<p>Anyone else worried about the ACT Reading section? You have to read 4 long passages at the rate of about 2-3 minutes each! I'm scared as hell because I just did a practice test and I ran out of a time just as I began reading the fourth passage (I'm a somewhat slower reading than normal, but it's NEVER been an issue before)! I'm really concerned now. It seems you have to read each passage at roughly ~230 words per minute, which seems like a LOT (I took a reading test and I read at something like ~170 words per minute...I never realized I was so below the average reading level)!</p>
<p>I heard if you read from right to left it would increase your reading speed.</p>
<p>That wasn't very helpful/nice :(</p>
<p>Azure326--It is also one of my concerns. I can read fast but if I do I can't retain any info. On the SAT, I liked spending more time highlighting and reading the passage. I noticed that if I did so I was able to answer the questions a lot faster.
And as for the other comment you recieved, its from one of those annoying people you have to deal with in life.</p>
<p>I'm fine for the reading part, it's the math timing that's worrying me...</p>
<p>I'm really concerned about this. I finished taking the practice test (after time ran out) and got like a 31 on the reading section, but if I didn't finish I would have gotten like a 23 :(</p>
<p>I find the pacing to be absolutely ridiculous. The final passage was science related so it was VERY easy for me to read and I thought I was pacing through it rather quickly (I was constantly aware that I was reading it at a fast pace). It still took me 3 and a half minutes to finish it though :(</p>
<p>this is what works for me: don't read the passages too closely at first. just read it fairly quickly to get a general idea. then you can answer the questions refering to specific lines. then do the paragraph questions, and by then you should have a general feel for the passage for the overall question.
you might want to try this on a practice test first though, if you usually read differently.</p>
<p>Go over questions first very quickly.</p>
<p>Underline key words.</p>
<p>Look for them in the passage.</p>
<p>Do the question.</p>
<p>If you can't read the passages in time, you'll have to just read the questions and go back and find the answers. Or skim the passages REALLY quickly - it's not so important to actually read it word for word, but to get an idea of the overall tone and where you can find certain answers.</p>
<p>The timing of the ACT is what makes it difficult. The questions themselves aren't hard, it's the timing that kills people. If you struggle with timing, the SAT is for you.</p>
<p>ok here are some tips with the reading (i got a 34)</p>
<ol>
<li>before looking at the passage, quickly skim the questions, WITHOUT LOOKING AT THE ANSWERS</li>
<li>now look more closely at the questions. if they have a line reference, find it in the passage and mark those lines with the question number</li>
<li>now read the passage for real, not necessarily trying to digest all of the words, but slower than just skimming it. </li>
<li>take notes along the side while you read</li>
<li>underline key things in the paragraph (like names, dates, etc)</li>
<li>now answer the questions. when you start to answer them, dont look at the answer choices. try to formulate your own answer. when you do this, your answer is usually the right one, or close to the right one. this will help you pinpoint the right answer and discourage you from second guessing your own response by picking a wrong answer.</li>
</ol>
<p>believe me...this works!</p>
<p>I always get distracted during the reading on the actual test, not on the practice tests. The time issue is definately a really difficult thing to deal w/ but I usually just read at a medium pace for me and usually I retain the information, the problem comes when you have to keep rereading something over and over.
In the practice tests, try to push your reading a little and it may help you increase your speed if you practice a lot. Depending on your goal score, you may want to answer 3 passages completely and then spend like 3 minutes on the last one. My ACT teacher says some people will simply have to do three because they read to slow. Fortunately I'm not one of them.</p>
<p>this is how u deal with time.</p>
<p>if there are any questinos with, tell me about blah blah blah sentence, then underline the sentence they are talking about. By doing so, you will paint a mental image to read for more depth and understanding while you are reading the writing as a whole. Do this for any question that asks you to go to a line. After this, simply just read the whole passage while you go through this and you will be able to answer the overall questions. </p>
<p>To get better, simply subtract 2-5 minutes on each section (as practice) to make you increase your speed. I did this to myself, and read and did math faster and much more efficiently on more tests because i started to see fast ways of solving things. (this works well for the SAT)</p>
<p>Hey OP i know exactly what you're talking about. It's funny because i got an 800 on the SAT verbal and I finish all those sections at least 5 minutes early, but then sit me down at the ACT and I can't even get to the fourth passage and I wind up with a 29. So thanks to the post above for the help.</p>
<p>pls. help me ONE DAY LEFT !!! really helpful tips. any more advice? my ACT is tmrw. I am not a good skimmer and am almost running out of time by the end of third passage. really have no clue. i start with science, then s.st , humanities and finally fiction.</p>
<p>see i usually go in order, because i am notorious for messing up the bubbles. if you do a different order, just be careful</p>
<p>yeah, I have to go in order too.</p>
<p>I can't. For me it is much, much easier to skim and answer correctly on the prose fiction, so I do that last when I am very short on time. Now, granted, I only recieved a 29 the two times I took it, but this prevented me from getting a 25, so...</p>
<p>It's a preference thing. Reading Social Sciences, then Natural Sciences, then Humanities, and then Prose Fiction works best for me. Find what works best for you. If you do chose to do it this way, make sure it is right on your answer sheet!! Double check. The first time I did it I wrote down the first 3 answers on 1, 2, 3 instead of 21, 22, 23.. lol. But luckily I caught it as soon as I did it, so nothing to worry about. Anyway, best of luck to everyone! I gotta get a good grade on science to get that 30 score. ugh.</p>
<p>Well, I ran out of time on the first test, but I completed the next 2 tests on time (Usually right when time ran out or with ~15 seconds to spare, so it's still pretty close). What I do is quickly read every question (but not the answers) first, then I go back and read the passage at a somewhat fast pace. At this rate I am able to do each of the four passage sections and their questions at a ~8-9 minutes a piece. It's going to be close, but I think I'll at least finish reading the last passage and have answered at least a couple questions when time runs out.</p>