Every student is required to take the ACT at least once, which necessitates adequate preparation. The ACT is a test that indicates a student's future professional route.
So, if you want to attend your dream college, you must take up this challenge and study hard. This article provides a comprehensive approach to studying for the ACT.
In this article
Guiding Principles for ACT Study
A student must pass numerous entrance exams to gain admission to a prestigious university. Because the tests have varied qualifying criteria and syllabuses, students frequently enroll in classes and pay tuition to pass them.
The ACT is an American College Testing exam that must be passed to gain admission to an American college. This part will walk you through several key ACT Study ideas to help you prepare for and pass the exam.
Make an Individual Study Plan
When you sit for preparation, you will know how much time you will need to prepare a topic or the entire syllabus; therefore, don't make plans with others. You'll wind up sabotaging your exam preparation this way.
Create your own timetable and prepare according to your needs, as every student knows themselves extremely well in terms of studying.
A youngster usually spends an entire day preparing for an exam, but they can also prepare in as little as two to four hours.
This shows that a student should study wisely, not hard, because studying hard can be difficult. Hard studying depletes your energy, mental, and physical health, and requires a full day of preparation.
When Should You Start Studying?
Everyone is concerned about how to study for the ACT, but who is concerned about when to begin studying? If you're studying for an exam like the ACT, you should start studying early because covering the entire syllabus takes time.
Furthermore, studying early, such as ahead of time, can help you achieve good results because you will devote adequate time to each subject.
For example, if your exam is in June, you should begin studying for it in January. For exceptional grades, a 4- to 6-month preparation period is recommended.
A Little Preparation Goes a Long Way
What are your options when you only have a month to prepare? Nothing; begin studying for the exam. What if this one month is superior to six months?
So, without wasting time, create a schedule in which you may dedicate equal time to each subject without becoming exhausted.
Because you have limited time and cannot afford to waste it, study without becoming exhausted.
Take pauses from studying and do something that makes you happy, such as listening to music or cooking your favorite dish. This will increase your personal potential and efficiency.
How To Study for the ACT
In the above section, some of the best ways to study for the ACT are presented, but the portion on preparation still needs to be discussed.
This section will tell you how to do ACT prep and give you some study tips for the exam to score well.
Preparation for ACT
First, you need to prepare for the ACT, which includes four steps.
Download the Prep Guide From the Official Website
Every testing service has an official website, and ACT does too. To prepare for the exam, you need an authentic and genuine prep guide so that you don't miss out on the important details about the test.
So, to start ACT prep, you should definitely visit their official website and
Try the app & get 500 free AI tokens
download the prep guide. Prep guides usually contain all the possible information, test details, and fee details.
It requires your name, address, educational information, email, country, and parents’ names or professional background. As soon as you complete the formalities, you can register and generate the prep guide. This would be your first step toward preparation.
Sign Up for a Free Test Prep Class
As you sign up with the official website of ACT, you can appear in a free test for your ACT prep.
It is really beneficial for the preparation, and you'll be able to learn the most accurate topics in the free test session.
This will help you create a better test preparation schedule, allowing you to learn more than you would on your own.
You will also be given daily preparation home tasks, quizzes, and different activities to perform. This test session will work better for you because you don't have to pay for it.
Secondly, it will be conducted by ACT officials, so you'll be able to learn the most relevant topics for your test.
Use Library Resources
Even though you have downloaded the guide prep from the official website and also the syllabus, you can still take help from different resources.
The ACT prep doesn't limit you to using the official website or test sessions, so that you can prepare outside of the box as well. You can use the internet, books, or even go to libraries.
Libraries are the best way to study for the ACT because they contain all the possible books and syllabi that are required for preparation.
ACT comprises four main sections: English, Mathematics, Reading, and Scientific Reasoning. So, go to the library and find the most amazing books for your preparation.
Ask Others for Help
If you are really willing to pass this exam and want to be well prepared, then you have to step out of your comfort zone and ask others for help.
There are many people who, once in their lives, appear in the ACT so that you can go to them for a better understanding.
Your friends can be the best guides for you; you can ask them easily about how to study for the ACT, and they will guide you.
If you are not friends, then you can go to your seniors who have passed the exams and are now in their dream college.
Study Tips for ACT
Below are five tips for studying ACT.
Set Up a Reasonable Goal
Every college has entrance criteria, so to meet those criteria, you should set some realistic goals to achieve them easily.
You should note down the eligibility criteria for your dream college and set your timetable, goals, activities, and lifestyle according to that. This will help you build a positive environment for yourself, enabling you to work as hard as required.
If your college requires a minimum of 50% passing marks and a maximum of what you can score, then set a target for that. Challenge yourself; you'll score between 70 and 85 to earn good merit.
Make a Study Plan
Making a study time will help you become more efficient and active because you will know what time is and what you have to do during this time.
You can dedicate your time to the subjects you find difficult. For example, many students struggle with mathematics, so if you are one of them, you should devote more time to it.
You should practice questions more often because practice makes a man perfect. Other than that, you can attempt a few practice quizzes so that your preparation goes well. Divide your time and act smartly while planning ACT prep.
Take Practice Tests
As the proverb says, "Practice makes a man perfect." You must include this in your daily study life because it will keep you motivated. You'll be practicing more than ever, so make it your habit.
What you can do is prepare for a practice test and, after some time, take that test. As you solve it, you can check the answers against the key and mark your progress.
Also, there are many online tests you can find and attempt, with results generated on the spot. These tests will help you mark where you stand in terms of practice.
The best way to study for the ACT is to go to Google and search for the ACT practice tests. Some different tests will appear. Choose the one you think is easier than the rest, and slowly move toward the harder ones.
Mind Mapping
Thousands of ideas come to a person's mind in a day, but not all of them can be executed all at once.
So, whenever you are planning to study and need to design a study plan for yourself, take a blank piece of paper and start working.
Draw whatever is coming to your mind regarding the schedule, study time, syllabus, timetable, or anything. As you write down what's on your mind, you'll feel lighter, and it will help you organize your thoughts.
There can be different methods through which you can solve an analytical question, so jot it down on that paper. The trick to memorizing things smartly is to start drawing from the center of the page and blend it outwards.
This diagram, or whatever you want to call it, will stay in your mind, and you'll be able to memorize it easily. Through this technique, you can actually save time.
Review Regularly
What works best for the children who are doing ACT prep is the revision. The revision will help you memorize things fast, and you'll be able to lock it in your head.
But the reviewing or revision sessions should be done beforehand, and you should learn the bulk of the syllabus before the exam so that you don't stress out.
Cramming is not a good choice when you are preparing for the ACT, so learn the concepts and keep revising the important points. This technique will make it easy for you to do ACT prep.
What you can do is modify the part of the syllabus you prepared the next morning, before starting the next topic. This way, you can check if you remember the essential points.
ACT Format and Scoring
There are four parts to the ACT exam, and each carries a different score and number of MCQs. The following section will discuss all the scoring and formatting of the ACT exam:
ACT Format
Every test has a format that explains how the subjects are divided and how many marks they carry. Like every test, ACT has four sections and one optional writing section.
The whole test consists of all multiple-choice questions, and there are around 215 total questions. The four main subjects are English, followed by mathematics, a reading test, and a science test.
For the optional writing test, you need to register, and once you do, you will follow all four subjects.
This is how the test session is divided:
- English includes 75 MCQs that must be completed in 45 minutes, and you need to prepare grammar for it.
- Then follows Mathematics; for that, you need to attempt 60 MCQs in one hour.
- Then comes reading and science; both contain 35 and 40 MCQs that have to be done in 40 and 35 minutes, respectively.
- For the writing test, a topic will be given, and you have to attempt it in 40 minutes.
English
English is a significant part of any test because it is an international language, and you need to be fluent in it if you are hoping to get into a dream college.
While doing ACT prep, you must prepare well for the grammar because the English test section is mostly about grammar.
The English test has three main categories:
- The production of writing comes first and covers the written part of the test. It includes questions about the purpose, flow, and focus of the written passage.
- Next comes the Knowledge of Language, which really tests how much you know about the language. The questions are related to the choice of words, writing style, tone of any passage, etc.
- Lastly, it consists of Conversations of Standard English, which covers grammar, punctuation, structure, and mechanics.
Also, all these parts have different scores: the first portion varies from around 29% to 30%, and the second one accounts for 13-19% of your English test. The conversation of standard English scores 51-56%.
Mathematics
Mathematics is as necessary as English because it tests your quantitative knowledge and gives the scorer a perspective of how much you know about mathematics.
It is included in the test to test your basic knowledge about the subject. Mathematics has three major categories as well:
- The first one starts with Preparing for Higher Mathematics. It covers a significant variety of topics that are the primary part of your test: Algebra, Functions, Geometry, Numbers, Quantity, Stats, and Probability.
- The second category is the Integrating Essential Skills, which is more like a mental math portion. It requires you to put your math skills in different situations.
- The third is Modeling, which primarily involves various models.
Just like English scores, it also has different scores: the first part consists of 57 to 60% marks, and the second part consists of 40 to 43% of your math score. Lastly, the modeling score is generated through the above two categories.
Reading
If you want to pass the ACT exam, then you must be really good at Reading because this section of the paper will ask you to focus on reading skills in different situations.
This section is also divided into three main sections:
- Key Ideas and Details, which mainly focuses on your understanding of different passages.
- The second category mentioned is Craft and Structure, which is essentially about the choice of words in the passage. The meanings of those words and the primary purpose of the passage are in the idea of the passage.
- Lastly, the Integration of Knowledge and Ideas requires a reader to relate to different passages and make arguments on the topic. Also, highlight the facts that are in the passage and not the opinion in the text.
It also includes different scoring categories for your reading score: the first one is 52-60%, the second is 25-30%, and the last one is 13-23%.
Science
Science is as important as any other subject because it involves general questions related to the natural sciences. Like other subjects, it also has three major sections that you need to cover while doing your exam.
- The first one is Interpretation of Data, which requires you to analyze data provided in various problems.
- The second category is the Scientific Investigation, which requires you to focus on questions that are related to the experiment.
- The last one is the Evaluation of Models, Interference, and Experimental Results. It is a vast topic because it nearly covers every possible aspect of science, and for that, you have to be very attentive while doing the ACT prep. This topic is mainly related to analyzing and evaluating the provided scientific data.
It consists of 25-35% of your science score.
Writing
This part is mainly optional, so it depends on the student whether they really want to attempt this portion. If you wish to try the writing section, you'll have to register for it first.
You get 40 minutes to write an essay in which you have to cover all the main aspects of the topic that is given to you on the prompt.
You have to compare your ideas and thoughts about the topic and write them in a debate-like shape to portray your idea more than what was provided in the outline.
Scoring
Like every test, the ACT also has a composite score that combines all four subjects, including the writing score. The officials of ACT generate the score based on the correct answers to all the questions you attempted.
Every subject has a scale score. The total marks are converted to this scale, and then an average score is generated, which is actually the composite score.
If you discuss the writing score, it is not included in the composite score because this portion of the test is optional.
How Can Mind Maps Help You?
Everything requires planning, and if the planning is not accurate, there is a high chance that what you are planning to do will go to waste. There are many planning techniques, and the best of all is mind mapping.
Mind mapping helps a planner plan everything accordingly, and this technique is very beneficial in test planning.
When you are mind mapping for a test, it is good to use colors, symbols, lines, shapes, and images to help your plan stay in your mind.
When you sit down for mind mapping, ask your team to participate so you will not miss a single point.
This way, your mind mapping will be effective and will work exceptionally well in the exam. A mind mapping technique for a test should be very detailed and categorized accordingly.
How To Boost Efficiency With a Mind Map
Preparing for the ACT can feel challenging. The test measures English, Math, Reading, and Science reasoning. Wondershare EdrawMind helps make study sessions more organized and less stressful.
It turns lessons, formulas, and practice topics into visual maps that make review faster and clearer. With mind maps, you can group ideas, connect related skills, and improve long-term memory.
EdrawMind transforms scattered notes into structured study guides. It helps you see how grammar, algebra, and reading logic connect across sections, creating a complete and confident study plan:
Here’s what you can do with EdrawMind to prepare for the ACT:
- AI Study Guide Planner: Type “Algebra,” “Reading Comprehension,” or “English Grammar.” EdrawMind creates a full study map of key topics. You can add practice tips, question types, or formulas to each branch for better retention.
- File to Slide Task Map: Upload your ACT prep notes, review PDFs, or online materials. EdrawMind arranges them into a visual structure, helping you follow an organized and easy-to-review format.
- Pic to Mind Map: Take photos of grammar charts, geometry notes, or reading passages. EdrawMind scans and organizes them into clean maps so you can capture and revisit important details easily.
- AI Mapping: Enter topics like “Trigonometry,” “Sentence Structure,” or “Data Representation.” EdrawMind automatically builds study maps for each section. You can expand and personalize them based on areas you want to strengthen.
- Concept Map Maker: Connect related ideas, such as “Algebra Functions” to “Geometry” or “Reading Themes” to “Essay Writing.” Seeing these relationships helps you understand how ACT questions are structured across subjects.
- Text to Mind Map Maker: Paste vocabulary lists, math formulas, or reading tips. EdrawMind turns them into a visual layout that boosts memory and recall during the ACT exam.
Here’s an example mind map created within EdrawMind to help you study for the ACT:
This ACT study mind map breaks down the essential steps for effective preparation. It begins with understanding the test structure and timing, then moves to building a balanced study plan that targets weaker areas and reinforces strengths.
It also highlights the value of quality materials, timed practice, and a calm mindset. By combining consistent review, realistic simulations, and confidence-building habits, students can improve accuracy, speed, and overall test-day performance.
Conclusion
Having covered all the potential ideas and instructions for you, this article is the finest guide on how to study for the ACT.
After discussing the ACT exam's style and score, students can plan their time correctly. This article also discusses how mind mapping can help you in this situation and the benefits you can gain from it.
EdrawMind is a popular mind mapping tool. It includes several useful features, such as assisting a planner in determining the source of an issue.
You can also edit the map's themes and layout to make it more presentable if you're designing one. You can customize the map with pictures and clip art as well.
FAQ
-
Is the ACT harder than the SAT?
Not necessarily. The ACT includes a Science section and faster pacing, while the SAT emphasizes reasoning and math without a calculator. Some students find the ACT more straightforward, especially if they’re comfortable managing time during tests. -
Can I use a calculator on the ACT Math section?
Yes, calculators are allowed, but they must meet ACT’s policy guidelines. Practice using your calculator efficiently before test day so you can solve problems faster without depending on it for simple calculations. -
How many questions are on the ACT?
The ACT has 215 multiple-choice questions plus one optional essay. The sections include 75 English, 60 Math, 40 Reading, and 40 Science questions. You’ll have around three hours, or slightly longer with Writing, to complete the test. -
How does EdrawMind help with ACT preparation?
EdrawMind organizes study materials into clear visual maps. You can create topic branches for English, Math, Reading, and Science. These maps make it easier to connect ideas, track progress, and improve long-term retention. -
When will I receive my ACT scores?
Multiple-choice scores are typically released within two weeks, while Writing scores take about ten days longer. You can access results through your ACT online account and send them directly to selected colleges.
EdrawMind
AppsEdrawMind Online
