Test Day Tips
• Get plenty of rest the night before test day.
• Dress comfortably. Some test centers are warmer or cooler on weekends
than during the week. Consider dressing in layers, so you'll be comfortable no
matter what the room conditions are.
• Check your admission ticket for your test option—ACT (No Writing) or
ACT Plus Writing—reporting time, and the reporting location of your test
center.
• Bring your admission ticket to the test center. It contains Matching
Information you must copy exactly onto your answer document to avoid delays in
scoring.
• If you're unsure where your test center is located, do a practice run
to see how to get there and what time you'll need to leave home to arrive by
8:00 a.m.
• Plan to arrive by the time indicated on your admission ticket,
normally by 8:00 a.m. If you arrive earlier than 7:45 a.m., you might have to
wait outside until testing staff complete their arrangements.
• Make sure you have acceptable identification. You will not be admitted
without proper ID!
• Be ready to start after everyone has been checked in.
Tips for Taking the ACT
• Carefully read the instructions on the cover of the test booklet.
• Read the directions for each test carefully.
• Read each question carefully.
• Pace yourself—don't spend too much time on a single passage or
question.
• Pay attention to the announcement of five minutes remaining on each
test.
• Use a soft lead No. 2 pencil with a good eraser; do not use a
mechanical pencil, ink pen or correction fluid.
• Answer the easy questions first, then go back and answer the more
difficult ones.
• On difficult questions, eliminate as many incorrect answers as you
can, then make an educated guess among those remaining.
• Answer every question. Your scores on the multiple-choice tests are
based on the number of questions you answer correctly. There is no penalty for
guessing.
• Review your work. If you finish a test before time is called, go back
and check your work.
• Mark your answers neatly. Erase any mark completely and cleanly
without smudging.
• Do not mark or alter any ovals on a test or continue writing the essay
after time has been called or you will be dismissed and your answer document
will not be scored.
Tips for the ACT Writing Test:
• Do some planning before writing the essay—You will be instructed to do
your prewriting in your Writing Test booklet. You can refer to these notes as
you write the essay on the lined pages in your answer folder. Do not skip
lines.
o Carefully consider the prompt and make sure you understand it—reread
it if you aren't sure.
o Decide how you want to answer the question in the prompt.
o Then jot down your ideas on the topic: this might simply be a list of
ideas, reasons, and examples that you will use to explain your point of view
on the issue.
o Write down what you think others might say in opposition to your point
of view and think about how you would refute their arguments.
o Think of how best to organize the ideas in your essay.
• At the beginning of your essay, make sure readers will see that you
understand the issue.
• Explain your point of view in a clear and logical way.
• If possible, discuss the issue in a broader context or evaluate the
implications or complications of the issue.
• Address what others might say to refute your point of view and present
a counterargument.
• Use specific examples.
• Vary the structure of your sentences, and use varied and precise word
choices.
• Make logical relationships clear by using transitional words and
phrases.
• Do not wander off the topic.
• End with a strong conclusion that summarizes or reinforces your
position.
• If there is time, do a final check of the essay when it is finished.
o Correct any mistakes in grammar, usage, punctuation, and spelling.
o If you find any words that are hard to read, recopy them so your
readers can read them easily.
o Make any corrections and revisions neatly, between the lines (but not
in the margins).