<p>Hey guys i just took a practice test for the ACT out of the red book (the first practice test in there), and found that i did fairly well on every section (well enough to were i could improve to a possible 32-36) but on the reading it was ridiculous! I got so lost in the middle of the first passage that i just decided to not read the passages anymore, which made it even harder on me. I ended up getting a 19, which i CANNOT match on the actual exam. So, what I'm asking is if someone could help me out with the reading? Any tips at all? Seems like this section will be the only one holding me back from a real high score. Thanks!</p>
<p>uh, i got a 36 in reading so i think i can say a think or two.</p>
<p>for the reading, just try to try and do the "reading the questions and passage at the same time" thing. since the questions (save the first, since it might be a holistic question) of passages are usually in order of when they appear in the passage, it helps to read one question, find the answer, and then move on to the next. </p>
<p>and regardless of what people say, you definitely have the time to go through the questions and passages thoroughly. if you do this well, you wont need to second-guess yourself and youll have a good 40 minutes.</p>
<p>i pretty much suck at reading too, so trickysocksman your saying to read the question and then go hunt for it in the passage, pretty much like the science section?</p>
<p>yeah, pretty much. once you answer a question, you can pretty much draw a line where you found the answer and be almost assured that any subsequent questions wont have answers above the line you drew.</p>
<p>you just have to be able to work efficiently and not second guess yourself. its a bit of a delicate balance. but when i took it i finished in about 30 minutes and i knew i got a 36, so its not that difficult as long as you use your time effectively.</p>
<p>im going to start doing it on practice tests, i would die for anything above a 30 since i dont seem to able to get it!</p>
<p>What about the kinds of questions that ask you about mood or the passage as a whole?</p>
<p>for those questions, you still have to have had read the passage somewhat to answer the other 9 questions. i always skip the holistic questions until im done with the other nine, by which time ive been exposed to all the subjects discussed in the passage and can make reasonable conclusions about the writer's beliefs and tone.</p>