Do YOU have an ACT coming up this or next week? Several of my private tutoring clients do—and they’re pretty dang well-prepared, if I do say so myself! Nonetheless, whether you have, like them, been studying the ACT for a few months (as I advised in this previous post) or have hardly cracked open a test prep book or official ACT practice test, this post is designed to help YOU maximize your score.
Today, I’m going to lay out exactly what to focus on over the next couple weeks (or days!), so that you have the best possible chance of nabbing every single last point you can when you sit for the ACT. Especially if you’ve left your test preparations to the last minute, consider this the most user-friendly “cram plan” out there!
But before we dive into the five ACT topics and strategies you should study ASAP, here are some important reminders:
1. You’re NOT going to learn everything on the ACT in the next week or two.
Sorry. That’s just not how it works! Sustained learning and recall happens when you give content SIX separate chances to absorb into your brain. That’s a lot of flash cards, problem sets and practice tests! And if you’re taking your exam in just a handful of days, you don’t have that luxury of time.
2. However, you CAN learn some key content and strategies well enough in this short time frame to make some SERIOUS improvements to your score!
Basically, if you focus on learning a few key pieces really well, instead of trying to spread yourself too thin, this handful of concepts alone can help you realistically improve by 3+ composite points!
So, now that we’ve managed our expectations, here is…
How to Study Quickly for the ACT
1) The Most Important Grammar to Learn for the ACT
There are two grammar mistakes that the ACT frequently tries to trip you up on. I’ll give you a hint at what they are: the first involves prepositions and how they can be used to trick you, and the second involves commas.
And here’s why you need to master this pair of concepts: they ALONE can boost your English score up to 8 points, depending on where you’re starting from and how many of these question types you were getting wrong previously!
That’s already 2 COMPOSITE POINTS of improvement!
So without further ado, here they are: Fix these two ACT English Mistakes.
***Are you already a punctuation pro? (Or do you have a bit more than two weeks to study?) I HIGHLY suggest nabbing my ACT Grammar Cram Plan. Remember that part in The Matrix where a 30-second program update teaches Keanu Reeve’s character Neo something crazy complex, like Kung Fu? Well, it’s basically THAT, but for grammar! In just a few pages, you’ll learn ALL the grammar you need for the ACT’s English section!***
2) What ACT Math to Study Last-Minute
What I call “Math Vocabulary” is a topic that you’ll use on the ACT’s Math section…as well as in pretty much EVERY math class you’ll ever be in for the rest of your life (or rather, for as long as you choose to take math classes!).
What IS “Math Vocabulary?” Specifically, it’s the English words that give you the most clues regarding how to solve math problems. Some of them translate directly into mathematical operations and “tell” you what to do!
How cool is that?!
This one’s quick but sure to give you SEVERAL more points: Teach me Math Vocabulary!
***Are you already a Math Vocab pro? (Or do you have a bit more than two weeks to study?) I HIGHLY suggest nabbing my ACT Math Cram Plan. It has ALL the math you need for the ACT’s Math section!***
3) Get More Points on the ACT Reading Section
Now let’s switch it up and focus on the third section of the ACT: Reading.
I’m going to give you my two absolute favorite ACT Reading section strategies. When we combine the number of points you could potentially earn with these two strategies, guess what? You could gain up to 8 more points on the Reading section alone! (That’s another 2 Composite points, if you’re counting!)
This first topic is my tried-and-true strategy for answering Big Picture questions in the Reading section. (In fact, my private tutoring students say it works both for the ACT Reading section AND for the SAT Reading section, in case you were wondering!)
This topic is definitely a must for anyone who claims they “hate” reading: Master the Big-Picture Reading Question.
4) How to Answer ACT Vocabulary-In-Context Questions
Here’s the second Reading strategy that I LOVE, because it makes a complicated question type so simple that virtually ANYone can do it.
Wanna know what it is?? It’s the Vocabulary-In-Context Question!
Trust me, once you understand this trick, you’ll get every single one of these correct, even if you aren’t a “vocab” person (many of my students aren’t!).
How cool is that?!
Give me the Vocab-In-Context Strategy!
5) The Best Strategy for the ACT Science Section
Now, we’re going to learn my FAVORITE hack for the Science part of the ACT. It’s a strategy for a special question type that I’ve nicknamed the “Fork” Question.
What’s so crazy about this trick is that, depending on the particular ACT you take and how many “Fork” questions happen to crop up in its Science section, mastering this ONE type could get you up to 8 more points in the Science section…which translates into 2 whole composite points more!
So let’s get to it! Teach me about “Fork” Questions!
***
So THAT, my ACT-taking friends, is exactly what I’d spend my time studying if I only had a few days or a week or two before I sat for the ACT. If I could wave a magic wand and have you learn ALL five of these concepts, that could actually total up to 7 additional composite points on the ACT! But like I said, cramming isn’t perfect; so remember that even if you just improved by 3 composite points before Test Day, that would be a major success…AND would increase your college prospects considerably!
Also, if you aren’t the cramming type, and prefer to plan your ACT test prep months or years in advance, that means you’ve got WAY more options and wiggle room. And the BEST part? You’d have the time to potentially work privately with ME! If you want an expert in your back pocket, just contact me, and I can take the (usually) stressful ACT test prep process off your plate…and get you amazing results!
And if you’re more of a self-studier? I have ebooks and online courses for ALL sections of the ACT (English, Math, Reading and Science), whether you need help with only a single section or you need help with them all! Check them out here.
