ACT Critical Reading: tips, tricks, etc?

<p>What are some good tips for the ACT reading section?</p>

<p>I go straight to the line reference questions and quickly read a few lines before & after what was listed in the question. There are usually 4-7 questions per passage that mention lines, so when I get through all of those I have read almost enough to answer the rest of the questions and only need a quick skim. </p>

<p>This method allows me to know exactly what to look for in the passage, thus improving my accuracy & time efficiency. I just to skim the passage, read the questions, and refer back for answers, but that way was far too slow an inaccurate to get a good score under the time restraints.</p>

<p>I used to get only 6-7 right per passage in ~10 min, but now I usually get 9-10 right per passage in about 7 minutes.</p>

<p>^I use a different technique. I read straight through the entire passage, without looking at the questions. By the time I’m done, I can answer every question quickly. You’ll still have to refer to specific lines here and there, but questions asking about general themes are easy this way.</p>

<p>Never pick an answer that seems rude/politically incorrect if that makes sense. Also, if you’re going back and forth between two choices pick the one that is more concretely supported in the passage. Remember ACT has to be able to defend all of its answers in a court of law - there is always a more right answer :)</p>

<p>I can consistently score a 28+ on reading and I usually finish with 5-7 minutes remaining. The reason I don’t normally score higher and I have so much time left is that I don’t bother going back to check answers. I’m trying to develop an efficient method that involves very minimal referencing back to the passage (I read the passages in whole), and allows me the comfort of not having to recheck my answers. I’ve only taken two practice tests so far: 28 with 5 minutes remaining and 29 with 8 minutes remaining, respectively, and have already altered my methods to hopefully score a 30+ with some time remaining on my next practice test.</p>

<p>I read at a medium pace so that I get the general gist of the passage and pick up on some details. And I’ve learned that whatever you do, the answer IS in the passage, and you don’t have to guess about inferences. So just keep reading and analyzing, and you’ll eventually find the answer.</p>

<p>I read the passage and try to locate recognizable words in the answers. </p>

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