How can I improve on the ACT Reading section?

Question

Will it help me, for example, to read lots of literature and high-quality articles? Should I work on improving my "speed-reading" skills? What can I do to beat the time limits? What kinds of reading skills should I be working on while I practice?

Answer 1

What will help is reading and working with ACT Reading passages.

The fundamental rule of ACT Reading is "The answer is on the page". Learn to find the answers to the questions.

Do not read answer choices before you anticipate an answer. Three are wrong. Only one choice is right. If you don't have an answer in mind, one that's based on the passage, the wrong choices will steer you into doom. They're designed to trick you. For example, one wrong answer trap ACT uses is something opposite of the correct answer. When you have your anticipated answer, evaluate answer choices only based on it - your anticipation came from the passage, not from possibly wrong answer choices.

The goal is to select the correct answer and eliminate wrong answers. Do both. Sometimes you may not be able to pinpoint one right answer, but you can eliminate wrong answer choices.

When you read the passage, map it - underline things like transition words, punctuation beyond periods and commas, names, dates, facts, and make notes next to each paragraph - 2-3 words on the topic/main idea of the paragraph. For the passage, write 5ish words on the Main Idea /Purpose, Author Perspective. You then use this map to find answers.

Use your map to find answers in the passage; use keywords; use line references when they're given.

You have 8:45 per passage. That's about 2-3 minutes to read the passage and 5-6 minutes to answer questions.

Know the passage types. You don't have to work them in order. Track, in practice tests, which passage types are easiest for you - work that type first. Track which types are hardest - work those last.

The technique for working the Reading section takes only 1-2 hours to learn. Then practice the technique on real ACT practice tests. I can send real tests as well as explanations for every question - explanations that focus on finding the information in the passage using the map, keywords, line references, and skimming techniques.

Answer 2

The name of the game on ACT Reading is EVIDENCE-BASED READING. This means learning to spot the difference between what the answer choices say and what the text of the ACT Reading passage ACTUALLY says. It is the fundamental skill upon which all of the other skills tested by the various question-types are based. Mastery of this one skill will do more for your ACT Reading score than an entire 3-month ACT course ever will.

While it is certainly a worthwhile activity to read more literature and printed material, this is neither necessary nor sufficient to improve your performance on ACT Reading. Speed-reading is also best avoided, as it almost always results in a higher rate of careless mistakes, which defeats the purpose of being able to answer more questions within the time limits (and most students end up having to go back and re-read for things they whizzed by anyway).

The best way to deal with the time limits is to give yourself several weeks to practice with the RIGHT TECHNIQUE - one that focuses on Evidence-based reading in the most efficient manner possible - until it becomes second nature to you, so that speed will be a natural byproduct of your fluency with the technique. You will also want to make sure that you are practicing with NOTHING BUT official ACT Reading passages, as using anything else will produce very mixed results.

My ACT Reading lesson teaches such a technique, and I constantly see students getting 80 - 100% accuracy on official ACT Reading passages after just ONE lesson. Within 3-4 weeks of practicing with it on their own (just 1 passage per day, each passage containing 10 questions), their pacing also improves to the point of being able to finish within the time limits without compromising that accuracy.