ACT English Time Management: 3 Tips You Should Know

Time management is by far one of the most important factors in successfully completing the ACT, yet it remains a struggle for many students. That’s why we’ve made this series of time management tips for each section of the ACT.

In today’s post, we’ll break down time management tips for the English section. Learn them, apply them, and you will successfully get through the ACT English test.

1: You’ve got 8 minutes
The ACT English test gives you 45 minutes to answer 75 questions, but if you give yourself the goal of spending 8 minutes on each passage, you will gain 5 minutes of review time at the end. This way you can get to the end of the test and have time left to review answers you were unsure of, struggled with, or left blank.

2: Guess, fill in your answer, and move on
Oftentimes when students come across a difficult question, they get stuck. They then get off pace, fall behind in time, and are unable to finish the test. We recommend that when you come across a question that gives you trouble, you give it your best guess, fill in your answer, and move on. If you abide by the 8-minute rule above, you will have 5 minutes to review your answers and deal with those questions that you were unsure of.

3: Pacing is key
Pacing on the English test is the key to success. The best way to learn how to pace and properly prepare for the ACT is to practice, practice, practice. We recommend taking several timed practice tests to help you prepare for the actual ACT. Use this opportunity to practice the first two tips above: finishing each passage in 8 minutes and making your best guess on difficult questions.

We hope these 3 tips help you as you prepare for the ACT. We know that if you apply these to your study time, you will not only get through the ACT successfully, but you will have a much better shot at achieving your desired score.

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