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ACT pacing advice?

Hey, I'm struggling with my pacing on the ACT, especially on the reading section. Does anyone have any tips or strategies that could help me pace myself better and not run out of time during the test?

a year ago

First and foremost, it's essential to practice under timed conditions to get a feel for how much time you have per question and per passage. Here are some strategies and tips to help you tackle the pacing issue on the ACT reading section:

1. Skim and annotate the passage: Read the passage quickly, focusing on the main ideas and structure. Annotate or underline key points as you go, so you can quickly refer back to them when answering questions.

2. Identify question types: Familiarize yourself with different question types (e.g., main point, detail, inference, vocabulary in context, etc.). This will help you know what to look for when you refer back to the passage and save time.

3. Prioritize questions: Start with questions that refer to specific lines or details in the passage. This will save time by helping you find the information you need in the passage more efficiently. After that, move on to broader, more subjective questions.

4. Answer the questions in chunks: Divide the questions related to a passage into small groups (2-3 questions) and answer them together. This breaks the section into more manageable parts, so it's less overwhelming.

5. Use elimination: If you're unsure of an answer, eliminate the options that are definitely incorrect. This narrows down your choices, making it easier to arrive at the correct answer.

6. Keep track of time: Set a target time for each passage and its associated questions (for ACT reading, that's typically 8 minutes and 45 seconds per passage). Use a watch or timer to monitor your progress. If you're spending too much time on one question or passage, make an educated guess or flag it and come back to it later if time permits.

7. Practice, practice, practice: Work on improving your reading speed and comprehension through practice tests and regular reading. The more you practice, the better you'll become at pacing yourself during the test.

Remember, it's essential to find the strategy that works best for you. Try out different methods during practice tests to see which one helps you the most with pacing and reading comprehension. Good luck!

a year ago

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