How to Prepare for the ACT
56ACT Books
1. Get to know what the ACT is about.
The bare bones of the ACT are as follows:
If you do plan on taking the ACT with Writing, your first section of the exam will be an essay in which you will have to write about a relevant and debatable issue in half an hour. For those who are unsure as to whether or not you should take the writing exam, check the colleges' or programs' requirements; most colleges would prefer that you do take the writing exam, so it would not hurt.
The next section is a 45 minute, 75 question grammar section. You are given five different passages, regarding grammar, organization, syntax, and all that fun grammar, in which you must complete each section within nine minutes. That is about 45 seconds per question but some of the questions should take ten seconds or less.
The next section is a sixty question, hour long math test. This section requires you to remember a lot of your high school mathematics skills, from algebra to trigonometry. The questions are pretty straightforward as long as you know the equations and understand how to approach the problems. The questions are styled somewhat differently than the SAT questions in that the content is more extensive, but does not require as much critical thinking. This is the only section that has five choices per question, whereas the other questions have only four.
The next section is the reading comprehension section. The reading comprehension section tests your ability to analyze a passage and answer general and specific questions regarding each passage. There are four passages with ten questions each. This section is 35 minutes long, and depending on your reading abilities, this section may require a lot of quick thinking as time is of the essence!
The last part is the science section, another forty question, 35 minute section. This section does not really test your knowledge of science, rather it is a culmination of both the Reading part and analyzing graphs. Yet, if you have a good science background, that will be a plus but again is not necessary. Also, you should do a lot of practice with this section as that is most of what you can really do to master this part.
Most of this information could be found in practically every prep book out there.
2. Take one practice test to see where your strengths and weaknesses are.
This is really important because you want to focus your energy and time on sections that may be less familiar to you.
On the bottom of this article will be a few books that have really great practice tests.
3. Start doing some applicable practice.
For example, if your weakness is the Reading Section, then try and read credible newspapers (New York Times, Wall Street Journal). Many articles can be found online on their respective websites. When you read, try to understand the general idea as well as a few key points that the article highlights.
If you did not do so well on the grammar section, and you are normally used to writing in 'internet slang', try to start writing with proper grammar and syntax. If you are unsure of the rules, use your prep book for guidance.
4. Start going into your test prep book.
There are many test prep books out there, and they cater to many different levels. I will try my best to describe them below. But regardless of the prep book, make sure you know all the concepts that are going to be on each section of the exam. Even though you may seem strong, unless you missed only one or two questions on the particular section, there is always room for improvement. But if you are pretty strong on the section, you should still definitely focus your attention on places where you can potentially see greater improvement.
Recommended ACT Books
 | This is a must-have for practice. These exams were administered by the ACTUAL ACT test makers! Amazon Price: $10.00 List Price: $24.95 |
 | This book is very detailed, and does cover the material very extensively. If you have time or have the discipline to go through this book, it will be very rewarding. Amazon Price: $2.99 List Price: $18.99 |
 | For those who want to better hone their ACT test skills :) Amazon Price: $14.50 List Price: $16.99 |
 | If you are looking for a very comprehensive review, this book is great. If you do not have much time, this book may be very helpful because of its simplicity and succinctness. Amazon Price: $28.49 List Price: $19.99 |
 | There are a few errors here and there, and hopefully, they will be noticeable, but there are not too many great ACT practice tests out there. Amazon Price: $20.00 List Price: $19.00 |
 | This book seems to be the middle ground between Barrons and Princeton Review. Amazon Price: $12.85 List Price: $31.99 |
5. Once you are done reviewing, just practice.
Once you have all the concepts and tricks instilled almost as second nature, all there is left is to take as many practice exams as you can. In many standardized tests, practice really can make as close to perfect as possible. Around 5-6 practice exams under testing conditions should suffice. Also, continue to do Step 3. if you have the time. If you have a smartphone with internet, you can read articles on your spare time.
On the night before the exam, get a good night's rest and simply rest. Have all your materials prepared beforehand so you do not have to have added stress on your test day.
