In our previous article, we explained the basic details on What ACT means, but in this article, we will talk about how long it takes to take ACT and major time management tips to complete on time.
If you are thinking of writing an ACT exam, then I must say well done for considering to further your academic studies. It is a courageous act to further your studies.
I know you have been preparing for this particular exam and wouldn’t want to make the mistake of running out of time as this could be a severe hindrance to you having a good result. Well here are the tips that could help you before and during the exam.
Read this: How to prepare for an Exam in One Week(Wow!)
How long does the ACT take
From our previous article on ACT, the duration of the exam without the essay is 2 hrs 55 mins and 3 hrs 40 mins with the essay part inclusive.
The ACT test is an international test that is recognized in most schools in the United States. High ACT scores gain you more privilege and a more comprehensive option for schools that you can attend.
ACT Time management tips
You have to practice and keep practising
Practice they say makes perfect, so why not bend down and practice and practice and practice. If you are into sports, then you would know the importance of practice.
The players practice a lot because it helps them go far and above their abilities and potentials.
Practice of ACT past questions could create awareness on the pattern of their questions and how best to answer them.
It will help you be familiar with their instructions, so while practising with the questions do not forget to go through the instructions and read them properly.
Practising can help you know where your academic strength is, and to know the topics you haven’t mastered well to improve on those topics.
Now don’t just practice but, practice while timing yourself. Also, make sure you beat the time while practising. I bet you; you would perform better on the exam day.
Schedule time for each question
While solving the questions, plan how many minutes you have to spend on each question to hit the target.
As you know, each test subject has a time frame, so you should schedule the time to know when you are running out of time and what to do as a remedy.
If you have some hard questions, you must attempt them because marks are not deducted even if you answer wrongly and you may never know you could get the answer right.
Follow Instructions
Read the instructions for the questions correctly so you won’t answer a problem with a bad image or graph. Students make this mistake a lot because of minor carelessness. So beware of this, so you do not fall a victim.
The English part of the exam
When practising the English part of the exam, skim through the passages first. You can go through the questions and finally reread those passages to know what to answer in the question section concerning the comprehension or the passage.
Now some students wonder what they look out for when reading the passage. These are what to look out when reading the passage.
- Note the keywords.
- Circle or underline words or phrases that might seem confusing to you.
- Underline sentences that you think carry the main ideas in the passage.
- While reading, try to get an idea of what the passage is trying to convey to the reader.
Read this: When do ACT Scores come out? (Quick Answer)
The Maths section.
The maths exam is given so that your ability to solve questions critically will be assessed, so they know you recollect all you been taught while in the high school.
They also test your ability to solve questions on topics like numbers and quantity, probability, geometry algebra, trigonometry etc.
The maths test has a total number of 60 questions which are to be answered in 60 minutes.
Another essential thing to note is that the questions are easy and can get complicated as you continue to tackle them. You automatically know you have to spend more time on the questions as you continue to solve, don’t waste much time on the easy ones.
Learn to use the calculator smartly.
Know how to use your calculator very well because some questions will undoubtedly need a calculator. Learn to use the calculator smartly; it will help you save as much time as possible.
Note: Not any calculator is allowed, only ACT approved calculators.
The Science Section
You have 35 minutes to answer a total of 40 questions. Ensure you do not answer a particular problem with the wrong diagram, always ensure that you answer the questions appropriately and with the right diagram.
How long does the ACT take
Do not leave any blank space
Do not leave any blank answer space, answer all questions, who knows you might be lucky. You could sometimes guess all the answers you do not know.
Come to the exam hall with your watch
You can’t trust any clock in the exam hall, it might even be faulty. So, come with your watch and set your time yourself but only with a watch approved by the ACT exam council. This will help you keep track of time.
Spend more time studying the topics that ACT sets exam from
When practising the questions, some topics must be present, so it will be wise for you to spend some more time studying those topics to know them inside out.
Topics include punctuation in English and Trignometry in Maths.
Observe the pattern of the questions
When practising the questions, observe the pattern of the problems.
Awesome one, I hope these tips will help you manage your time effectively.
Read this: Top 9 First-Year College Mistakes & How to Avoid Them
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