where the data show it decreases)
There is no relation or nothing stated in the passage

4. Choose your answer:
Look for the most correct answer. You may not like any of them, but one should be most correct (or least incorrect.)
Choose something. There are no penalties, and you have eliminated some choices.