In a nutshell, the ACT Reading test is a 40-question/35minute exam testing a student's ability to understand densely written material of college-level difficulty. It does this by making the student read 4 passage sets – 1 fiction, 3 non-fiction – and answer 10 multiple choice questions on each passage. Starting in 2015, one of these 4 passage sets has always contained dual passages presenting either differing POVs or different emphases/angles on the same topic.
The bulk of the questions ask the student to locate a detail or details from the text deemed relevant to the question, then choose the answer that best matches. Other questions will involve such things as:
(a) determining the closest meaning of a particular word as it is used in the context of the passage
(b) identifying the purpose and role of a particular line, device, or paragraph in the context of the passage
(c) picking up on such things as tone, opinion, or attitude (and perhaps emotional mood on a fiction passage)
(d) recognizing the primary purpose of a passage
(e) seeing how a passage was organized AND/OR how the organization advanced the author's rhetorical strategy
(f) locating the main idea of the passage
(g) seeing how the 2 passages in the dual passage set compare and contrast with each other on different points
However, in trying to understand what the ACT Reading section is TRULY all about, it is first crucial to shed some of the harmful misconceptions surrounding this test and understand what it is NOT:
1. A “tricky” test that can only be done by learning all kinds of vague reading tips and guessing tricks to help you “game” the test (it is actually far simpler than that, and most people who are taught these approaches often end up overthinking it)
2. A test that only requires the skills you develop in your high-school English courses (the method of reading and interpreting information on this test is VERY different from the literary analysis that is the focus of so many high-school English classes, even if you take Honors or AP English)
3. A test that gets easier if you familiarize yourself with the subject matter likely to be presented on the passages (you couldn’t possibly be familiar with it all anyway, and trying to bring outside knowledge to the test can actually HURT your score)
4. A deep-reading test where you have to analyze the passage very deeply and interpret it insightfully (in fact, students who have a tendency to do this actually perform WORSE than their peers - again, it's actually much simpler than what most people think, and most people are actually overthinking it).
What the ACT Reading test IS:
1. An incredibly straight-forward, open-book test where the answer (or the information that determines the answer) is always in the passage, requiring absolutely NO interpretation or analysis to succeed and absolutely NO prior knowledge of the subject matter either!
2. A fast-paced test, requiring the ability to locate relevant information very quickly (1st of 2 main challenges on this test, but very doable with an efficient approach and a few weeks of practice)
3. A test of your ability to read for PRECISE meaning so that you can successfully eliminate answer choices that do not align with what the text ACTUALLY says (2nd of 2 main challenges on this test, also very doable – and a real game-changer – with a good approach and practice).
My ACT Reading lesson has transformed the Reading scores of hundreds of students over the years in just ONE HOUR. Within 3-4 weeks of continuous practice, the vast majority are also able to finish the entire section in time while still achieving 90-100% accuracy. Reach out to learn more!
