ACT Secrets Exposed: 12 Tricks to Ace Your Test in 2024!

The highest ACT score you can get is 36.

According to Kaplan, the average score of all ACT test-takers is 21 — the top 10% of test-takers get a composite score ranging from 28 to 36.

Looking to be one of the top 10% of ACT scorers?

Here are 12 of the best ACT hacks!

ACT Hack #1: Familiarize Yourself With the Exam Format

The ACT measures your knowledge and skills in five core areas:

• English
• Math
• Reading
• Science
• Writing (optional)

There are a total of 215 multiple-choice questions to answer.

Taking the optional writing section requires you to answer one essay prompt.

Getting yourself acquainted with the topics, question types, and overall structure of the ACT allows you to plan your preparation accordingly.

ACT Hack #2: Start Preparing Early

The consensus is that you should start reviewing for the ACT at least three months before your test date.

Experts recommend preparing up to six months in advance if you want to raise your previous score by 10 points.

In any case, the importance of getting ready for the ACT early cannot be stressed enough.

Starting early allows you to cover all the topics and give each one plenty of time for you to review.

Refrain from studying last minute since it’s your admission to your top-choice college that’s on the line — the more selective the school, the higher the ACT score you should aim for.

ACT Hack #3: Take Practice Tests

As mentioned, it’s a must that you familiarize yourself with the ACT format.

What better way to make taking the ACT feel like a second skin than taking multiple practice tests until you get the hang of things?

Online, there’s a plethora of ACT practice tests — as a matter of fact, the website of the creator and administrator of the ACT, which is ACT, Inc., offers practice tests free of charge.

There are a couple of main benefits of taking ACT practice tests:

• It lowers your test anxiety
• It allows you to determine your strengths and weaknesses

ACT Hack #4: Time Yourself When Simulating ACT Tests

The entire ACT takes three hours and 30 minutes to complete.

Technically speaking, though, it’s really only two hours and 55 minutes long without breaks.

Planning on taking the optional Writing section? It will take you over four hours to complete the ACT.

In any case, it’s vital to time yourself each time you take an ACT sample test — the closer you make the experience to the real deal, the better your preparation for the standardized test becomes.

Believe it or not, some students get a low ACT score because of poor time management.

ACT Hack #5: Focus More on Your Weak Areas

Speaking of strengths and weaknesses, ensure that you devote more of your time preparing for the ACT covering topics that you have very little to no familiarization with.

The nice thing about taking sample ACT tests is that it lets you know which areas need more attention.

Generally speaking, ACT test-takers should spend four to six hours per week reviewing.

You can allocate most of your hours reading about topics you need to work on or devote a little extra time on them each week, depending on how high you want your ACT score to be.

ACT Hack #6: Don’t Forget to Brush on Your Strengths

It’s true that you must focus a lot on your weaknesses.

However, it doesn’t mean that you should neglect areas you know well.

It’s worth pointing out that ACT questions tend to get harder and harder as the exam progresses — getting anxious or stressed because of this might cause you to forget stock knowledge.

Therefore, it’s not a good idea to be too confident!

Having trust in yourself is great, but it’s not worth risking your ACT score.

ACT Hack #7: Count on Reliable Prep Guides

Besides ACT practice tests, there isn’t a shortage of ACT prep guides, many of which are free.

As of this writing, the Official ACT Prep Guide costs around $30 on Amazon.

Some students may find that affordable, but those from low-income backgrounds may find it a hardship.

If your parents can afford it, invest in high-quality review books and study guides from ACT Inc. or any other company whose name rings a bell in the realm of standardized testing.

Otherwise, you may explore all free options available on the web.

ACT Hack #8: Take It Easy the Day Before the ACT

Did you do everything we have discussed so far?

Then spend the day before taking the ACT relaxing — no studying allowed!

You can:

• Listen to music
• Watch your favorite TV sitcom
• Read a book
• Attend to a hobby
• Window shop
• Hang out with friends
• Take a walk in the park

The possibilities are endless.

Of course, it’s important to make sure that you have everything necessary in your bag — admission ticket, photo ID, number two pencils, approved calculator, snacks, etc.

ACT Hack #9: Head to the Test Center Early

It’s a good idea to arrive at your designated test center 15 to 30 minutes early.

ACT test-takers must report no later than 8 AM — the actual test starts at 8:30 AM.

Once the doors close, no test-taker is allowed in.

There’s no point in being 100% ready to ace the ACT if you are late and not permitted to take it.

ACT Hack #10: Look for Incorrect Instead of Correct Answers

Multiple-choice questions in the ACT come with four options.

Do not panic if you cannot seem to spot the correct answer.

Instead, look for options you are certain are wrong — the more incorrect answers you can identify, the better the chances of answering a particular question correctly.

For instance, eliminating two options boosts your likelihood of answering a question correctly from 25% to 50%!

ACT Hack #11: Answer Easy Questions First

Like the SAT, the ACT is a timed exam.

Here’s how many minutes you have for each section of the ACT:

Section	Number of Questions	Time Limit
English	75	45 minutes
Math	60	60 minutes
Reading	40	35 minutes
Science	40	35 minutes
Writing	1 essay	40 minutes

To budget your limited time wisely, I would suggest answering all easy questions first, and going back to answer the difficult ones using any remaining time you have.

ACT Hack #12: Guess If You’re Absolutely Clueless

There are many things to remember when taking the ACT.

Of those, here’s one of the most important:

Never ever leave any answers blank!

There is no penalty for guessing — if you guessed the wrong answer, you just fail to get one point, but if you guessed the right answer, you gain one point.