The Four-Step System

ACT test writers love distracting answers. They try to get you to pick one of their wrong answers by taking you off track.

Be careful of deceptive answers, switches, and extreme answer choices, as well as answers that are too good to be true.

Don’t forget to always guess your letter of the day if there are questions that you can’t answer or don’t get to in time.

Should take about 30 secondsBefore you read the passage, look at the

questions (NOT the answer choices-THE QUESTIONS) and underline any lead words they contain

YOUR job in step 1 is to see that some name, word, or phrase is the focus of a question. Its meaning doesn’t matter.

Ignore the questions that don’t contain lead words during this step.

Should take about 30 secondsScan the passage VERY quickly looking for

the SAME lead words you underlined in step 1 – YOU ARE NOT READING THE PASSAGE – you are scanning it!

Underline the lead words in the passage

Should take about 60 secondsSkim each passageIn the margin of each paragraph scribble a few

words that describe its main ideaSkim means to read REALLY, REALLY fast – so

fast that you are uncomfortable and not at all sure you comprehend the passage in detail, SO…Direct a little more attention to the first two

sentences than to the remainderAsk yourself, “What, basically, is this paragraph

about?”

When you are skimming a passage, pay attention to words that signal a change in direction – these are called “trigger words.”

Trigger words help you figure out what a paragraph is about. EX: The “nonetheless” at the beginning of a paragraph indicates the author is going to say something that opposes what was said in the previous paragraph.

Despite However In spite of Nonetheless On the other hand On the contrary Yet Notwithstanding But Ironically Rather Unfortunately Therefore Hence Consequently

40 seconds per questionGo to first question that points to an answer. Read

it carefully. If it’s relatively clear, make sure you remember the question before you go back to the passage.

Go to the next question that points to an answer and read it carefully. If directions are clear, go back to the passage and answer the question.

Do all questions that point to an answer in the passage first.

Move onto the other questions. If you are taking too long – mark it, skip it, and move on to the next.

These questions ask you to describe attitudes or states of mind. Often, answer choices are just one word

Most of the time, these questions don’t relate to the author but to a character

These ask you to define words or phrases that are used in the context of specific parts of the passages

If questions contain the words except, not, or least, you should leave them until you have answered all other questions – with the exception of the roman numerals.

If you have time to answer these, your job is to identify the answers that are NOT supported by the passage.

A few questions on the ACT will provide you with three statements preceded by roman numerals (and not just in the Reading test).

Your job is to determine which statements, according to the passages, are TRUE.Leave these for lastLook at both question and roman numeral

statements for lead wordsTake each roman numeral and check, one at a

time, to see if the passage makes that statement