Hey y'all, I'm currently prepping for the ACT. Can anyone help me understand how long each section on the ACT is and how best to manage my time during the test?
Hello! It's important to manage your time effectively on the ACT since each section has its own time limit. Here's a breakdown of the time allotted for each section:
1. English: 45 minutes for 75 questions
- That's roughly 36 seconds per question. Focus on reading the passage and questions quickly, since many questions are about grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure.
2. Math: 60 minutes for 60 questions
- You get a full minute per question. Start by answering the easy questions that you know how to approach immediately. As the questions progress, they often get more difficult, so be prepared to spend more time on the final questions. If you're stuck on a question, skip it and come back at the end if you have any time left.
3. Reading: 35 minutes for 40 questions
- You'll have to tackle 4 passages: 10 questions per passage, and around 8 minutes and 45 seconds per passage. Allocate your time carefully—spend about 3-4 minutes reading the passage, try to grasp the main points and key ideas, and then use 4-5 minutes to answer the questions.
4. Science: 35 minutes for 40 questions
- Much like the Reading section, you have 4 passages (sometimes including figures and diagrams) with 10 questions each. Aim for 8 minutes and 45 seconds per passage. Quickly read through the passage, paying attention to figures, diagrams, and the relationships between different data sets, and then spend the remaining time answering questions.
To improve your time management skills, practice under timed conditions to simulate the testing environment. Rather than just answering questions on their own, try doing complete sections of an ACT practice test. As you progress in your preparation, you'll get a better sense of which question types take you more time and how to allocate your efforts effectively.
Additionally, make sure you bring a watch (non-smart and without an audible alarm) with you to the exam, as you might not always be able to see a wall clock clearly in the testing center. This will help you keep track of your time more effectively.
Good luck with your ACT preparation!
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