ACT Tips For Better Grades and a Better Chance to Reach Your Dream College
Updated on 21 June, 2022
Mrinal Mandal
Study Abroad Expert
Study Abroad Expert
The first step towards getting into your desired US college is giving entrance tests like the ACT that institutes use to select suitable candidates. Let's take a close look at the ABCs of the ACT exam and help you prepare with some essential ACT study tips.
The ACT exam is a standard entrance test that most college aspirants take to secure their position in undergraduate universities abroad.
The ACT reveals a high-schoolers knowledge and skills regarding reading comprehension, writing conventions, and other computational skills. It's no surprise that all reputed four-year US-based colleges demand the ACT.
The ACT exam is divided into 5 primary sections. Here’s a detailed breakdown of the sections:
Sections | Duration | No. of Questions |
Math | 60 minutes | 60 |
English | 45 minutes | 75 |
Science | 35 minutes | 40 |
Reading | 35 minutes | 40 |
Writing (Optional) | 40 minutes | 1 writing prompt |
The comprehensive examination features 215 questions along with 1 writing prompt. Overall, it lasts for 3 hours and 35 minutes.
If you aim to tackle each section under its given time, you need to hone your skills and improve your performance. Well, that can only happen with a lot of practice. To achieve a top score, you need to understand the syllabus like the back of your hand!
Take a look at the elaborate divisions of the ACT exam in the following section.
The ACT allows you to make use of a calculator to solve questions relating to:
English is not a challenging subject to gain mastery over. Most students have grown up upskilling their English language throughout their school life. This section requires you to display:
This section contains 7 passages, and relevant graphs, tables, and charts often accompany them. These questions revolve around:
The reading section features 4 passages that you must work upon in 40 minutes. These passages revolve around:
The reading questions test your idea of the central theme. It also gauges your knowledge of specific phrases, contextual understanding of specific vocabulary terms, and the implied meaning behind certain words.
The writing section comes with a brief passage on a specific topic attached with 3 varying viewpoints. You are expected to analyze all the viewpoints, elaborate on their merits and demerits, and spot flawed reasoning.
Now, entrance examinations can be immensely overwhelming, especially if you feel underprepared. There’s a way to fix that and sharpen your skills for each ACT section, and that is by keeping in mind a few ACT tips.
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Let’s look at some of these resourceful ACT tips and tricks that will help you prepare for the exam.
Mathematics is a highly daunting subject for most people, but the only way around it is through it. So, improve your speed and performance with the help of these ACT tips:
Here are some ACT English tips to prepare yourself:
Science is as fascinating as you make it. Don't let the scientific concepts intimidate you. Follow these ACT Science tips and ace that test:
If you are an avid reader, this section will be your favorite. That said, here are some ACT reading tips for upskilling yourself:
The writing section is optional but indeed interesting for anyone who likes the art of writing. Take a look at the following ACT Writing tips to score better in the writing section:
Here are last-minute ACT tips that should come in handy.
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What does the Course include:
Here are some tips to prepare well -
Calculators aren’t a mandatory requirement when you appear for this test. Only a few types of calculators are allowed in every ACT test centres in India. If you are not sure if your device fulfills the specified criteria, it is advisable not to carry it to the ACT centre.
The ACT exam is divided into 5 primary sections. Here’s a detailed breakdown of the sections:
Sections | Duration | No. of Questions |
Math | 60 minutes | 60 |
English | 45 minutes | 75 |
Science | 35 minutes | 40 |
Reading | 35 minutes | 40 |
Writing (Optional) | 40 minutes | 1 writing prompt |
The comprehensive examination features 215 questions along with 1 writing prompt. Overall, it lasts for 3 hours and 35 minutes.
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