{"id":4500,"date":"2025-06-16T18:59:56","date_gmt":"2025-06-16T18:59:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/grockit.com\/blog\/collegeprep\/?p=4500"},"modified":"2025-06-16T18:59:57","modified_gmt":"2025-06-16T18:59:57","slug":"10-must-know-act-math-tips","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/act\/10-must-know-act-math-tips\/","title":{"rendered":"10 Must-Know ACT Math Tips"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The ACT math section is similar to the math portions of many standardized tests, and all the ACT math questions are multiple-choice questions with four answer choices. Still, the ACT math section can hold a few surprises if you\u2019re not prepared. Be sure to use our ACT math tips to improve your score and increase your confidence on test day.\u00a0<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>[ RELATED:\u00a0 <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kaptest.com\/study\/act\/top-10-tips-for-act-english\/\">Top 10 Tips for ACT English<\/a><strong> \u2022<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kaptest.com\/study\/act\/8-must-know-act-science-tips\/\">Top 10 Tips for ACT Science<\/a><strong> \u2022<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kaptest.com\/study\/act\/10-must-know-act-reading-tips\/\">Top 10 Tips for ACT Reading<\/a><strong> ]<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2>ACT Math Timing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>You are given 50 minutes to answer 45 questions on the ACT math section. Although that\u2019s about a minute per question, expect that the time you\u2019ll need for each question will vary.\u00a0 Like most math standardized tests, the difficulty range on the ACT math is relatively wide: practice answering the easier questions quickly so you\u2019ll have adequate time to answer the tougher ones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2>ACT Math Directions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The instructions on the math portion are relatively long and detailed. Don\u2019t waste time reading them on test day. Get to know them now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Select the correct answer on your answer document (paper test) or by clicking the correct answer (digital test).<\/li><li>Do not continue to spend time on questions if you get stuck. Solve as many questions as you can before returning to any if time permits.<\/li><li>You may use a calculator on this test for any question you choose. However, some questions may be better solved without a calculator.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Note: <\/strong>Unless otherwise stated on the ACT, you can assume:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Figures are NOT necessarily drawn to scale.<\/li><li>Geometric figures are two dimensional.<\/li><li>The term <em>line<\/em> indicates a straight line.<\/li><li>The term <em>average<\/em> indicates arithmetic mean.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\t<div  style='background:#240f6e;color:#ffffff;border-color:#240f6e;' class='av_promobox  avia-button-no   avia-builder-el-0  el_before_av_iconlist  avia-builder-el-first  rounded-corner-effect'>\t\t<div class='avia-promocontent'><p><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">Expert ACT Tip<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Test takers who start at the beginning of the section, attempt the questions in order, and only move on to the next question when the previous one is complete often find that they get bogged down and don\u2019t make it to the end of the section, potentially missing questions that they could have answered correctly. Flexibility can earn you more points on the ACT math section!<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<h2>ACT Math Tips<\/h2>\n<div  class='avia-icon-list-container   avia-builder-el-1  el_after_av_promobox  el_before_av_sidebar '><ul class='avia-icon-list avia-icon-list-left av-iconlist-big avia_animate_when_almost_visible avia-iconlist-animate'><li><div  class='iconlist_icon  avia-font-entypo-fontello'><span class='iconlist-char ' aria-hidden='true' data-av_icon='\ue812' data-av_iconfont='entypo-fontello'><\/span><\/div><article class=\"article-icon-entry \"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='iconlist_content_wrap'><header class=\"entry-content-header\"><h4 class='av_iconlist_title iconlist_title   '  itemprop=\"headline\"  ><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ACT Math Tip #10: Use the Math Method<\/span><\/h4><\/header><div class='iconlist_content  '  itemprop=\"text\"  ><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This method is designed to give you the confidence you need to get the correct answers on the ACT by helping you think through each question logically, one piece at a time. Practice using it on every ACT Math question.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Step 1: State what the question is asking<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Step 2: Examine the given information<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Step 3: Choose your approach<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Step 4: Confirm that you answered the right question<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><footer class=\"entry-footer\"><\/footer><\/article><div class='iconlist-timeline'><\/div><\/li><li><div  class='iconlist_icon  avia-font-entypo-fontello'><span class='iconlist-char ' aria-hidden='true' data-av_icon='\ue812' data-av_iconfont='entypo-fontello'><\/span><\/div><article class=\"article-icon-entry \"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='iconlist_content_wrap'><header class=\"entry-content-header\"><h4 class='av_iconlist_title iconlist_title   '  itemprop=\"headline\"  ><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ACT Math Tip #9: Pick Numbers for Variables<\/span><\/h4><\/header><div class='iconlist_content  '  itemprop=\"text\"  ><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some questions are easier to solve if you pick numbers for unknown values or variables. Picking numbers is especially helpful for questions that deal with percentages or number properties (such as even\/odd numbers). Pick numbers that follow the rules of the question and are small and easy to work with. Avoid picking 0 or 1 because they have special properties.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><footer class=\"entry-footer\"><\/footer><\/article><div class='iconlist-timeline'><\/div><\/li><li><div  class='iconlist_icon  avia-font-entypo-fontello'><span class='iconlist-char ' aria-hidden='true' data-av_icon='\ue812' data-av_iconfont='entypo-fontello'><\/span><\/div><article class=\"article-icon-entry \"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='iconlist_content_wrap'><header class=\"entry-content-header\"><h4 class='av_iconlist_title iconlist_title   '  itemprop=\"headline\"  ><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ACT Math Tip #8: Backsolve to Save Time<\/span><\/h4><\/header><div class='iconlist_content  '  itemprop=\"text\"  ><p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You can backsolve, which means solving a question by testing the answer choices, when the answer choices are all numbers. The answer choices are arranged in numeric order, so start with answer choice (B) or (C) unless the question asks for the smallest or largest value. Let the answer choices work for you.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><footer class=\"entry-footer\"><\/footer><\/article><div class='iconlist-timeline'><\/div><\/li><li><div  class='iconlist_icon  avia-font-entypo-fontello'><span class='iconlist-char ' aria-hidden='true' data-av_icon='\ue812' data-av_iconfont='entypo-fontello'><\/span><\/div><article class=\"article-icon-entry \"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='iconlist_content_wrap'><header class=\"entry-content-header\"><h4 class='av_iconlist_title iconlist_title   '  itemprop=\"headline\"  ><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ACT Math Tip #7: Translate Words Into Math<\/span><\/h4><\/header><div class='iconlist_content  '  itemprop=\"text\"  ><p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Translate the words in the question into math so that you can solve the question more easily. Take it one word or phrase at a time. Remember that \u201cof\u201d means to multiply.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><footer class=\"entry-footer\"><\/footer><\/article><div class='iconlist-timeline'><\/div><\/li><li><div  class='iconlist_icon  avia-font-entypo-fontello'><span class='iconlist-char ' aria-hidden='true' data-av_icon='\ue812' data-av_iconfont='entypo-fontello'><\/span><\/div><article class=\"article-icon-entry \"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='iconlist_content_wrap'><header class=\"entry-content-header\"><h4 class='av_iconlist_title iconlist_title   '  itemprop=\"headline\"  ><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ACT Math Tip #6: Recognize Number Properties<\/span><\/h4><\/header><div class='iconlist_content  '  itemprop=\"text\"  ><p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Recognizing number properties will save you time on test day. Number properties rules include odds and evens, positives and negatives, prime numbers, and the order of operations. You can pick numbers to help you remember the rules.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><footer class=\"entry-footer\"><\/footer><\/article><div class='iconlist-timeline'><\/div><\/li><li><div  class='iconlist_icon  avia-font-entypo-fontello'><span class='iconlist-char ' aria-hidden='true' data-av_icon='\ue812' data-av_iconfont='entypo-fontello'><\/span><\/div><article class=\"article-icon-entry \"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='iconlist_content_wrap'><header class=\"entry-content-header\"><h4 class='av_iconlist_title iconlist_title   '  itemprop=\"headline\"  ><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ACT Math Tip #5: Understand Math Relationships<\/span><\/h4><\/header><div class='iconlist_content  '  itemprop=\"text\"  ><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Know the difference between values, ratios, and percentages. A ratio is a relationship between numbers. Make sure you\u2019re able to move easily between percents, fractions, and decimals.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><footer class=\"entry-footer\"><\/footer><\/article><div class='iconlist-timeline'><\/div><\/li><li><div  class='iconlist_icon  avia-font-entypo-fontello'><span class='iconlist-char ' aria-hidden='true' data-av_icon='\ue812' data-av_iconfont='entypo-fontello'><\/span><\/div><article class=\"article-icon-entry \"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='iconlist_content_wrap'><header class=\"entry-content-header\"><h4 class='av_iconlist_title iconlist_title   '  itemprop=\"headline\"  ><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ACT Math Tip #4: Know Your Triangles<\/span><\/h4><\/header><div class='iconlist_content  '  itemprop=\"text\"  ><p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You must know the 30-60-90 and 45-45-90 special right triangle rules. The ACT does not provide this information at the beginning of the math section like the SAT does, so be sure to memorize this information ahead of time. Also look out for Pythagorean triplets (3:4:5 and 5:12:13 and their multiples); these will save you time on Test Day!<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><footer class=\"entry-footer\"><\/footer><\/article><div class='iconlist-timeline'><\/div><\/li><li><div  class='iconlist_icon  avia-font-entypo-fontello'><span class='iconlist-char ' aria-hidden='true' data-av_icon='\ue812' data-av_iconfont='entypo-fontello'><\/span><\/div><article class=\"article-icon-entry \"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='iconlist_content_wrap'><header class=\"entry-content-header\"><h4 class='av_iconlist_title iconlist_title   '  itemprop=\"headline\"  ><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ACT Math Tip #3: Find Common Shapes<\/span><\/h4><\/header><div class='iconlist_content  '  itemprop=\"text\"  ><p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Find common shapes on the ACT to help you break complex figures into simple polygons. Look in particular for triangles; they\u2019re full of valuable information.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><footer class=\"entry-footer\"><\/footer><\/article><div class='iconlist-timeline'><\/div><\/li><li><div  class='iconlist_icon  avia-font-entypo-fontello'><span class='iconlist-char ' aria-hidden='true' data-av_icon='\ue82a' data-av_iconfont='entypo-fontello'><\/span><\/div><article class=\"article-icon-entry \"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='iconlist_content_wrap'><header class=\"entry-content-header\"><h4 class='av_iconlist_title iconlist_title   '  itemprop=\"headline\"  ><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ACT Math Tip #2: Recognize Red Flags<\/span><\/h4><\/header><div class='iconlist_content  '  itemprop=\"text\"  ><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Be on the lookout for common trap answers on the ACT. Watch out for answer choices that are steps in your calculations to the final answer, but aren\u2019t what the question actually asked for.. And be careful with negative signs!<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><footer class=\"entry-footer\"><\/footer><\/article><div class='iconlist-timeline'><\/div><\/li><li><div  class='iconlist_icon  avia-font-entypo-fontello'><span class='iconlist-char ' aria-hidden='true' data-av_icon='\ue812' data-av_iconfont='entypo-fontello'><\/span><\/div><article class=\"article-icon-entry \"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='iconlist_content_wrap'><header class=\"entry-content-header\"><h4 class='av_iconlist_title iconlist_title   '  itemprop=\"headline\"  ><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ACT Math Tip #1: Check Your Calculator<\/span><\/h4><\/header><div class='iconlist_content  '  itemprop=\"text\"  ><p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Check the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.act.org\/content\/act\/en\/products-and-services\/the-act\/test-day\/calculator-policy.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">official <\/a><\/span><a href=\"_wp_link_placeholder\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ACT website<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to make sure the calculator you plan to use on the ACT math section is allowed. If you\u2019re taking the exam digitally, practice using the built-in calculator if you plan to use it on test day. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><footer class=\"entry-footer\"><\/footer><\/article><div class='iconlist-timeline'><\/div><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n<h2>ACT Math Practice Questions<\/h2>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Are you ready to tackle ACT math? Test your knowledge with our quick quiz! <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n<div><div class=\"op-interactive\" id=\"63501037fa42913b31ebbf4f\" data-title=\"ACT Math Practice Questions\" data-url=\"https:\/\/kaplannorthamerica.outgrow.us\/63501037fa42913b31ebbf4f?vHeight=1\" data-width=\"100%\"><\/div><script src=\"\/\/dyv6f9ner1ir9.cloudfront.net\/assets\/js\/nloader.js\"><\/script><script>initIframe('63501037fa42913b31ebbf4f');<\/script><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:21px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2>ACT Math Strategies<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Get more ACT math strategies from Kaplan experts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<div class='avia-iframe-wrap'><iframe title=\"ACT Prep: ACT Math Tips and Strategies | Kaplan SAT &amp; ACT Prep\" width=\"1500\" height=\"844\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/7p0USmMJVtA?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator is-style-wide\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Written by Kaplan experts, reviewed by Melissa McLaughlin, Pre-College Content Developer and Heather Waite, Director of Content and Curriculum, Pre-College<\/em> <em>at Kaplan North America.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The ACT math section is similar to the math portions of many standardized tests, and all the ACT math questions are multiple-choice questions with four answer choices. Still, the ACT math section can hold a few surprises if you\u2019re not prepared. Be sure to use our ACT math tips to improve your score and increase [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":48535,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[58],"tags":[60,792],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4500"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4500"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4500\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":48538,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4500\/revisions\/48538"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/48535"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4500"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4500"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4500"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}