Boost Your Score on the ACT English Test

We at MasteryPrep work hard to find the best tips and strategies that will boost your ACT score as much as possible. In our one-day Boot Camps and daily ACT prep classes, we have helped students achieve an average 2–5 point increase in their overall ACT score. All they did was follow the strategies we taught them.

Maybe you’re too overwhelmed to think about the whole test, or you just need to improve in one or two sections on the ACT to get the score you want. We can help with that, too!

For many students, the English section is the most anxiety-producing part of the ACT. We don’t want you to feel that way; we want you to feel confident and prepared about doing well on all parts of the ACT. Here are 5 strategies that will boost your score on the English section:

Sounds Right is Right: If you can’t figure out which answer is grammatically correct, pick the one that sounds right. The best method is to read the answers out loud. You can read the answers in your head or put a finger to your ear so you can whisper quietly to yourself.

Process of Elimination: Even if you don’t know the right answer, you can usually find one or two you know are wrong. Make sure to cross these off right away and increase your odds of getting the right answer.

Most Valuable Phrases: If there’s a specific question above the answers, find the key words in the question; we call these our Most Valuable Phrases. Use the MVP and the context in the passage to choose the best answer.

Consistent, Clear, Concise: A good rule of thumb in choosing the right answer is to look for the choice that is consistent with the rest of the passage, clear in meaning, and short and to the point.

When in Doubt, Commas Out: If you can’t remember all the comma rules, then choose the answer that has the least amount of commas. Keep it simple: when in doubt, throw the comma out.

These may sound simple, but doing well on the ACT doesn’t have to be complicated. If you apply these tips on the test, you will improve your score in the English section as well as boost your overall ACT score.

Have you tried these strategies before? How have the helped you? What other strategies do you use to get through the English section? Share with us in the comments below!

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