Reading ACT Test

Format 40 questions/4 passages/35 minutes/ ½ minutes per passage 2-3 minutes to read each passage and 5-6 to answer questions

4 passages 1. Prose fiction – what you study in an English class – short stories/novels/plays plot (what happens but also why it happens), character development (motivation for action), theme (central idea or what it tries to teach us about life), mood (how the mood is established), setting (how does it influence character and plot)

2. Humanities – usually informative pieces about art forms (visual art, music, theatre, etc.), may be about historical figures, events, trends, and modes of thought Think about the author’s viewpoint – might need to predict how the author might feel on an idea based on what you have read so far Watch for relationships between people and events/ideas/trends

3. Social Science – include history, psychology, sociology, government, etc. These passages tend to be factual You do not need prior knowledge of a subject matter to answer the questions Lots of names/dates/concepts Keep track of who believes/does something Watch for cause/effect, sequences, comparisons

4. Natural Sciences – could include biology, earth science, chemistry, physics, etc. may include specialized language but the passage will include context clues to help you figure out the meanings and uses lots of details – track cause/effect, theories,

Choose the passage you are most comfortable with and read that one first! Remember to start on the right number on your answer key if you complete the passages out of order.

3 Types of questions 1. Factual/detail – find the answer directly in the reading or through context clues Be careful of the “most significant detail,” “best be described as,” or “primarily serves to.” These phrases mean that there is more than one right answer – you have to choose the most developed idea. Be careful of the “not” questions! Slow down – read carefully.

2. Inferring– take implied information and use it to make generalizations, predictions, conclusions, judgments, cause/effect relationships, compare and contrast, and sequence of events. Infers, implies, suggests, alludes, most likely means, etc. = the answer is not word for word in the passage. Different things hint at the right answer

3. Main idea/theme of a paragraph, paragraphs, or the whole passage Main point is not always found in the opening paragraph or at the beginning of a paragraph. Determine the subject of the paragraph or passage and then decide what the author is saying about it

Basic strategies for the test 1. Choose the type of passage that you feel will be the easiest and answer that passage first.

2. Read the heading at the top of the passage. It will tell you the title, author, type of passage, the time it was written, etc. It may contain a clue as to how to answer the questions.

3. Answer the easiest questions first. You get the same points awarded for getting an easy question right as you do a hard question.

4. Answer all of the questions of a particular passage before moving on to a new passage. (If you leave some questions until the end of the test, you’ll have to reread the passage.) If unsure of one, guess – but mark it so you can come back to it if you have time.

5. Don’t let your own knowledge blind you to the right answer. Your view point might be different that the passage’s author. (science, history, humanities sections)

6. Questions are NOT arranged according to the reading – question one’s answer may be found anywhere in the passage Not arranged according to level of difficulty. – easy and hard mixed together

7. Don’t get bogged down in details – like on the science passage. You don’t have to understand “science” in order to get he right answer. The passage is testing your reading skills, not your science knowledge.

8. Some suggest writing the answers in your booklet first and then transferring answers to your answer sheet.

9. Sometimes questions will say to look at a certain line – but you may need to read lines surrounding it.

10. Some will ask you to pick a synonym for a word. Find the word in the passage and see how it is used. They usually list more than one synonym but only one is used correctly in the passage.

11. Tone of the passage should mirror the tone of the questions. If tone is condemning – then answer is condemning If tone is praising – then answer is praising, etc…

3 Strategies for the questions/answers 1. Read the whole passage first and mark key words 2. Answer the questions

1. Look at the questions first – not the answers- and mark key words in the questions 2. Read the passage and look for answers to the question

1. Skim the passage to know where info is 2. Read the questions 3. Then read certain sections of the passage to answer the questions

**Here’s one last hint. Know your goal. If you want to score between on the reading, you may want to focus only on three passages. If you get all the answers right on the three passages, your score will be around a 26. However, you probably won’t get them all right, so it will be somewhat lower. If you do focus only on three passages, remember to leave time to fill in the bubbles for the last test since it never hurts to guess.

Another way to think about this: answer 27 of the questions correctly, and you will receive a score around 26. Therefore, it is okay to be stumped on 9 questions and still receive a 26. But remember – before the test is over, guess on the 9 that stumped you.

In a sample passage... The questions’ answers were found in this order! 1, 7, 3, 4, 8, 9, 10, 2, 5

What would I do??? Scan 3-4 questions and circle key words in the questions only. Don’t bother reading answers! Read and circle key words in the paragraph and hopefully answer one or two questions. Scan three or four more questions. Continue reading and circle key ideas in the passage Repeat the process