{"id":4505,"date":"2021-06-03T12:04:24","date_gmt":"2021-06-03T12:04:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/grockit.com\/blog\/collegeprep\/?p=4505"},"modified":"2025-10-10T22:31:15","modified_gmt":"2025-10-10T22:31:15","slug":"10-must-know-act-reading-tips","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/act\/10-must-know-act-reading-tips\/","title":{"rendered":"10 Must-Know ACT Reading Tips"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The ACT Reading section is thirty-five minutes, four ~750-word passages with ten questions each. Scared? Don\u2019t be. Like any section on the ACT, it may seem daunting. But in reality ACT reading is conquerable. You are capable of getting through each question. You just have to be methodical, quick, and resourceful.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are many ways to prepare for the Reading test, but the best way is to read. Read as much and as widely as you can and try to understand what you are reading. Pick up an article on biology or physics, and try to explain the authors\u2019 findings to a friend. The more eclectic a reader you are, the better you will do on this section.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>[ GOOD TO KNOW:\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kaptest.com\/study\/act\/top-10-tips-for-act-english\/\">Top 10 Tips for ACT English<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0<strong>\u2022<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.kaptest.com\/study\/act\/10-must-know-act-math-tips\/\">Top 10 Tips for ACT Math<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0<strong>\u2022<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.kaptest.com\/study\/act\/8-must-know-act-science-tips\/\">Top 10 Tips for ACT Science<\/a>\u00a0<strong>]<\/strong><\/p>\n<div  style=' margin-top:30px; margin-bottom:4px;'  class='hr hr-custom hr-center hr-icon-no  0  avia-builder-el-0  el_before_av_video  avia-builder-el-first '><span class='hr-inner  inner-border-av-border-none' style=' width:50px;' ><span class='hr-inner-style'><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<h2>ACT Reading Tips and Strategies<\/h2>\n<div  class='avia-video avia-video-16-9   av-lazyload-immediate  av-lazyload-video-embed  '   itemprop=\"video\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/VideoObject\"  data-original_url='https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=KcvQpSeKo4o' ><script type='text\/html' class='av-video-tmpl'><div class='avia-iframe-wrap'><iframe title=\"ACT Reading: Tips and Strategies | Kaplan SAT &amp; ACT Prep\" width=\"1500\" height=\"844\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/KcvQpSeKo4o?feature=oembed&autoplay=0&loop=0&controls=1&mute=0\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div><\/script><div class='av-click-to-play-overlay'><div class=\"avia_playpause_icon\"><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<div  style=' margin-top:30px; margin-bottom:4px;'  class='hr hr-custom hr-center hr-icon-no  0  avia-builder-el-2  el_after_av_video  el_before_av_iconlist '><span class='hr-inner  inner-border-av-border-none' style=' width:50px;' ><span class='hr-inner-style'><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div  class='avia-icon-list-container   avia-builder-el-3  el_after_av_hr  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='\ue841' 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\"  ><strong>ACT Reading Tip #10: Know the structure of the test.<\/strong><\/h4><\/header><div class='iconlist_content  '  itemprop=\"text\"  ><p>The ACT Reading Test is a 35-minute Reading section that starts immediately after a 15-minute break. Use this to your advantage by using your break to relax.<br \/>There are four ACT reading passages that have 10 questions each, which equals a total of 40 multiple-choice questions that each have four answer choices. There are four different passage types that are always in the same order: Prose Fiction, Social Studies, Humanities, and Natural Sciences. You can do the passages in any order, so start with your strongest passage type and work from there.<\/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='\ue84e' 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\"  ><strong>ACT Reading Tip #9: The ACT is an open-book test.<\/strong><\/h4><\/header><div class='iconlist_content  '  itemprop=\"text\"  ><p>On Test Day, you will encounter four very different passage types: Prose Fiction, Social Studies, Humanities (history and fine art), and Natural Science. One or two passages could be unfamiliar to you. Don\u2019t get discouraged, though. You don\u2019t need any outside knowledge to answer ACT Reading questions; they\u2019re all based on the passage in front of you.<\/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\"  ><strong>ACT Reading Tip #8: Follow Kaplan\u2019s method for ACT reading comprehension.<\/strong><\/h4><\/header><div class='iconlist_content  '  itemprop=\"text\"  ><p>Read the passage and write short notes next to each paragraph.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Focus on the topic and purpose of the passage<\/li>\n<li>Keep track of different people and opinionS<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Read the question and identify helpful hints.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Line references and keywords can help you find the answer<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Predict an answer BEFORE you look at the answer choices.<br \/><strong>[<a href=\"https:\/\/www.kaptest.com\/study\/act\/the-act-reading-passage-by-passage\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">READ:\u00a0<\/a><\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kaptest.com\/study\/act\/the-act-reading-passage-by-passage\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">ACT Reading: Passage by Passage<\/a><strong>]<\/strong><\/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='\ue83e' 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\"  ><strong>ACT Reading Tip #7: Always read the passage first.<\/strong><\/h4><\/header><div class='iconlist_content  '  itemprop=\"text\"  ><p>It is a common myth that you should read the questions first. It is almost impossible to remember to look for the answer to 10 different questions while reading an unfamiliar passage containing 750 words and trying to synthesize the big ideas. A much better use of your time is to read the passage and grasp the main idea and purpose before even glancing at the questions.<\/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='\ue811' 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\"  ><strong>ACT Reading Tip #6: Use the line references.<\/strong><\/h4><\/header><div class='iconlist_content  '  itemprop=\"text\"  ><p>Memories can be faulty; don\u2019t waste energy trying to rely on yours during a timed, high stakes test. The line references are provided for a reason, so use them, and don\u2019t forget to read around the line reference for context. If a question references line 12, for example, read lines 10-14. The correct answer will always have support in the passage.<\/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='\ue8c3' 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\"  ><strong>ACT Reading Tip #5: Eliminate incorrect answer choices.<\/strong><\/h4><\/header><div class='iconlist_content  '  itemprop=\"text\"  ><p>There will always be answers to eliminate, so look for them. Sometimes, just one word makes an entire answer choice wrong. Find the flaw in the answer choice, and cross it off.<\/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='\ue864' 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\"  ><strong>ACT Reading Tip #4: Find support.<\/strong><\/h4><\/header><div class='iconlist_content  '  itemprop=\"text\"  ><p>Always choose the best answer choice (based on support in the passage), not the one you think sounds most intelligent. You must find textual evidence supporting the right answer. The correct answer will be flawless.<\/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='\ue836' 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\"  ><strong>ACT Reading Tip #3: Know how the test is scored.<\/strong><\/h4><\/header><div class='iconlist_content  '  itemprop=\"text\"  ><p>There is no wrong answer penalty, so make sure you answer every question, even if you cannot eliminate any answer choices or if you run out of time.<\/p>\n<p>Have a pre-specified \u201cLetter of the Day\u201d like (A)\/(F) or (B)\/(G) to fill in automatically so you don\u2019t spend extra time deciding which answer choice you want to bubble in.<\/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='\ue81d' 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\"  ><strong>ACT Reading Tip #2: Know the ACT reading comprehension question types.<\/strong><\/h4><\/header><div class='iconlist_content  '  itemprop=\"text\"  ><ul>\n<li>Global questions \u2013 Ask about the passage as a whole<\/li>\n<li>Inference &amp; Writer\u2019s View questions \u2013 Ask you to understand something that isn\u2019t directly stated in the passage<\/li>\n<li>Detail questions \u2013 Ask about specific parts of the passage<\/li>\n<li>Vocab-in-Context questions \u2013 Ask about a word as it is used in the passage<\/li>\n<li>Function questions \u2013 Ask about the purpose of a specific part of the passage<\/li>\n<\/ul>\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='\ue8d7' 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\"  ><strong>ACT Reading Tip #1: Know the ACT reading comprehension trap answers.<\/strong><\/h4><\/header><div class='iconlist_content  '  itemprop=\"text\"  ><ul>\n<li>Distortion \u2013 twists details from the passage so they are no longer correct<\/li>\n<li>Misused detail \u2013 a true statement from the passage, but one that doesn\u2019t answer the question<\/li>\n<li>Out-of-scope \u2013 includes information not included in the passage<\/li>\n<li>Extreme \u2013 too extreme to reflect the author\u2019s purpose (often includes words like always, never, best, worst, etc.)<\/li>\n<li>Opposite \u2013 contradicts the information in the passage<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div><footer class=\"entry-footer\"><\/footer><\/article><div class='iconlist-timeline'><\/div><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\n\n<div><div class=\"op-interactive\" id=\"63502ab26a9dfb3b13b6684c\" data-title=\"ACT Reading Practice Questions\" data-url=\"https:\/\/kaplannorthamerica.outgrow.us\/63502ab26a9dfb3b13b6684c?vHeight=1\" data-width=\"100%\"><\/div><script src=\"\/\/dyv6f9ner1ir9.cloudfront.net\/assets\/js\/nloader.js\"><\/script><script>initIframe('63502ab26a9dfb3b13b6684c');<\/script><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<p><br><strong>[ READ NEXT:\u00a0<\/strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.kaptest.com\/study\/act\/act-development-of-ideas\/\" target=\"_blank\">ACT Reading: Development of Ideas<\/a><strong> ]<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The ACT Reading section is thirty-five minutes, four ~750-word passages with ten questions each. Scared? Don\u2019t be. Like any section on the ACT, it may seem daunting. But in reality ACT reading is conquerable. You are capable of getting through each question. You just have to be methodical, quick, and resourceful. There are many ways [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":48855,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[58],"tags":[60,61,62,63,64,65,66],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4505"}],"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=4505"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4505\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":48857,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4505\/revisions\/48857"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/48855"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4505"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4505"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4505"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}