How to raise my ACT Reading score?

Hey! I'm finding the ACT Reading section kind of tricky and want to improve my score. What are some tips and techniques that worked for you to increase your reading score? Thanks for the help!

Hi! Improving your ACT Reading score can definitely be done with practice and by focusing on certain techniques. Here are some tips that have helped a lot of students improve their scores:

1. Skim and annotate: When first tackling a passage, read the text quickly, noting only the main points, while also underlining or circling keywords that seem important. Skimming will help you efficiently establish a general understanding and remember where to find specific details when answering questions.

2. Understand question types: ACT Reading questions generally fall into categories like main idea, supporting details, tone, and inference. Knowing the type of question you're dealing with will help you decide which strategy to use, whether you need to refer back to the passage or to rely on context clues.

3. Answer in your own words: Before looking at the answer choices, try to come up with an answer to the question in your own words. This strategy will prevent you from being swayed by enticing, yet incorrect choices that the test makers have crafted.

4. Eliminate incorrect answer choices: Cross out choices that are obviously wrong, but also keep in mind that incorrect answers often contain some aspect of truth mixed with false or misleading information. Narrowing down your options will make choosing the correct answer easier.

5. Manage your time: Time management is crucial on the ACT Reading section, as you have approximately 8 minutes and 45 seconds to read each passage and answer the associated questions. Keep an eye on the timer and pace yourself accordingly. If a question is taking too long, mark it and move on. You can return to it if you have time left. And remember, there's no penalty for guessing, if you're truly stuck!

6. Practice consistently: Work on building your reading skills, speed, and comprehension over time. Regular practice with ACT Reading passages will help familiarize you with the test's format, question types, and passage complexity. Doing timed practice sessions will also help you become more comfortable with the time constraints of the ACT Reading section.

7. Review mistakes: After completing practice tests or exercises, carefully review your mistakes to pinpoint areas where you need further improvement. Focus on understanding why you got a question wrong and try to learn from your mistakes. If you're aiming high on the ACT, you may even want to review the questions you got right, to ensure your overall process was sound and you didn't just accidentally arrive at the right answer.

Using these strategies and dedicating time to practice will likely lead to improvements in your ACT Reading score. Good luck!