How Do You Read ACT Reading Passages?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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  1. Choose Your Own Adventure. On the ACT Reading Test, you only have 35 minutes to answer 40 questions. …
  2. Get Plenty of ACT Reading Practice. …
  3. Read the Questions First. …
  4. Keep Moving. …
  5. Look for Transition Words. …
  6. Don't Panic if You Don't Know the Word.

How long should you take to read an act reading passage?

On the test, you'll have

35 minutes

to read three single passages and one pair of passages. Each passage is 800 to 1000 words and there are 10 questions per passage. That averages out to under nine minutes per passage to read and answer the questions.

How do you take the ACT reading section?

  1. Read Each Passage Before its Questions. …
  2. Read the Questions Second. …
  3. Manage Your Time Effectively. …
  4. Put Yourself Ahead of the Game. …
  5. Practice with Many . …
  6. Make Educated Guesses. …
  7. Read, Read, Read!

What is the reading section of the act?

An actual ACT Reading Test contains

40 questions to be answered in 35 minutes

. Read the passage(s) carefully. Read and consider all of the answer choices before you choose the one that best responds to the question.

What kind of passages are on the act?

There are four different passage types that are always in the same order:

Prose Fiction, Social Studies, Humanities, and Natural Sciences

. You can do the passages in any order, so start with your strongest passage type and work from there.

Why is the reading ACT so hard?

So what makes it (seem) so hard? Timing: The ACT Reading section has 40 questions and a 35 minute time limit. That give students less than one minute per question and does not even factor in time to read the passage. In other words, the

ACT Reading moves at a blistering pace

, and it can be hard to keep up.

Is ACT reading easier than SAT?

ACT uses more inference-based questions. In this respect, the

SAT Reading Test is easier than the ACT Reading Test

. The ACT Reading Test requires students to answer 40 questions in 35 minutes. … This means that, on average students have 20 seconds more per question on the SAT than on the ACT.

How can I pass the ACT without studying?

To do well on the ACT without studying, answer easy questions first and

use the process of elimination

. Use diagrams and visuals to one's full advantage. Make intelligent guesses to get good ACT scores. There's no penalty for guessing, and there's a 20% chance of getting the right answer each time.

What is a good ACT score?

Getting a high ACT score can increase your chances of getting into selective colleges. In general, a good ACT score is

any score in or above the 75th percentile

— at least a 24. Students should aim to hit or exceed the middle 50% of ACT scores at their chosen colleges.

What skills are tested on the ACT?

The ACT contains four multiple-choice tests—

English, mathematics, reading, and science

—and an optional writing test. These tests are designed to measure skills that are most important for success in postsecondary education and that are acquired in secondary education.

What grade level is the ACT reading test?

1. Only 51 percent of 2005 ACT-tested high school graduates are ready for college-level reading—and, what's worse, more students are on track to being ready for college-level reading in eighth and tenth grade than are actually ready by the time they reach

twelfth grade

.

How many passages are in the reading section?

The SAT Reading Test is 65 minutes long and contains

5 passages

with associated questions. This means you need to spend 13 minutes per passage on average.

What are the 4 ACT reading passages?

The ACT Reading section is made up of four passages with about 10 questions each (40 total). There are four main types of passages that you will encounter on the ACT Reading section:

literary narrative/prose fiction passages, natural science, social science, and humanities.

What should I expect on the ACT Reading test?

The ACT Reading test consists of

40 questions

that must be answered within the 35-minute time limit. The test consists of four sections, each containing one long or two shorter (paired) prose passages. The passages focus on topics in social studies, natural sciences, prose fiction, and the humanities.

How many passages are on the English Act?

1. Learn What Content is Covered on the ACT English Test. The first of our ACT English strategies is to learn what is on the English section of the ACT. The ACT English test is a 75-question, 45-minute test that consists of

five passages

, each followed by 15 related multiple-choice questions.

Juan Martinez
Author
Juan Martinez
Juan Martinez is a journalism professor and experienced writer. With a passion for communication and education, Juan has taught students from all over the world. He is an expert in language and writing, and has written for various blogs and magazines.