Reading ACT Test

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Reading ACT Test
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Format

• 40 questions/4 passages/35 minutes/
• 8 - 8 ½ minutes per passage
• 2-3 minutes to read each passage and 5-6 to
  answer questions

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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)

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• 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 authors 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

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• 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

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• 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,

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• 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.

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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.

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• 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

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• 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

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Basic strategies for the test

• 1. Choose the type of passage that you feel will
  be the easiest and answer that passage first.

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• 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.

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

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• 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, youll have to reread the passage.) If
  unsure of one, guess but mark it so you can
  come back to it if you have time.

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• 5. Dont let your own knowledge blind you to the
  right answer. Your view point might be different
  that the passages author. (science, history,
  humanities sections)

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

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• 7. Dont get bogged down in details like on
  the science passage. You dont have to understand
  science in order to get he right answer. The
  passage is testing your reading skills, not your
  science knowledge.

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

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

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• 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.

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• 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

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3 Strategies for the questions/answers

• 1. Read the whole passage first and mark key
  words
• 2. Answer the questions

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• 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

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• 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

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Heres one last hint. Know your goal.

• If you want to score between 20-26 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 wont 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.

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• 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.

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In a sample passage . . .

• The questions answers were found in this order!
  1, 7, 3, 4, 8, 9, 10, 2, 5

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What would I do???

• Scan 3-4 questions and circle key words in the
  questions only. Dont 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