ACT Prep Tips 2026: Section-by-Section Strategy

Learn the core grammar rules cold

Unlike Reading, English rewards direct rule knowledge. There are roughly 15–20 grammar rules that ACT English tests repeatedly: comma usage, apostrophe placement, subject-verb agreement, pronoun case, modifier placement, parallel structure, and sentence fragments/run-ons. Learn these rules explicitly — don't rely on "sounds right."

"No Change" is correct about 25% of the time

Many students avoid selecting "NO CHANGE" out of a feeling that they must fix something. Resist this. If the original version is grammatically and rhetorically correct, "NO CHANGE" is the right answer. Always genuinely evaluate whether a change is needed before selecting an alternative.

For rhetorical questions, read the surrounding paragraph

Questions about transitions, sentence order, adding/deleting sentences, and paragraph organisation require understanding the broader context of the passage. Don't answer these based on the underlined portion alone — read at least the full paragraph around it.

Eliminate wordy and redundant options

ACT English strongly rewards conciseness. If two options say the same thing but one is shorter, the shorter version is almost always correct. If an option adds a phrase that repeats information already stated, eliminate it.

Know your formulas — there is no reference sheet

Unlike some standardised tests, the ACT provides no formula sheet. Memorise: area and perimeter of basic shapes, the Pythagorean theorem, SOHCAHTOA for trig, distance/midpoint formulas, slope formula, and the quadratic formula. These appear on almost every ACT.

The early questions are gifts — don't rush them

Questions 1–20 are generally straightforward. Many students make careless errors here by moving too fast. Slow down slightly on the first 20 questions and check your work — these are points you should not be dropping.

Skip and return on hard questions

If question 45 is stumping you after 90 seconds, mark it and move on. You need to reach questions 46–60 — even if you can only make educated guesses on some of them. A blank is just as wrong as a wrong answer, so guess on anything you can't finish.

Plug in numbers on algebra questions

For questions with variables in the answer choices, pick simple numbers (2, 3, 5) and plug them into the question and the answer choices. The answer choice that matches your result is likely correct. This strategy is especially powerful on abstract algebraic manipulation questions.

ACT trigonometry is basic — learn three things

ACT trig is limited to: SOH-CAH-TOA definitions, the unit circle (basic values at 0°, 30°, 45°, 60°, 90°), and one or two trig identities (sin²θ + cos²θ = 1). You don't need full trig mastery — just these fundamentals.

Read the questions before the passage

For each passage, skim the 10 questions first (15–20 seconds). This tells you what to look for as you read. Line-reference questions are especially useful to note — you can go directly to that section when you reach it.

Find your passage order

You do not have to do passages in order. Most students have a weaker passage type (often literary narrative or natural science). Do your strongest passage types first to bank easy points and save time. Many test-takers do passages in order: Social Science → Humanities → Natural Science → Literary Narrative.

All answers are supported by the text

Every correct answer is directly supported by something in the passage. If you are choosing between two options, one will have specific textual support and one will not. Go back to the passage and find the line(s) that justify the answer — don't work from memory.

Eliminate extreme answer choices

ACT Reading answer choices that use words like "always," "never," "all," or "only" are very often wrong. The passage rarely makes such absolute claims. Answer choices using words like "some," "often," or "suggests" are more likely to be correct.

Go to the data first, not the introductory text

Each Science passage opens with an introduction that explains the experiment or study. Skip it initially. Go directly to the figures (graphs, tables, diagrams) and understand what variables are being measured and how. The introduction is a reference — use it only when a question requires it.

For data representation passages: read the axes first

Before looking at any question, identify the x-axis variable, y-axis variable, and what each line or bar represents. Most data representation questions are just testing whether you can read the graph correctly — don't overthink them.

For conflicting viewpoints passages: map each position

The conflicting viewpoints passage (usually the last one) presents two or three scientists with different hypotheses. Before reading questions, briefly note: what does Scientist 1 claim? What does Scientist 2 claim? Where do they disagree? Questions will ask you to distinguish between positions — having a mental map prevents confusion.

You can look up almost everything in the passage

Unlike Reading, where you're tested on broader comprehension, most Science questions are directly answerable by looking at the right figure. If you're confused, go back to the data — the answer is usually right there.

Save the most complex passage for last

Science passages vary in difficulty. Most students find one passage significantly harder than the others. If you hit a wall, skip to the next passage and return. Guessing on 3–4 hard questions is better than spending 10 minutes on them and running out of time on easier ones.